Supervisors Vote to Play Through at Golf Course

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a proposal by the county parks department to seek bids from firms interested in operating the golf course at Mile Square Regional Park and developing another portion of the Fountain Valley site.

Instead, some supervisors suggested that the county negotiate a new contract with Mile Square Park Partnership, which has operated the facility since the 1960s under a 29-year contract that expires next year.

The firm has proposed to build a new 18-hole golf course, an ornamental garden and a 4,700-square-foot convention center at the undeveloped “triangle” portion of Mile Square Park.

Most supervisors said the golf course operator is respected in the community and has done a good job of keeping green fees reasonable. The course charges $19 to $25 for a round of golf.

Officials from the Harbors, Beaches and Parks department said it is usually the county’s policy to hold a competitive bid for such a contract.

Supervisors Marian Bergeson and Roger R. Stanton supported the staff’s proposal. But supervisors Don Saltarelli, William G. Steiner and Jim Silva rejected it, saying the county could probably garner the best deal by negotiating with Mile Square Park Partnership.

In other action Tuesday, the board voted to hire a mergers-and-acquisitions specialist to help the county decide whether to sell or lease its landfill system.

Several city managers and trash haulers expressed strong opposition to the sale of the landfills, fearing that a private operator would raise rates and disregard environmental rules.

Supervisors said the specialist would develop ideas for either selling the landfills or keeping them under county control. Another possibility would be for the county to keep the landfills but hire private operators to run them.