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Reforming the Sewage Spill Reporting Process
 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. An investigation revealed that since January 2002, over 11.6 million gallons of raw sewage have been spilled from wastewater treatment systems throughout the Santa Monica Bay Watershed in 208 separate sewage spills. Of those spills, over 90-percent 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.
Going Green in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County has adopted new building standards that will require all new County buildings over 10,000 square feet to meet strict sustainability guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Among the sustainability rules adopted by the Board are requirements that buildings commissioned by the County include drought-resistant landscaping, water use efficiencies, natural indoor lighting and recycled construction materials. The new County Data Center in Downey was designed to meet the new standards and will be the County’s first Green Building.
Closing Down the Marijuana Dispensary in Hacienda Heights
The Hacienda Heights dispensary, which was the first medical marijuana dispensary in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, agreed to close. Supervisor Knabe led the effort to make sure that these dispensaries would be adequately regulated in order to keep neighborhoods safe, and the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that regulated marijuana dispensaries in the County.
Tracking Down Child Support Payment Evaders
Seeking to crackdown on the County’s most heinous child support payment evaders, Supervisor Knabe worked to create a partnership between the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department and the Office of the District Attorney. The primary goal of this program would be to increase enforcement against parents who are the most delinquent in their child support payments.
Protecting Senior Citizens from Fraud
Supervisor Knabe and the Department of Consumer Affairs presented the free "Smarter Seniors Forum" to assist seniors and their families learn how to protect themselves against elder financial frauds.
Taking Steps to Replace Long Beach Courthouse
Los Angeles County officially transferred the title and ownership of the Long Beach Superior Courthouse to the State of California, completing a critical step in the planned replacement of the building with a new Courthouse nearby. By expediting the title transfer of the Long Beach Courthouse, it accelerates the State’s ability to use construction funding to replace the building or to enter into a public/private partnership with a developer to build a new courthouse and lease it back to the State. In addition, Supervisor Knabe has worked with Judge Bradford Andrews and other state and local leaders over the course of several years to lobby for funds to construct a new courthouse in Long Beach.
Overhauling Education in the County Juvenile Justice System
Schools designed to teach children incarcerated in the Los Angeles County juvenile justice system may be seriously underserving students, according to a report by the Children’s Planning Council. As a result, Supervisor Knabe called for a top-to-bottom reform of the education system in the County’s juvenile halls and probation camps, including the possible use of charter schools.
Reforming Child Welfare System
The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the largest child welfare agency in the country, has begun a historic child welfare reform plan that will focus on preventative services to help families and keep children out of the foster care system. The plan will also broaden the search for more permanent homes for children already in the system and build on the Department’s core mandate of ensuring all children can grow up in safe, loving and permanent families.
Speeding Up Catalina Island Fire Recovery
Supervisor Knabe called for County agencies to expedite permits needed to begin repairs to critical infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during the wildfire on Catalina Island. The fire destroyed several miles of fencing, nearly 100 utility poles, and caused extensive damage to roads used to access the unincorporated interior of the Island. Additionally, the fire left significant ecologic damage to the island habitat that could lead to flooding, mudslides and erosion.
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