Not seeing eye to eye

June Casagrande

A 55-year business relationship ended Tuesday when the city

decided to award a contract to Tower Optical to provide the

coin-operated viewers on the piers and in Corona del Mar.

Carden Coin Telescopes has operated the city’s six outdoor

telescope viewers since 1948: three on Newport Pier, two on Balboa

Pier and one at Inspiration Point in Corona del Mar. The

long-standing arrangement to split the telescope take 50-50 netted

the city $7,767 in the last fiscal year.

Last fall, the city asked Carden to remove five telescopes

temporarily while the piers were being renovated. Then city staffers

figured it was as good a time as any to consider bids from

competitors. After considering three bids, the staff recommended

ousting Carden and bringing in Tower Optical -- a recommendation that

stunned Carden representative Gary Gardhouse.

“I’m third-generation. My family has been doing business with

Newport Beach for 55 years,” Gardhouse told council members.

In their reports to the council, Harbor Resources Director Tony

Melum and Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff reported that a spot check

of equipment in different locations showed that some Carden

telescopes were not well-maintained but that competitor Tower Optical

kept its Southern California equipment in good repair. Further,

staffers said, Tower’s binoculars were easier to use than Carden’s

one-eye telescopes.

Staff recommended switching to Tower despite the fact that the

change would mean a smaller cut for the city, 60-40, and that the

city would have to help pay to transport the equipment whenever

necessary at a cost of up to $376.36 if all six needed to be

transported.

Gardhouse argued that what the staff called scratched and cracked

lenses on the telescopes were actually on the glass covers that

protect the telescope’s lens and that they had no effect on viewing.

He also pointed out that his company has never charged the city to

transport the equipment.

“I don’t understand why we should have to pay for transport

charges,” Mayor Tod Ridgeway said, putting forward a motion to

support the new contract only if Tower agrees to waive those charges.

Council members followed suit, voting 7 to 0 to go with the new

vendor.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.