COSTA MESA : City Preparing to Evict Concessionaire

Officials at Harry S. Green Inc., the company which recently lost its 23-year contract to operate the concession stand at the Costa Mesa Golf Course and Country Club, refused Tuesday to vacate the premises.

According to city officials, Green’s son, Tim, refused to turn over the keys to the concession businesses Tuesday, the date the new operators were scheduled to take control.

In June, the company lost its contract to run the pro shop, bars and coffee shops to Mesa Verde Partners, a private firm.

However, Green said, he will not leave until the city compensates the business for money it lost during the last few months. Among other things, he said, the company made capital improvements to the property for which it has not been reimbursed. Green also maintains that his company lost money while the driving range was under construction.

“We haven’t received any offer at all,” Green said. “They didn’t even give us proper notice to leave the premises.”

Faced with the company’s refusal to leave, city officials are making preparations to evict the former concessionaire.

“We made the demand this morning. Mr. Green refused,” City Atty. Thomas Kathe said. “He is now trespassing.”

The company had submitted a $1.25-million claim and also agreed to drop a lawsuit that Tim Green had filed against the city and former Councilman Orville Amburgey. In the suit, Green charged that officials had conspired to have him fired from his father’s business.

The council rejected the claim last week.

This latest development comes months after the city, looking for ways to beef up its ailing coffers, decided to privatize the two courses. Mesa Verde beat out 10 other companies for the deal that could bring in more than $28 million to the city budget over the next 15 years.

The vote in June left the fate of about 20 golf course employees up in the air. Scott Henderson, managing partner of Mesa Verde Partners, said about 13 accepted offers to remain at the course and started this week.

The council, anticipating Tuesday’s events, last week gave Kathe permission to pursue whatever legal action was necessary to get Green out, officials said.

Kathe said officials are currently investigating legal remedies.