San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury Report: What is the Price of Dysfunction?

By Nicole David

"There is no way to sugar coat the issue. The commission governing the San Mateo County Harbor District is in disarray."

Those are the opening words of the Grand Jury's report on their Harbor District investigation, issued July 9, 2014. The report goes on to say:

• The District operates at significant yearly losses.
• Financial reporting is anything but transparent.
• The District requires far more responsible governance than it currently receives.

"As a result of its investigation, it is abundantly clear to the Grand Jury that the citizens of the County would be best served, both financially and in terms of better service, if the District were dissolved and its operations assumed by the County and other successor agencies."

This recommendation also is not new. Grand Juries in 1963, 1990, and 1991 all recommended dissolution. In 1966, the District was actually dissolved after approval from San Mateo County voters, but a court overturned it and the District was reinstated.

While this Grand Jury report accurately describes the Harbor District's problems, I disagree with the recommendation for dissolution. Among the harbor community are boat owners, fishermen, business operators, and many others using our harbors daily. They are the harbor constituents, they depend on the harbors, and I am one of them.

Though we have much to contribute to the harbors, we all feel that the current elected commissioners ignore us. We have feedback on current procedures. We have ideas for improvements. We want to participate, but too often we are excluded. The current commissioners have lost our trust.

The Grand Jury recommends that harbor governance be handed over to bureaucrats in an office even farther away. This will not solve our problem! What the harbors need are new leaders with competence and enthusiasm--new leaders who will diligently attend to taxpayer interests, as well as harbor constituents.

In light of failures in past efforts to dissolve the District, the Grand Jury also recommended:

• Better fiscal transparency
• Greater operating efficiencies through simplification and divestiture
• More professional and collegial governance

 A forensic audit to identify problems with the budget and to safeguard future financial stability.  Further, regular comparisons between planning budgets and actual results for careful oversight and protection of public funds.  Over the years, the District has acquired some responsibilities unrelated to the harbors. These outside distractions should be divested and reduced.  Focus on the core mission of the District and build bridges between commissioners.

But the Grand Jury missed an important service that the District should also address: Education.

Topics like sea level rise are of great importance to San Mateo County, and the Harbor District should take opportunities to bring this to the attention of the public. The Harbor District can also be of service by teaching about safe seafood consumption, sustainable fisheries, coastal erosion, and other topics. County bureaucrats are unlikely to initiate these conversations, but if you put a marine biologist on the Harbor Commission, I'll certainly do my best!

Public confidence in the Harbor District has suffered substantially, but I am convinced that this can be changed. However, we need the help of San Mateo County's voters. Please vote for new commissioners in November, and spread the word to your fellow citizens!