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Hernando Today

Concessions At Pine Island Must Be Bid Out

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Hernando Today

Published: March 26, 2009

The issue: Bypassing the bid process for concession rights at Pine Island Beach. Our opinion: While Willy Kochounian has done a terrific job with Willy's Tropical Breeze Cafe, county commissioners must follow the law to ensure fairness and the best deal for taxpayers.

There's no doubt that Willy Kochounian has done an exemplary job running his concession business - Willy's Tropical Breeze Cafe - at the county-owned Pine Island Beach.

There's no doubt he's well liked, has lots of supporters and has grown his business and its accoutrements over the years.

There's no doubt he conscientiously locks the gate to the park at night and that his business suffers when the county health department warns against swimming at the beach because of high coliform bacterial levels in the water.

There's no doubt that Kochounian and his business are an asset to Pine Island Beach in particular and Hernando County in general.

There's also no doubt that the above has nothing to do with whether county commissioners should bid out the rights to operate concessions at Pine Island Beach.

This is not a subjective emotional issue about whether Kochounian provides great service to beachgoers and the surrounding Pine Island community.

The issue is about fairness.

It's in the best interest of taxpayers and a matter of public trust that the county bids out concessions at its parks and recreational facilities, which equates to a monopoly for whoever wins the bid.

In 1991, Kochounian was the winning bidder to operate concessions at Pine Island Beach under a five-year contract. Three times since then - 1996, 2001 and 2006 - the county has extended Kochounian's lease for an additional five years without following the county's bidding process. The contract for beach concessions comes up again in 2011.

The situation smacks of the oft-quoted but elusive to prove "good-old-boy network" that many complain about county government. In this case it has a lot to do with Kochounian's salesmanship and the fact that he's provided a terrific establishment at Pine Island Beach.

It's the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be even better, and that's what competition does. While county concession rights provide a virtual monopoly to the highest bidder, knowing that those rights expire in a few years is impetus to do the best job possible to help win the next bidding cycle.

Diane Benoit, who won the concession rights at Ernie Wever Park via the county's bidding process, thinks Kochounian's sweetheart deal with the commission is unfair.

Benoit told Hernando Today that she was one of four unsuccessful bidders on the Pine Island Beach concession in 1990, when Kochounian won the bid. She would welcome the opportunity to bid again on the Pine Island Beach site.

Trouble is, she never gets the chance. Benoit doesn't understand why Kochounian gets automatic contract renewals when no other county vendors do.

We don't understand it either. It's patently unfair.

"It should go out for bid," Benoit said.

Kochounian would like everyone to see the issue as an emotional one. He's put a lot of effort into his cafe over the years, building up the business and adding to its amenities at his own cost. He's threatened that if county commissioners go out for bids on the beach concession rights, he won't participate.

He's even gone so far as to try to turn the situation around, saying it's not right that the county would consider removing him after 20 years.

Nobody's talking about getting rid of anyone. It's simply applying the same process to which Kochounian gained the Pine Island Beach rights in the first place. How can he argue with the process he benefitted from?

Kochounian knows he has a five-year contract, not a lifetime contract. The property belongs to the taxpayers, not to the individual.

If Kochounian doesn't want to bid on the rights to operate concessions at Pine Island Beach, that's his prerogative. However, county officials shouldn't circumvent their own policies and procedures.

When the contract comes up again in 2011, commissioners should put the beach concession rights up for bid like all the others.

If Kochounian decides to participate in the bid process, they should take into consideration the job he has done over the years and make a decision based on the best, not necessarily the highest, bid.

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