Issues

County Funds South Bay Groundwater Monitoring Project

Supervisor Don Knabe announced a multimillion dollar effort to further protect groundwater aquifers in the South Bay through a new technology project. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works will soon begin a $2.6 million project to build an underground telecommunications conduit that will allow better monitoring and control of wells throughout the South Bay.

A total of 153 injection wells stretch from the Palos Verdes Peninsula, north to Los Angeles International Airport, as part of the West Coast Basin Barrier Project. By injecting into water into these wells, seawater from Santa Monica Bay is prevented from seeping into the critical freshwater aquifers underneath the Los Angeles Basin. Seawater intrusion is the movement of ocean water into fresh groundwater, causing contamination of the groundwater by salt.

By creating a unified communications system between the wells, engineers with the Department of Public Works can control the West Coast Basin Barrier remotely from a monitoring facility in Alhambra. This allows for more rapid changes in the injection system and better monitoring of the groundwater supply in the underground aquifers.

In this first phase of the project, the County will construct a 12-inch-wide underground conduit which the future telecommunication controls will eventually run through. Public Works expects the conduit construction, which will involve areas in the Cities of El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, to start in April 2009 and complete in October 2009. Access to adjacent properties will remain open during construction and traffic impacts will be minimal.

Road Resurfacing Project In Whittier Receives County Funding

The County of Los Angeles will provide $200,000 in the form of Highways-Through-Cities funds to the City of Whittier for their resurfacing project on Lambert Road, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The project, which is entirely in the City of Whittier, will resurface Lambert Road from Washington Boulevard to Leffingwell Road, and cost an estimated $1,800,000, of which $200,000 will be financed by the County. The funding for the County’s contribution is available from the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Construction Program in the Fiscal Year 2008-09 Road Fund Budget. The estimated completion date of the project is April 2009.

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 Lambert Road, both the residents of Whittier and the nearby unincorporated County areas that travel this route will benefit.

County To Begin Preparing Businesses For Shovel Ready Projects

Supervisor Don Knabe has joined with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works to announce that six free outreach events will be held this month to advise interested business owners about available contract opportunities in the following areas: roads, bridges, buildings, airports, flood controls, energy and consulting. The Department of Public Works will also be providing an update on the Economic Stimulus Package Funding.

The six outreach events will be held throughout the County of Los Angeles at the following locations between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted:

March 18, 2009 – The Centre at Sycamore Plaza, 5000 Clark Avenue, Lakewood, 90712. Parking available behind the building.

March 19, 2009 – Wallis Annenberg Building at the California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, 90037. Parking is $8.00.

*Start time – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

March 20, 2009 – Conference Room A-B at Public Works Headquarters, 900 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, 91803. Parking available on-site.

March 25, 2009 – Hart Hall at William S. Hart Park, 24151 San Fernando Road, Newhall, 91321. Parking available on-site.

March 26, 2009 – Board Room at Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, 4232 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, 91302. Parking available at Church of the Canyon.

March 27, 2009 – Community Meeting Room at East Los Angeles Library, 4837 East Third Street, Los Angeles, 90022. Parking available on-site

For additional information call Emma Ayala at (626) 458-4093 or click here.

Knabe Seeks To Create Thousands Of Local Jobs

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, is seeking to create as many as 10,000 temporary jobs in Los Angeles County thanks to funding available in the Federal Stimulus Package. Knabe introduced legislation this week that would utilize over $100 million in federal funding to create subsidized employment opportunities in County departments, private sector employers, non-profit organizations, and in cities across Los Angeles County.

There is a limited timeframe when this federal funding is available, so we have no time to waste to make sure our unemployed residents can benefit from the thousands of jobs we can create right here in Los Angeles County, said Supervisor Knabe. Our local unemployment rate is hovering around 10-percent and we have a major opportunity to help our residents by creating immediate jobs thanks to this funding.

The goal of the motion is to place 10,000 unemployed local workers in financially subsidized positions from May 2009 through March 2010. The funding would come from the federal Emergency Temporary Aid for Needy Families Contingency Fund and would provide a minimum of $100 million to the County to create temporary jobs. The federal portion of the funding provides 80-percent of the subsidy, and the County would have to provide a 20-percent share.

