County Officials Accept $37,000 in Gifts

For Ted Reed, being the top county official in Marina del Rey has meant more than just a waterfront office with a sweeping view and a $125,844-a-year salary. It also has provided him with free lodging in posh hotels, expensive meals and membership in yacht and athletic clubs.

Those benefits come from the same marina interests that Reed is paid to oversee.

Since 1987, officials of the Department of Beaches and Harbors, who administer long-term leases on public land in Marina del Rey, have received more than $37,000 in gifts from some of the marina’s largest leaseholders.

The state Fair Political Practices Act permits elected and appointed public officials to accept gifts, but the gifts must be reported each year. Officials who have received more than $250 from a person or business in the previous 12 months may be required to disqualify themselves from making decisions affecting the donor.

A spokeswoman for the state Fair Political Practices Commission said there are many exceptions to the disqualification requirement and declined to discuss the marina gifts.

Records show that since becoming director six years ago, Reed has received more than $16,000 in gifts from marina interests, including $4,000 worth of lodging and meals at various Ritz-Carlton hotels outside the marina, free memberships in the California Yacht Club and Marina City Club, lunches at a marina restaurant, and luggage from a charter boat operator.

The free honorary memberships in marina yacht and athletic clubs are each worth almost $1,200 a year. Although the law requires the full amount of the gift to be reported, Reed listed the memberships from 1987 through 1990 as worth $98 and $99 without indicating that it is a monthly rather than yearly value.

Reed acknowledged the error when it was pointed out to him by a Times reporter and said it was inadvertent. His 1991 report gave the annual figure.

Of the club memberships, Reed said: “I consider them as much a benefit for the marina as for me. . . . I don’t get free meals or anything--I get to use the facility, to take somebody to lunch.”

Asked if there might be an appearance of impropriety in such gifts, Reed said: “There is. I will admit that. What you need are some good guidelines. . . . I’m not averse at all to any ethics package that would specify guidelines.”

Steve Hathaway, California Yacht Club senior vice president, said Reed uses the club membership “strictly for business purposes. . . . In no way do we give away any free meals to these guys. The only free thing is we’re waiving the dues.”

A spokeswoman for the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey said Reed has never stayed at the marina hotel as a complimentary guest.

After Reed, the next largest recipient of gifts from marina interests is Deputy Director Chris Klinger, who heads the asset management branch, which administers the leases.

Marina interests have given $8,226 in gifts to Klinger during the past five years, including free membership in the Marina City Club, a dining and athletic club seeking a reduction in its county rent.

Jerome Snyder, Marina City Club leaseholder, said he was unaware of the memberships given to Klinger and Reed. “You’re not going to believe this--I wasn’t aware they were members,” Snyder said.

Klinger said he has never used the athletic privileges at the Marina City Club, but occasionally has had lunch in the club’s dining room.

Marina interests also have provided Klinger with UCLA football tickets, a briefcase, pipe, crystal bowl, champagne and glasses, and a silver picture frame.

Referring to the leaseholders’ gifts, he said: “Do they curry favor with me? It doesn’t do any good.”

Eric Bourdon, who recently retired as assistant director, received $6,550 in gifts from marina interests from 1987 to 1991, including an honorary yacht club membership and “food and drink” from marina restaurants.

Planners, lease specialists and property managers at the marina reported receiving gifts from leaseholders, including Christmas baskets of food and champagne, restaurant gift certificates and tickets to sports events. Most gifts were valued at $100 or less.

At times, marina leaseholders have given top officials of the department tickets to campaign fund-raisers of their bosses, the Board of Supervisors.

Bourdon said he once attended a fund-raiser for Supervisor Deane Dana as the guest of a leaseholder’s lobbyist. Bourdon added: “I personally decided that I (would not) go anymore.”

Gift List

Top officials of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors have received a variety of gifts from Marina del Rey leaseholders. As required by state law, they have disclosed the gifts annually. They include: TED REED

* Job: Director of Department of Beaches and Harbors. Oversees county management of Marina del Rey and county beaches.

* Salary: $125,844.

* Value of gifts, 1987-91: $16,820.

* Gifts include: Membership in Marina City Club, a dining and athletic club, five years ($5,940); membership in California Yacht Club, five years ($5,880); lodging and food at various Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts ($4,000).

ERIC BOURDON

* Job: Assistant director (retired early 1992 after 13 years.)

* Salary: $92,784.

* Value of gifts, 1987-91: $6,550

* Gifts include: Membership in Del Rey Yacht Club, five years ($5,800).

CHRIS KLINGER

* Job: Deputy director since 1983. Head of asset management for Marina del Rey.

* Salary: $85,164.

* Gifts, 1987-91: $8,226

* Gifts include: membership in Marina City Club, five years ($5,520); membership in Del Rey Yacht Club, one year ($1,200).

SOURCE: Annual economic interest statements filed with Los Angeles County