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Jorge Orozco Appointed Chief Executive Officer Of Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement today in response to the County’s Chief Executive Officer’s recommendation to close and/or reduce clinic services throughout the County, as a means to balance the County’s Department of Health Services Fiscal Year 2008-09 Budget:

In the upcoming fiscal year, our Department of Health Services is looking at a budget shortfall of up to $300 million. In an effort to balance the budget, the CEO has brought forward a recommendation that calls on this Board to close or reduce services at most of our health centers and comprehensive health centers throughout the County. And although, this is only a starting point of the conversation, I am shocked by the proposal and deeply concerned by it.

It is true that this plan will generate millions in savings, but what it fails to address is the effect that closing clinics will have on our already overworked emergency rooms. With the recent overcrowding issues at Harbor-UCLA and the closures of the emergency rooms at King-Harbor and Daniel Freeman Hospitals, the system can ill-afford any further strain. The emergency care system at both private and County hospitals is already in a fragile state, and further increasing the workload of our emergency rooms is creating a time-bomb waiting to explode. We need to be opening more clinics in the County, not closing them.

I will be introducing a motion at Tuesday’s Board Meeting that will ask the CEO to come up with a comprehensive list of all possible options to balance the Health Department’s budget. We have some very difficult decisions on the horizon, but this proposal should be viewed as our last resort and not just a quick fix.

Member of County’s 10 Most Wanted Surrenders After Press Conference

Michael Lee, one of the County’s new Ten Most Wanted Delinquent Parents, surrendered this afternoon in Superior Court at the Central Arraignment Court facility downtown, Supervisor Knabe announced. Mr. Lee has had warrant outstanding for his arrest since January 11, 1999, when he failed to appear for a probation revocation hearing.

At his appearance, Mr. Lee was sentenced by Commissioner John W. Green to 180 days in the County jail; the sentence was stayed, however, on conditions that he make a lump sum payment of $4,000 by April 2, 2008, an additional lump sum payment of $4,000 by July 1, 2008, and that he pay $300 per month beginning April 1 to pay down the amount he owed. Mr. Lee was ordered to return in two weeks on April 2 with proof of the first lump sum payment.

Before surrendering, Mr. Lee appeared on the 18th floor at the Central Civil West Courthouse, accompanied by his fiance and his sister. He was visibly nervous and admitted that he was shaken and shamed by the publicity that had resulted from yesterday’s press conference. He had been contacted by a number of acquaintances who had seen his DMV photo broadcast on TV news.

I couldn’t be more thrilled with this news, said Supervisor Knabe. This shows that the media plays an important role in getting the word out about these delinquent parents. Our Ten Most Wanted list is already showing that it’s a success.

Upgrade Of The South Bay Bike Trail Complete

A major upgrade and overhaul of the South Bay Bike Trail is now complete, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The renovated bike path is located between 62nd Avenue and Culver Boulevard in the Playa del Rey community of the City of Los Angeles.

The South Bay Bike Trail stretches nearly 22 miles between Will Rogers State Beach and Torrance County Beach, with most of the path running along public beaches. The project involved the reconstruction of the existing bike trail, including the construction of deep base to stabilize the path and new concrete pavement, and the installation of new striping and pavement markings. The total cost of the project was $431,243, with funding coming from Proposition C Local Return Funds.

It is important that the bike paths on our beaches are safe, said Supervisor Knabe. These improvements will enhance the safety and increase enjoyment of the numerous residents and visitors who use the South Bay Bike Trail.

Transportation Information For Dodgers Game At the Coliseum

The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Boston Red Sox for a pre-season exhibition game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, March 29, 2008. Those who are planning to attend the game should arrive early and expect delays.

Exposition Park has limited parking and will most likely be filled early. It is strongly recommended that patrons park at Dodger Stadium (call for reservations) or on the USC Campus. Please see below for available parking and transportation options for the game, and for more information please visit
lacoliseum.com

Exposition Park

Lots open at 8:00 a.m.

$25 per parking spot

39th and Figueroa

Martin Luther King Jr. and Hoover

Additional Entrances as needed

USC Campus

Lots open at 10:00 a.m.

$25 per parking spot

Figueroa and McCarthy

Jefferson and McClintock

Flower and Exposition

35th Street east of Grand

Additional Gates as needed

Dodger Stadium

Lots Open at 11:00 a.m.

Free to the public

Sunset/Elysian Park Gate

Shuttles depart from Dodger Stadium regularly and drop off at Coliseum at Exposition and Figueroa.