Subsidized employment is one of the major priorities of this fund, and we intend to take full advantage of the significant network we have in place to provide training and employment to ensure this funding gets out the door and put towards jobs, said Knabe. We cannot do this alone – we will be engaging both our County Workforce Investment Board, as well as the other eight Workforce Investment Boards across the County to help us employ these folks.

Under Knabe’s motion, the County’s Chief Executive Officer will determine the feasibility of creating and coordinating employment opportunities that are possible through the available federal funding.

Rain Advisory For All Los Angeles County Beaches

Because of current rainfall, Supervisor Don Knabe is joining the County Health Officer in cautioning residents who are planning to visit Los Angeles County beaches to be careful of swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers. Bacteria, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to enter ocean waters though these outlets.

Fortunately, discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers only comprise a small portion of the beach, and therefore, anybody who wants to go to the beach will be able to enjoy their outing, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and Health Officer. We do advise swimmers and surfers to stay away from the storm drains, creeks and rivers as there is the possibility that bacteria or chemicals from debris and trash may contaminate the water near and around these areas, and some individuals may become ill.

Areas of the beach apart from discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers are exempted from this advisory. This advisory will be in effect until at least Sunday, March 8th at 7:00 a.m. This advisory may be extended depending on further rainfall.

Recorded information on beach conditions is available 24-hours a day on the County’s beach closure hotline: 1-800-525-5662. Information is also available online at the Department of Public Health website by clicking here.

Community Input Needed For Hacienda Heights Community Center Project

Supervisor Don Knabe is inviting residents, business owners, and other interested persons to attend two upcoming community workshops on the proposed Hillgrove Community Center in Hacienda Heights.

The Supervisor initiated a community process to explore priorities for using the tipping fee money coming from the last expansion of the Puente Hills Landfill. This effort over the last two years has resulted in strong community support for the development of a community center on an approximately nine acre property on Turnbull Canyon Road, just north of the 60 Freeway. The County has entered into an option agreement with the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District for a long-term ground lease of this property.

Two community workshops are scheduled to obtain community input into the Hillgrove Community Center Master Plan: Monday, March 16, 2009 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the Los Altos High School Gymnasium, located at 15325 East Los Robles Avenue.

I look forward to learning what facilities and programs are important to the Hacienda Heights community and thank in advance the good citizens of this community for their efforts to help bring this important improvement to Hacienda Heights, said Supervisor Knabe.

In addition to the upcoming community workshops, a brief survey is available on the right side of this page where interested persons can also express their opinions of what facilities and programs are most needed in the Hacienda Heights community.

Board Establishes $10,000 Reward For Information Related To Murder Of 28-Year Old Torrance Resident

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $10,000 reward today, at the request of Supervisor Don Knabe, for information related to the murder of 28-year old, Torrance resident, Cori Daye Desmond.

On Valentine’s Day night, Cori went to visit some friends working at the Bac Street Lounge in Redondo Beach. While at the lounge, Cori reportedly was involved in an argument with an unidentified patron. She was last seen walking to her car alone at 2:30 a.m. Her body was found stuffed in a bag and dumped on a snowy San Bernardino County road on February 16. She was murdered, a victim of blunt force trauma. Her blue-gray Jeep Wrangler was found abandoned on Mackay Lane, just a short walk from the Bac Street Lounge.

San Bernardino County detectives are searching for Cori’s killer and they ask that anyone with any information that might help solve this senseless murder contact them at 909-387-3589 or call We Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME. To help in this effort, the County of Los Angeles is offering this reward to encourage anyone with information to come forward.

It is important for the County of Los Angeles to display an unwavering stance against random acts of violence, said Supervisor Knabe. In order to bring these suspects to justice, and demonstrate our intolerance to such deplorable crimes, I believe this reward should be established, hoping someone will come forward so that we can bring these suspects to justice.

Homeless Housing Program Leads To Significant Cost Savings

A County program that has created permanent housing opportunities for dozens of homeless individuals has resulted in a cost avoidance of over $800,000 in medical and hospital costs in the past year. The Access to Housing for Health pilot program (AHH) was created by Supervisor Don Knabe in December 2006 and utilizes $3 million of the $80 million in funding for Countywide homeless prevention initiatives that was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2006.

