City Refuses to Pick Up Tab for $5,000 Farewell Lunch

Two years after Harbor Commissioner Jun Mori retired from office, city officials are still bickering over who will pay for his $5,000 going-away luncheon.

City Controller Rick Tuttle on Thursday sent a letter requesting that the City Council force the harbor department to pick up the tab by collecting private funds from those who attended the 1992 send-off at the port.

Harbor officials have repeatedly asked that the city controller’s office use harbor user fees to pay for the gathering--attended by more than 60 city officials at $78 a person. Among those on the guest list were former Mayor Tom Bradley and six members of his staff.

The company that catered the event, which came complete with a chef and seven waiters, has filed a claim against the city to recoup its expenses.

“What the harbor has done has gone so far beyond the norm,” said Timothy B. Lynch, deputy city controller. “It is unprecedented to be having retirement lunches paid for by the public. That just isn’t what we do.”

But harbor general manager Ezunial Burts defended the port’s request.

Burts said Mori “made a tremendous contribution to this organization. He was instrumental in landing major accounts. He helped bring in tens of millions of dollars in revenue annually. He was highly respected.

“It seems to me a going-away luncheon is perfectly legitimate and justifiable,” Burts added. “There is nothing that is out of the ordinary.”

Two council members said Thursday that they are outraged that officials want to use harbor funds for the event.

“It was a pig-out at the public’s expense,” Councilman Joel Wachs said. “It’s disgusting. I’ve been here 23 years, and I have never seen a party that people don’t pay for themselves.”

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said: “I think this shows very poor judgment. As far as I know, taxpayers are not supposed to pay for people’s retirement parties.”

The council could act next month on Tuttle’s proposal. The controller is also asking the council to pass a measure making it clear that people who attend retirement parties should pay their own way.

“That’s how other departments do it,” Lynch said.