If the director determines that it is in the best interests of the state, the director, upon giving notice to the commission, may negotiate or renegotiate a contract, including terms and conditions, when one or more of the following conditions exist:
(a) The bid process as prescribed in this article has failed to produce a best responsible bidder.
(b) The negotiation or renegotiation would constitute an extension of an existing contract obtained through the process required by this article and the extended contract would provide for substantial and additional concession facilities, which would be constructed at the sole expense of the concessionaire and which are set forth in the general plan for the unit and are needed to accommodate existing or projected increased public usage.
(c) Lands in the state park system administered by the department and lands under the legal control of the prospective concessionaire are so situated that the concession is dependent upon the use of those public and private lands for the physical or economic success, or both, of the concession.
(d) Whenever a concession is desired for particular interpretive purposes in a unit of the state park system and the prospective concessionaire possesses special knowledge, experience, skills, or ability appropriate to the particular interpretive purposes.
(e) Whenever the concession has been severely and adversely impacted through no fault of the concessionaire by an unanticipated calamity, park closure, major construction, or other harmful event or action, including, but not limited to, drought, restricted access, and fires.
(f) Whenever the estimated administrative costs for the bid process exceed the projected annual net rental revenue to the state.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 230, Sec. 2. (AB 1504) Effective January 1, 2018.)