For reservations: (323) 224-1507

METRO

Numerous local and express bus lines service the Exposition Park Area:

Local Lines: 40, 42, 81, 102, 200, 204, 381, 550

Rapid Lines: 740, 745, 754

For further information or to plan your trip:

www.metro.net or (800) COMMUTE

County To Launch 10 Most Wanted Program For Child Support Evaders

The County of Los Angeles will soon launch a new program, modeled after the FBI’s successful most wanted list, to track down and capture the County’s ten most egregious child support payment evaders. The program will be announced at a press conference on the Temple Street steps of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at 9:00 a.m., by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, and the Director of the County’s Child Support Services Department, Steven J. Golightly.

The new 10 Most Wanted List features some of the County’s worst child support offenders. The ten individuals, who will be revealed at the press conference, together owe more than $2 million in unpaid child support for 17 children. The individual amounts owed range from $63,000 to over $427,000 per person.

Together these ten evaders owe $2,032,296.90 to their children; these families are struggling to pay their bills because this specific group of parents are choosing to evade or ignore their responsibilities, said Supervisor Knabe. With this new 10 Most Wanted List, the County now has another tool in aggressively tracking down these uncooperative parents.

The County previously had a list of the most wanted delinquent parents, but in the past, the Child Support Services Department (CSSD) had no way of arresting and bringing these offenders to court. That changed last April when Supervisor Knabe created a partnership between CSSD and the Office of the District Attorney to establish the Child Support Arrest Warrant Project. The project is designed to pursue uncooperative parents who evade their child support obligations even after arrest and bench warrants have been issued against them for failing to appear in criminal court. Supervisor Knabe provided $500,000 to assist in funding District Attorney Investigators who will seek out, investigate and arrest these child support evaders.

CSSD has a number of options to pursue the collection of child support payments on behalf of families in need, and always seeks to establish cooperative relationships with the parents required to make payments. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of parents currently in the County’s system that go to great lengths to evade their child support obligations, even after arrest warrants have been issued. There are approximately 1,240 parents with outstanding warrants who fall into this category, and they owe several million dollars in child support payments. Since the use of District Attorney Investigators began on December 4, 2007, 160 of those 1,240 warrants have been cleared.

County Will Renovate Four Fire Stations And One Lifeguard Station In The Fourth District

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first phase of a project that will renovate fire and lifeguard stations throughout the County, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. Renovations are needed in over 90 of the County’s fire and lifeguard stations to meet code requirements and give female employees privacy when sleeping, dressing, and changing.

Twelve facilities will be renovated in Phase 1 of the program, with five coming from the Fourth District. The renovation work includes the construction of new restroom layouts that will provide private toilets and shower areas, the installation of partitions in the sleeping quarters, and the creation of private changing areas. The total project budget for Phase 1 is $5 million, and is scheduled to be completed within 18 months. The funding for the project is coming from the Fire Protection District.

The right to privacy is absolutely critical for each and every one of our County firefighters and lifeguards, said Supervisor Knabe. This project will ensure that our fire and lifeguard stations are modern and account for the growing number of female personnel that the County employs.

Fourth District Fire and Lifeguard Stations in Phase 1

– Fire Station 17 – 12006 Hadley Street in Whittier

– Fire Station 49 – 13820 La Mirada Avenue in La Mirada

– Fire Station 56 – 12 Crest Road in Rolling Hills

– Fire Station 96 – 10630 Mills Avenue in Whittier

– M.B. Lifeguard Station – 2600 Strand in Manhattan Beach

Knabe Dedicates New Fitness Center At Carolyn Rosas Park In Rowland Heights

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will be on hand to dedicate the new Carolyn Rosas Fitness Center in Rowland Heights on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 4:00 pm.

The $2.3 million, 2,500 square foot addition will provide much needed space to support the park’s current programs. In addition, the new Fitness Center will allow the Department of Parks and Recreation to offer new programs at the park including: martial arts, wrestling, hula dancing, diet and exercise classes, yoga, badminton and Tai Chi. The new facility also includes additional office space and a new kitchen and snack area for the park.

In an effort to include the input of community residents in the planning of the new center, the Rowland Heights Coordinating Council held several community meetings during the process to keep the residents informed about the project. Many of the new programs to be offered at the park were requested by the Rowland Heights community.

This project is about making a reinvestment in our community, said Supervisor Knabe. The new Carolyn Rosas Fitness Center will not only increase the quality of life for the residents of Rowland Heights, but also the residents of the surrounding cities and communities that utilize this park.

Newborn Safely Surrendered In Woodland Hills

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today that a baby was safely surrendered in at a hospital in Woodland Hills on Friday, February 29.

The newborn Hispanic female was born full tem and is in good health. Although the surrender occurred on Friday, it is normal for surrenders to take several days to be verified under the rules of the program. As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

This is the fourth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2008, and the 66th since the program began seven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

Another mother has done the right thing and saved her baby’s life, said Supervisor Knabe. There is no reason to abandon a child since we have a law that allows a mother to anonymously get her baby into safe hands with no questions asked.

White Point Parking Lot Closed Due To Sink Hole

A recently completed traffic signal interface between the City and County of Los Angeles will dramatically improve traffic flow throughout the region.

