Issues

Traffic Signal Synchronization Projects Planned for Streets in Six Local Cities

Supervisor Don Knabe announced plans today for a new Traffic Signal Synchronization Project throughout the Fourth District in the cities of Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, La Mirada, Long Beach and Whittier.

The project will synchronize 35 traffic signals on Artesia Boulevard between Alameda Street and Valley View Avenue; and 36 traffic signals located on Whittier Boulevard between Paramount Boulevard and Valley Home Avenue.

This project is part of the County’s ongoing program to enhance traffic flow and safety for drivers and pedestrians. Prior projects have shown travel times through these synchronized routes are reduced by as much as 24 percent during peak travel hours and as much as 29 percent during other periods of the day.

The project costs are estimated to be between $2.2 million and $2.6 million. The County Department of Public Works will call for bids on March 13, 2007 on a contract to perform the work.

The project is expected to take 150 working days, starting in September 2007 and ending in March 2008. Once work begins, all project streets may be reduced by one traffic lane, and a left-turn lane where existing, during daylight working hours. Local access will be maintained at all times.

Knabe Opposes Safe Surrender Program Legislation

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe renewed his opposition today to legislation introduced by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont). Assembly Bill 81 (AB 81) is a rehashing of Torrico’s AB 1873 from the last legislative session that was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger in October 2006.

Under the proposed legislation, AB 81 will extend the newborn surrender period to 30 days. Currently, the program allows mothers of unwanted newborns to surrender their babies at Safe Surrender sites, such as Fire Stations and Hospitals, up to 72 hours after the child’s birth. The person who surrenders the newborn is protected from prosecution, No Shame, No Blame and No Names.

Extending this window from 72 hours to 30 days will create serious medical issues, said Supervisor Knabe, who championed the formation of Safe Surrender, the Los Angeles County version of the Safe Haven Program, over six years ago.

Access to quality medical care in the first hours of life is an absolutely critical component that could be placed in jeopardy if this legislation goes through as is, said Knabe. Many infants who are safely surrendered have received no prenatal care or medical care at all – services that are critical for these newborns to receive in the first hours after birth. The 72 hour window works, and we have extensive research to prove it. There is no data showing that an extension to 30 days proposed in Assemblyman Torrico’s legislation would improve this successful program. That is a risk we simply cannot afford.

Los Angeles County has been at the forefront of implementing the Safe Haven Law. Since its enactment in 2002, 53 babies have been safely surrendered in Los Angeles County – more than one-third of all the newborns saved in California.

Homeless Housing Program Celebrates Milestone

It has been nearly three years since 45-year-old Lloyd Robinson last had a home; instead he has been sleeping in garages, cars and on benches, since he became homeless in 2004. Homelessness came to an end for Robinson earlier this month when he received the keys to his very own apartment in Whittier.

Lloyd Robinson is the very first participant in Supervisor Don Knabe’s pilot program that will create permanent housing opportunities for dozens of homeless individuals and families. The Access to Housing for Health (AHH) Pilot Project was proposed by Knabe and approved by the Board of Supervisors in December 2006. It utilizes $1.5 million of the $80 million in funding for Countywide homeless prevention initiatives that was approved by the Board of Supervisors last year. AHH is a partnership between the County, the City, and community service providers.

The primary goal of the program is to dramatically improve housing options for homeless men and women who seek care at County hospitals by connecting them with permanent housing opportunities once they leave the hospital. Upon leaving County hospitals, homeless clients are referred to Homeless Health Care Los Angeles, which provides case management services. The clients receive temporary housing, and either a Section 8 housing voucher or a public housing unit, and are then linked to supportive services designed to help them successfully remain in housing.

The pilot program is designed to place up to 115 homeless clients into permanent housing. The Housing Authority of Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles City Housing Authority each set aside 50 of their Section 8 vouchers for the program and Del Richardson and Associates assist AHH clients with finding suitable housing. In addition, the County Housing Authority has set aside 15 public housing units.

Lloyd Robinson became the first participant in the program after learning about it while being treated for pneumonia at Rancho Los Amigos – a County-operated rehabilitation hospital.

"A social worker at Rancho Los Amigos told me about Access to Housing for Health and I thought that might be my chance for me to finally get off the streets," said Robinson. "If it wasn’t for this program I would be still living in the street, but by the grace of God I was blessed."

