August 2003 Yaroslavsky Urges County Voters to “Touch the Future” with Touchscreen Voting – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky reminds all County residents that any County-registered voter is eligible to vote in the upcoming special election on October 7, 2003 at any one of 12 Touchscreen Early Voting Sites. The sites will be open from September 24 through October 3, 2003, including Saturday and Sunday. Click Early Voting Sites for detailed information on locations and operating hours. Click Special Recall Election for additional information. Yaroslavsky Wins Approval to Expand Domestic Partner Benefits – On Tuesday, August 26, 2003, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky won Board approval for his proposal to expand benefits available to domestic partners of County employees. Yaroslavsky’s motion immediately extends survivors’ pension benefits to domestic partners of retired County employees, with additional benefits to be negotiated in the future such as expanded bereavement leave, life and disability insurance, COBRA (extended post-employment group health coverage), and family medical leave. Efforts Advance for Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to Acquire and Preserve Ahmanson Ranch – On Monday, August 25, 2003, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Board approved a package of measures aimed at setting the stage for the eventual purchase and preservation of 2773 acres of open space currently slated for potential development as the Ahmanson Ranch Project. Environmentalists and parkland advocates have long sought to protect the Ahmanson Ranch property, which includes rare flora and fauna habitats, as well as wetlands, canyons, seasonal waterfalls, mountains and an upland pasture. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and other local elected officials attended the hearing, testified, or wrote letters in support of the proposal to preserve the site as open space. Click SMMC agenda and attachments for further details. To learn more about the issue, click Ahmanson Ranch News for the project developer’s viewpoint, and Save Ahmanson Ranch for the environmental preservationist perspective. Yaroslavsky Blasts $9 Billion LAX Expansion Plan – At a public hearing during the Board’s August 19, 2003 weekly meeting, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky blasted the $9 billion LAX airport development plan advanced by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, calling it a thinly veiled effort to mask an ambitious expansion project as an effort aimed only at improving airport security. Click airport hearing and go to pages 53-81 to read the full hearing transcript, and pages 63-67 to read Yaroslavsky’s lengthy comment on the project; click CAO airport comments for a brief analysis of the plan. Yaroslavsky to County Officials: “What Would We Do If the Lights Went Out?” – Concerned about the impact on the County of Los Angeles of a regional power blackout similar to that which recently hit the northeastern United States, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky asked County officials in a motion to report back in 30 days on the County’s contingency plans and general readiness to cope with the kind of power outage that could disrupt emergency communications, hospital operations, computer systems, and more. Self-Help Legal Access Center Honored – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky hailed the announcement that the Self-Help Legal Access Centers (SHLAC), a project first launched with Yaroslavsky’s support at the Van Nuys Courthouse, had been chosen for a Top Ten Award in the County’s 17th Annual Productivity and Quality Awards Program. The SHLAC was established to assist civil litigants without lawyers – known in courts as “pro pers” – to represent themselves more effectively and improve the efficiency of court operations. Yaroslavsky noted that more than 80% of all family law cases involve at least one party without a lawyer; most pro per litigants are unfamiliar with the legal process, and many are unaware of their legal rights, jeopardizing their ability to succeed in court. Corral Canyon Trailhead Opens – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art trailhead facility off the Pacific Coast Highway leading into Corral Canyon. Located on Pacific Coast Highway between Malibu Canyon Road and Kanan Dune Road, the Corral Canyon trailhead provides visitors parking, picnic areas, restrooms, educational displays, sitting benches, and a hiking trail into the last undeveloped coastal canyon in Los Angeles County. Additionally, the new trailhead allows seasonal access to Los Angeles County-operated Dan Blocker State Beach. There is also an MTA bus stop at the entrance to the facility. Click Corral Canyon Trailhead for further information. Board
Adopts Yaroslavsky Call to Reform State Budget Process – On August
5, 2003, the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s motion to
endorse the Budget Accountability Act, an initiative constitutional
amendment currently circulating to reform a gridlocked state budget
process. The measure would reduce the Legislature’s super-majority
voting requirement for adopting a budget from 2/3 to 55% of the membership
in the state Senate and Assembly. Click
