Issues

Los Angeles County Creates More Than 10,000 Local Jobs

With President Obama’s State of the Union Speech expected to focus on job creation and retention, Los Angeles County has already reached a major milestone today in job creation. The County’s goal to create 10,000 temporary jobs locally has been achieved, but was also exceeded this week. As of today, 10,044 men, women, and young adults have been hired into jobs created by the program.

On March 3, 2009, Supervisor Knabe introduced the 10,000 Jobs Program, which utilizes almost $200 million in federal stimulus funding to create temporary subsidized employment opportunities in County departments, private sector employers, non-profit organizations, and in cities across Los Angeles County for CalWORKs welfare recipients.

CalWORKs is a welfare-to-work program that uses federal funding to provide temporary financial assistance and employment focused services to families. Most parents are also required to participate in employment services programs with the goal of finding work and getting off welfare permanently. The County’s 10,000 Jobs Program is an expansion of this effort. This portion of stimulus dollars must be used towards benefitting welfare recipients, lifting people off welfare rolls and from being a burden on taxpayers, and putting them into temporary jobs that may lead to permanent employment.

Under the rules of the federal funding, 80-percent of the cost of a subsidized worker will be covered by the government, and the employer is only responsible for 20-percent of the overall cost. The 20-percent can be further reduced by an employer’s supervision and training costs. Even though the jobs are located throughout the County, the South Bay Workforce Investment Board acts as the employer of record. They perform payroll functions, pre-screen candidates, and absorb Workers Compensation liability. A requirement for participating employers is that subsidized workers cannot displace existing employees.

More than 500 businesses across the County have hired employees through the program. Several cities have also hired workers through the program and more than 700 participants are actually working directly for the County, doing temporary seasonal jobs.

It is a tremendous achievement that we have surpassed the goal of creating 10,000 local jobs in such a short time, but we will not stop there, said Knabe. To recover our local economy, we are going to need to create thousands of more jobs, which is why the County is working with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to extend this funding, get the most out of it we possibly can, and create as many more jobs as we can before this funding eventually expires.

Even though the County’s 10,000 jobs goal was been reached, funding is still available and jobs are still being created. Two resources are available for employers looking to hire workers or for those looking for a job. The first is the County’s telephone hotline, 211. The second is a dedicated website, www.employmentstimulus.org

Knabe Calls For New Budget Spending Controls

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe called for a plan today to begin a 100-percent freeze on the purchase of all supplies and services and the replacement of fixed assets in all County departments.

The County’s Chief Executive Office has already applied a 25-percent cap on the services and supplies, and fixed assets budgets of all departments. This means departments can only spend up to 75-percent of the budgets that had been previously approved, with the remaining savings from this cost avoidance available to help offset future budget shortfalls. Under Knabe’s proposal, this 25-percent cap would be maximized to 100-percent, meaning that any equipment or supply purchases would be put through a process of rigorous review and extreme scrutiny before approval. Exceptions to this plan would be considered for the County’s emergency services, such as hospitals, public safety, and public health.

Los Angeles County’s current financial shortfalls have been minimal due to conservative financial spending in good fiscal years and the creation of rainy day funds for past budget surpluses. The County has been able to continue to all existing programs and services to residents through hiring freezes, cuts in administrative costs, and the use of reserves. Budget leaders have advised, however, that the County faces a deficit in the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year of several hundred million dollars.

Every computer and every desk we hold off on buying today means the impact will be less tomorrow, said Supervisor Knabe. Every dollar we save this year is a dollar we can apply to the deficit next year. Every little bit is going to help as we work to keep programs working and County services flowing.

Knabe Extends Reward For Information Related To The Murder Of 16-Year Old Long Beach Student

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously extended a $20,000 reward today, at the request of Supervisor Don Knabe, for information related to the shooting death of 16-year old, Wilson High School student, Melody Ross.

On October 30, 2009, at approximately 10:00 p.m. an unidentified shooter fired into a group outside of Wilson High School following the homecoming football game on Friday night. In addition to hitting Melody, two other men, ages 18 and 20, were wounded in the gunfire. Melody was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, but succumbed to her injuries at 10:30 p.m.

Although arrests have been made, the investigation continues. Long Beach Detectives believe extending the reward in this case may prompt additional witnesses to come forward and provide additional information into this crime.

Anyone having any information related to this accident is asked to contact the Long Beach Police Department’s Homicide Division at (562) 570-7244. The identity of all callers will remain confidential.

New Funding For Three Open Space Projects In Long Beach

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced a commitment of $200,000 today for three parks and open space projects in the City of Long Beach.

$140,000 of the funding will be used towards construction of new basketball courts near Seaside Park. The basketball court would be developed on land along 14th Street, between Pine Avenue and Locust Avenue. The new court would increase the footprint of the greenbelt area from Locust Avenue all the way to the new Seaside Park, and will complement the recently completed skate park.

Another $50,000 will be used towards paying for concept plans and environmental reports for a proposed new Visitors Center at El Dorado Nature Center. From the original 85 acres, when it was built in 1969, the El Dorado Nature Center has grown to 103 acres. In 2003, the Master Plan for the Nature Center was created by the community. The City of Long Beach plans to hire an architecture firm to begin the second phase of the Master Plan, which is to develop a replacement Visitors Center and Habitat Concept Plan. Such a plan is needed in order for the City to apply for a maximum grant of $5 million in funding through California’s Proposition 84 Nature Education Facilities Grant Program, which could be used towards the development of the Visitors Center.