Robinson officially enrolled in AHH on March 8, 2007, and is now connected to a network of support services, including case management, housing locator services, counseling, ongoing medical care, and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. He received the keys to his new apartment on April 24 and moved in a few weeks later.

"Before this program, we had virtually no way to ensure that homeless men and women leaving our hospitals would receive safe housing or appropriate care," said Supervisor Knabe. "Mr. Robinson was a wonderful story of redemption and courageousness and I look forward to hearing similar stories as this program continues."

"The program helped me gain my health back and gave me the opportunity to look forward to a better life," said Robinson. "I now have a beautiful home that I can call my own."

Reforms Underway in Sewage Spill Reporting Process

A series of improvements and reforms are currently underway in how sewage spills across Los Angeles County are reported to the public and to health workers. These reforms come just weeks after the results of a disturbing investigation were released that revealed numerous breakdowns in the way local sewage spills are reported and recorded. The extensive investigation was called for by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe after a series of sewage spills along the Santa Monica Bay in recent months.

As part of the investigation, it was discovered that since January 2002, over 11.6 million gallons of raw sewage had spilled from wastewater treatment systems throughout local watersheds 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.

The investigation also 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.

As a result of this 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.

Many of the reforms recommended by Supervisor Knabe are already underway or completed, including:

– The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has communicated with all 88 cities in the County reminding them of their legal obligations about timely reporting of sewage spills to health response teams.

– Clear protocols are now in place for reaching public health response crews after regular business hours and on the weekends.

– A database system has been created to track spills when they happen, where they happen, the severity of the spill and the steps that were taken to warn the public and protect the environment.

– Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) has introduced legislation to amend State law to resolve issues uncovered during the investigation that are beyond the County’s legal authority to address and correct.

I’m happy to report these reforms are already starting to take hold and create positive change, said Supervisor Knabe. What I’m most proud of though is the support of Assemblyman Ted Lieu.

Many of the reforms that need to happen are things that we can’t control locally. They have to happen at the State level through Legislative reform. Assemblyman Lieu believes in these reforms and supports making these needed changes to the law.

New Series of Property Tax Assessment Seminars Set

The County of Los Angeles is sponsoring a series of free seminars during April, May and June to assist property owners who feel their taxes should be lowered due to a decline in the value of their property.

The 90 – minute seminars will be offered six times at six locations: Cerritos, Culver City, El Monte, Glendale, Lancaster and Van Nuys. Additional meetings will be scheduled throughout the County on a year-round basis.

With the improvement in the real estate market, some homeowners who recently have received a Notice of Assessed Value Change have questions regarding their appeal rights.

The meetings are intended to help taxpayers better understand the assessment appeals process, which many find confusing. The seminars will be of value to homeowners who are interested in learning about the assessment appeals process and to those who have already filed an appeal. The seminars will cover taxpayers appeal rights and when to file an application for reduction in assessment. The seminars will also cover how to prepare for a hearing, what qualifies as admissible evidence, what will happen at the hearing and what to expect after the hearing.

The dates, times and locations of the sessions are:

Cerritos – Cerritos Park East Community Center, 13234 E. 166th St., Newport Room C, Monday, June 18 – 10 a.m. Free parking.

Culver City – Public Library, 4975 Overland Ave., Monday, May 21 – 10 a.m. Free parking at site and at the Assessor’s Office, 4909 Overland Ave.

El Monte – Jack Crippen Senior Center, Crafts Room, 3120 N. Tyler Ave., Thursday, May 17 – 10 a.m. Free parking.

Glendale – Public Library, 222 E. Harvard St., Wednesday, April 11 – 10 a.m. The library will validate three hours parking at the corner of Maryland and Harvard.

Lancaster – Public Library, 601 W. Lancaster Blvd., Thursday, April 12 – 10 a.m. Free parking.

Van Nuys – Bernardi Senior Center, 6514 Sylmar Ave., Wednesday, June 27 – 2 p.m. Free parking, entrance on Hamlin Street.

Persons with disabilities who believe they need reasonable accommodation or help in order to attend a seminar may call (213) 974-1431. Hearing-impaired persons with TDD equipment may leave a typewritten message by calling (213) 974-1707 (TDD).