The new interface links the City’s Advanced Traffic Control System with the County’s Information Exchange Network, and will enable a two-way exchange of traffic signal data, including congestion and incident information. It will significantly enhance the ability for both agencies to work together to ensure their traffic signals remain coordinated across City boundaries. Operators in both agencies will be able to monitor the operation of each agency’s signals and make adjustments to ensure the routes are synchronized.

The total cost of the project was approximately $1.41 million, with funding provided by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the City and County of Los Angeles.

Knabe Sewage Spill Reporting Reforms Yields Widespread Improvements

The successful reporting of sewage spills across Los Angeles County has skyrocketed in the past year, due to widespread reforms initiated by Supervisor Don Knabe in January 2007. The findings come in a newly-released report by the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller and reveal that since Supervisor Knabe’s call for reforms last year, there has been a dramatic increase in the reporting of sewage spills to the County Public Health Officer.

The report shows that records of sewage spills increased 2,900%, from 26 in 2006 to 773 in 2007. It was also noted that the reporting of sewage spills of 1,000 gallons or greater increased 645%, from 11 in 2006 to 82 in 2007. In fact, the reporting of sewage spills during the calendar year 2007 exceeded the combined total of all sewage spills reported during the previous five years combined. During that period from 2002 to 2006, the County received only 87 sewage spill reports, compared to 773 for all of 2007.

These new findings were the result of an investigation and reforms called for by Supervisor Knabe last year after a number of large sewage spills along the Santa Monica Bay. The investigation led to an initial report last year that revealed massive failures in the reporting process of sewage spills and the ways in which the public is notified about those spills. The initial report found that since January 2002, over 11.6 million gallons of raw sewage had been spilled from wastewater treatment systems throughout the Santa Monica Bay Watershed in 208 separate sewage spills.

Of those spills, over 90% were never properly recorded by health officials, nor were records kept as to what was done to protect the safety and health of the public impacted by the spills.

The follow-up report released today by the Auditor-Controller was also the result of Knabe’s direction last year that a review of the new reforms needed to be made one year later to determine if the new protocols were working properly.

The results of last year’s investigation revealed numerous breakdowns in the communication system at every level of government and also turned up evidence of hundreds of sewage spills throughout the watershed since January 2002 that show no evidence of ever being recorded. The investigation was limited to sewage spills of 1,000 gallons or greater that occurred within the Santa Monica Bay Watershed from January 2002 through July 2006. The investigation revealed 208 sewage spills, totaling 11,606,986 gallons of raw sewage, within that area and time frame. Among the findings of the investigation were:

– Records did not exist for 189 of the 208 sewage spills or 90.8% of the spills that occurred in the past four and a half years. No records were ever found that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Environmental Health Program was ever notified or kept records of sewage spills by local wastewater agencies after they occurred. Additionally, these 189 spills have no record of cleanup efforts or efforts to notify the public of the health risk.

– Of the 19 spills that there are records for, they account for only 1.8 million gallons of the 11.6 million gallons spilled in the Watershed since January 2002. There are no records as to whatever happened to the other 9.78 million gallons of raw sewage spilled during that period, where it all went or what cleanup efforts were performed.

– The investigation revealed numerous failed communication protocols between local wastewater operators and public health crews within the County, including lack of understanding at the local level as to which agencies must be contacted immediately after a spill and lack of clear policies within the County about contacting first responders after normal business hours.

– The investigation also revealed that rules governing proper operation of sewage systems were vague and could result in improper operation of wastewater equipment.

As a result of the January 2007 investigation, Supervisor Knabe unveiled a number of reforms to immediately address and reform the sewage spill reporting process, as well as the impact of the public health and health of the environment these inactions may have caused. The newly-released follow-up report reveals that the County has successfully implemented 15 of the 16 recommendations and reforms, with the one remaining reform currently in progress.

Among the reforms was the successful passage of Assembly Bill 800, authored by Torrance Assemblyman Ted Lieu and sponsored by the Board of Supervisors. The new law requires that any entity responsible for a sewage spill now has the duty to report it to the local public health officer and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. In addition, fines will be imposed to any sewage treatment official who fails to promptly report a spill.

The results of this follow-up investigation are very positive, said Supervisor Knabe. It shows that there has been a dramatic increase in the communication between the operators of sewage treatment systems and the public health officials who are tasked with responding to sewage spills and ultimately keeping the public safe.

While there is a vast difference in the number of spills that are being reported now versus how many spills were going unreported before, we least now have a successful way to track spills and penalize those who don’t respond quickly. By having accurate information and records, we can respond quicker to these spills. In the end, that will hopefully lead to the most important goal of all: keeping the public safe and minimizing the harmful effects of sewage spills on our waterways, beaches, environment, and oceans.