The primary goal of AHH is to improve discharge opportunities for homeless men and women receiving taxpayer-subsidized medical care at County hospitals by connecting them with permanent housing resources. Upon leaving County hospitals, homeless individuals are provided with housing vouchers, as well as supportive services designed to help them successfully address their chronic illnesses and remain in housing.

As of January 30, 2009, 49 homeless clients in the AHH program have been placed in permanent housing, including 37 men and women who have been housed for more than one year. The 37 clients had a combined total of 152 emergency room visits during the 12 months prior to their enrollment. Since their enrollment, the 37 clients only had a combined total of 27 emergency room visits, a reduction of 82-percent.

The 37 clients also had a combined total of 305 inpatient hospital days in the 12 months prior to their enrollment in AHH. Since enrollment, these same clients only had 27 inpatient days, a reduction of 93-percent.

The reduction in emergency room visits represents a cost avoidance of approximately $117,000 and the reduction in inpatient hospital visits represents approximately $748,000 in taxpayer funds. All told, the AHH program helped avoid $865,000 in taxpayer spending that would have otherwise been used to pay for emergency and inpatient hospitalizations for homeless men and women. By addressing the underlying issue (lack of housing), the AHH participants can better manage their chronic conditions in an outpatient setting, shifting away from costly emergency medical care.

The AHH program is designed to place up to 115 homeless individuals into Section 8 or conventional public housing. The Housing Authorities of the County and the City of Los Angeles each set aside 50 of their Section 8 vouchers for the program. In addition, the County Housing Authority set aside 15 conventional public housing units for the AHH program.

The AHH program staff works with the Housing Authorities to fast track these vouchers within one month of application submission. The AHH program also provides temporary housing, so that participants will not have to remain homeless while waiting for their permanent housing placement.

"Above all, this program has successfully connected dozens of homeless men and women with permanent housing, but also saving tax dollars in the process," said Supervisor Knabe. "Before AHH, we had virtually no way to ensure that homeless men and women leaving our hospitals would receive safe permanent housing or appropriate care. Now we do."

County Announces Contract Extension Agreement With Union Partners

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, announced a major agreement today regarding recent negotiations with the public safety unions representing over 17,000 County employees. Under the agreement, all six of the County’s public safety bargaining units, plus two other justice-related unions, have agreed to a one-year, no change extension of their current contracts. The extensions include no cost-of-living increases or salary increases for the next year.

The eight unions that agreed to the extension are Firefighters (Local 1014), Supervisory Firefighters (Local 1014), Peace Officers (ALADS), Beach Lifeguards (LACOLA), Supervising Beach Lifeguards (LACOLA), Supervisory Peace Officers (PPOA), plus Deputy Probation Officers (AFSCME, Local 685), and Public Defender Investigators (Peace Officers Counsel of California).

Current contracts with the eight unions had originally expired between December 31, 2008 and January 31, 2009. Under the extension, labor leaders from the County and the public safety unions will now avoid having to negotiate in the midst of the County’s current financial challenges. With the extensions in place, labor leaders from the County and the unions recognize the County is facing significant fiscal challenges and have agreed to work with the County.

Los Angeles County is in difficult financial times right now, between diminishing tax revenue from the local economy and round after round of funding hits from the State of California, said Supervisor Knabe. We are all in this together and I am extremely proud that our partners in the public safety unions recognize these challenges and are supporting this one-year extension.

As partners with the citizens of Los Angeles County, the Firefighters recognize the current economic stress the County is under, and we are ready to step up and help, said Dave Gillotte, President, Los Angles County Fire Fighters Local 1014, representing over 3,100 County firefighters and paramedics.

Montebello Hospital Receives First Safely Surrendered Newborn Of 2009

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, is pleased to announce that a baby girl was safely surrendered recently at Beverly Hospital in the City of Montebello.

The newborn Hispanic female was born February 9 and is reported to be in good health. As is standard practice, the baby girl is in protective custody and will eventually be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

I want to thank this newborn’s mother for doing the right thing, said Supervisor Knabe. The Safe Surrender Program continues to protect babies from abandonment and give mothers a safe, secure, and anonymous way to get their child into safe hands.

This is the first Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2009 and the 70th Safe Surrender since the program began eight years ago. The last surrender occurred in Valencia in September 2008. A total of seven newborns were surrendered last year. 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.