Funding Approved for Mental Health Special Services

The County of Los Angeles approved a multimillion dollar expansion of mental health services and funding this week. Because of the $4.4 million in new funding, the County’s Department of Mental Health will be able to operate 10 additional outpatient clinics and one additional specialty clinic that will provide an array of services to older adults, 60 and over.

This specialty clinic is the first of its kind in the County that will focus on older adults. Additionally, it will be staffed with multi-disciplinary clinical treatment professionals who are specifically trained to work with older adults.

Over 60% of the services at the new clinic will be mobile and delivered in community locations that are frequented by older adults, such as senior/public housing complexes, senior centers, and homeless shelters. Frail or homebound older adults with serious mental illness will receive services right in their own homes as part of the new clinic.

According the County mental health experts, many older adults are affected by the stigma of mental illness and chose not seek services from a mental health agency.

It is the goal of the program that increases in accessibility through mobile services, like this new specialty clinic, will enhance the identification and appropriate treatment of older adults with mental illness.

53rd Newborn Safely Surrendered in Glendora

A newborn girl has become the 53rd baby handed over under the Safe Surrender Program, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The Hispanic female baby was safely surrendered Tuesday, February 27 at Foothill Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora. Tuesday’s surrender is the 6th Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2007 and the 53rd since the program began in 2001.

The Safe Surrender Program in Los Angeles County was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2002. It allows a mother or someone designated by the mother to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant is healthy and shows no signs of abuse.

This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby girl has a long life ahead of her, said Supervisor Knabe. I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.

As is standard practice, the newborn girl will be immediately placed in protective custody by the Department of Children and Family Services and placed with a foster adoptive family.

Los Angeles County and South Bay Cities Partner to Keep Trash Out of the Bay

A project to install 460 trash catch basins in the Cities of Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Manhattan Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood has been approved by the Board of Supervisors. The trash collectors will be placed at the openings of catch basins along the curb, partially blocking the openings to prevent most trash from entering the storm drain system.

The installation of the devices is underway and is scheduled to be completed in April 2007. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works will finance the cost of the devices and installation, estimated at $1,640,000 ($1 million from Proposition 50, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Grant funds; $640,000 from County of Los Angeles Flood Control District funds). Once the installation is complete, each city will be responsible for maintaining the devices within their respective jurisdictions.

This is an important investment in our stormwater and runoff technology, said Supervisor Knabe. These catch basins will keep trash and debris from entering the storm drain system and ultimately the Santa Monica Bay.

There is no single solution for protecting water quality at our local beaches, said Public Works Director Don Wolfe. It takes a partnership between local government and the public we serve. That partnership begins with an individual’s choice to put litter where it belongs, in the trash can or recycling bin.

Arcadia Hospital Receives Safely Surrendered Newborn

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is happy to announce that a baby boy was safely surrendered in the City of Arcadia. The newborn Hispanic male was surrendered at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia and is reported to be in good health.

The newborn boy was surrendered yesterday. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

It is always a great day when we get word of a successful surrender, said Supervisor Knabe. This little boy has a healthy life ahead of him and he is truly a testament to the success of this program.

This is the fifth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2007, and the 52nd since the program began six 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.

Marina del Rey Seawall Repair Project Now Underway

The first phase of a multimillion dollar construction project by Los Angeles County to repair several thousand feet of the seawall protecting Marina del Rey is now underway, Supervisor Don Knabe announced this week.

The Marina seawall consists of 728 reinforced concrete panels spanning approximately 7.2 miles of land within the Marina. Voids of varying sizes have been detected at the bottom of approximately 17,600 lineal feet of seawall resulting from consolidation and loss of underlying soils from groundwater fluctuations caused by tidal changes. The voids have the potential to compromise the long-term structural integrity of the seawall.

The first phase of the project is now underway and will target repairs along 1,600 feet of the seawall. The $5,350,000 budget for Phase I of the project will fund repairs on the largest and most critical gaps in the seawall. Construction includes grouting voids, placement of filter fabric and bedding stone, and installation of a 3-foot minimum layer of armor rock protection at the base of the wall.

Most of the work will be completed by a team of divers and a water-based derrick crane. In some areas, the rock will be placed using a land-based crane with the contractor coordinating the construction schedule with local businesses to minimize disruption of services and access to docks.

These seawall repairs are absolutely critical and will be completed as soon as possible, said Supervisor Knabe. This project is designed to further increase the safety of the residents and visitors of Marina del Rey.