The final $10,000 of the $200,000 Supervisor Knabe announced today will be used to rebuild the Wild Oats Community Garden, located between 10th Street and Anaheim Street. The garden will need to be removed because of construction of the Termino Avenue Storm Drain Project, a $23 million County project to improve flood control and water quality in several neighborhoods around the Colorado Lagoon and Belmont Heights. The $10,000 contribution will go towards rebuilding and reestablishing the community garden when the construction is complete in 2011. The funding for the reconstruction of the Wild Oats Community Garden was previously announced during Supervisor Knabe’s annual State of the County speech in November 2009. Today’s action is simply the formal allocation of the $10,000.

County Funds Expansion Of Community Clinics

Supervisor Don Knabe was pleased to announce today that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $15.57 million in funding to expand community clinic capacity throughout the County. Seven clinics in the Fourth District will receive almost $5 million for expansion.

The total allocation to Fourth District clinics is $4,795,653, of which $4,016,808 will go to expanding primary care services and $778,845 will go to new and improved infrastructure at the clinics. Included in the overall expansion are 12 new exam rooms. The following is a list of the Fourth District community clinics that will receive funding:

Harbor Community Clinic in San Pedro

Northeast Community Clinic in Wilmington

Norwalk Regional Health Center in Norwalk

Sacred Heart Family Health Clinic in Paramount

The Children’s Clinic in Long Beach

Westside Neighborhood Clinic in Long Beach

Wilmington Community Clinic in Wilmington

With all of the overcrowding issues we are facing throughout the County, community clinics are more important than ever, said Supervisor Knabe. By expanding clinic capacity, we are not only allowing more residents to access low-cost healthcare services, but we are alleviating strain on an emergency care system that is in a very fragile state.

Irrigation Overhaul Planned At Downey’s Los Amigos Golf Course

More than $4.2 million will be invested in renovating the irrigation system at the County’s Los Amigos Golf Course in the City of Downey, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The existing irrigation system is more than 30 years old and has exhausted its useful life. The County will be replacing the old system with a new automated system and establish a reclaimed water connection and pump house to irrigate the golf course. Two lakes will be drained, renovated and relined so they can be used as reservoirs for excess reclaimed water.

The golf course will remain open during construction. The contractor will coordinate the construction schedule with the daily functions and act ivies of the golf course. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August of this year. The project is funded by Golf Course Capital Improvement Project Funds, which are collected with every greens fee and can only be used on the course where it is collected. Additional funding comes from the Fourth Supervisorial District Capital Project funds and from a grant by the Central Basin Municipal Water District.

The project supports the County’s Sustainable Design Program by providing a reclaimed water irrigation system that will eliminate the use of potable water for landscape irrigation. Additionally, it will use Smart Water Controller technology to irrigate the course and maintain proper conditions while minimizing over watering.

County Provides New Funding For Rowland Heights Community Center Project At Pathfinder Park

A new community center in Rowland Heights moved another step closer to reality today with approval by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to hire an architect to design the facility at Pathfinder Park.

Today’s action by the Board of Supervisors awarded a $1.2 million contract to Gonzalez Goodale Architects for design services, preparation of construction documents, and other related architectural services, including assistance during the bidding and construction phases. The funding comes from the Fourth District Capital Project Fund.

Rowland Heights has a tremendous need for a community center for group activities, social support, and recreation space, said Supervisor Knabe. Pathfinder Park is the perfect place to meet these needs.

The new community center will be up to 15,000 square feet, and will accommodate increased programming and community services for the residents of the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights. In addition, the facility will be designed to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified.

Knabe Calls For Reinstating Body Armor Ban

The Los Angles County Board of Supervisors, on a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe, will support the District Attorney’s efforts to seek new legislation to reinstate the ban and use or possession of body armor for violent felons.

On December 17, 2009, the California Court of Appeals overturned a decade-old law banning the possession of body armor by violent felons. The California legislature banned felons from having body armor in 1998 after a nationally televised shootout in North Hollywood between Los Angeles police officers and two heavily armed bank robbers who were equipped with ballistic vests. The confrontation left the robbers dead and ten police officers along with five civilians injured.

This is a common sense public safety issue; violent felons shouldn’t have body armor said Supervisor Knabe. We all remember the terrible tragedy that occurred in our backyard just a decade ago. This Board pledges its full support to not only our District Attorney, but also to the State Attorney General in their efforts regarding this important issue.

Countrywood Avenue To Be Improved In Hacienda Heights

Countrywood Avenue in the unincorporated community of Hacienda Heights will soon undergo significant improvements, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The project is part of Los Angeles County’s effort to provide improved infrastructure in its unincorporated areas.

The $2.3 million project will reconstruct and resurface Countrywood’s roadway pavement; and reconstruct adjacent sidewalks, driveways, curbs and gutters. The funds for this project are included in the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Fund Budget. This project is scheduled to start in March 2010 and be completed in August 2010.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to improve the roads and increase motorist safety in our County, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving Countrywood Avenue, not only will the residents of Hacienda Heights benefit, but so will the residents of neighboring cities and our other unincorporated communities that travel this route.