on the following links to read Yaroslavsky’s reply and
the prior KNX budget editorial. Yaroslavsky Urges County Beachgoers to “Watch the Water” On-line For the Latest Beach Information – Supervisor Yaroslavsky is urging all beachgoers to take advantage of an exciting new service now available on-line to monitor coastal surf and weather conditions at Southland beaches. Click Watch the Water for the latest information to ensure that your trip to the beach will be safe and fun. Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall Profiled in New York Times – The County Music Center’s new Walt Disney Concert Hall, slated to open in October 2003, was recently featured in a major New York Times profile. Read the article here; click the following links for photos of architect Frank Gehry’s stunning design for the Hall: Walt Disney Concert Hall, aerial view; swirling forms; concert hall, exterior; an exterior view of concert hall; curves continue into the public spaces; a view of the interior space; and the concert hall. County Braces for October 7, 2003 Recall Election – With 135 candidates certified for the ballot to consider the recall and replacement of Gov. Gray Davis, the County of Los Angeles and the 57 other California counties are bracing for the special election set for October 7, 2003. Due to the extremely compressed schedule and the likelihood that the County will be forced to consolidate precincts and reduce the number of polling places, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is urging all eligible voters to be sure their registration is correct and up to date, and to pay close attention to developments as they unfold. To keep up with fast-breaking recall news, click to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s 10/7 Special Election Web Page, which also includes links to the California Secretary of State.
Board Greenlights Budget, Construction Contract for Santa Monica Courthouse Replacement Project – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced Board approval of the final $4.43 million budget and construction contract for a major improvement project at the Santa Monica Courthouse, located at 1725 Main St. in Santa Monica. Yaroslavsky noted that the Courthouse has been relying on three heavily used civil courtrooms in modular buildings more than a decade old, which are now beyond cost-effective repair. This project will replace the modular units and related support space with a new permanent 11,933 square-foot court building on the same site. Yaroslavsky said that the cost of the project would be covered from Third Supervisorial District Capital Project funds. He added that current services at the Santa Monica Courthouse should not be affected during construction because the modular courtroom staff will be relocated to courtrooms in the nearby West Los Angeles Courthouse at 1633 Purdue Ave. during demolition and construction phases of the project. For further details, click Santa Monica Courthouse. Board Approves County Purchase of Secret Valley Open Space in Santa Monica Mountains – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced Board approval to purchase nearly 42 acres of open space in the Secret Valley area of the Santa Monica Mountains, located ½ mile north of Calabasas Peak, between Mulholland Highway and Old Topanga Canyon Road. Yaroslavsky said the purchase continues a longstanding project to acquire developable land in the Calabasas-Cold Creek Trail area, which links to 23 other trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. The effort helps preserve open space and sensitive riparian and wildlife habitat while expanding passive recreational opportunities for County residents and visitors. The County purchased the property in partnership with the Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT), a private California nonprofit public benefit agency established in 1981 to help protect Santa Monica Mountains wilderness areas in part by acquiring and reselling undeveloped property to public parks agencies. Because of its expertise and experience in wilderness management, the MRT has agreed to manage the property on the County’s behalf. For maps of the site and other information, click Secret Valley. Yaroslavsky Announces New County Disaster Preparedness Website – Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is urging County residents to learn more about how to prepare for and protect their families against potential disasters by visiting the County’s Office of Emergency Management website, <http://www.espfocus.org/>. Yaroslavsky emphasized that the site offers links to six years of monthly preparedness tips from the County’s award-winning Emergency Survival Program (ESP). He noted that while the current public focus is on terrorism, the site offers much useful information on preparedness for natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, and floods, with helpful links to additional information from the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, among others. 08/05/03 Stacy Rummel Bratcher, Hospitals and Health Care Delivery Commission 08/05/03 Marilyn Green Fried+, County Commission on Aging 08/05/03 Ann Jackson+, Commission on Judicial Procedures |
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Yaroslavsky
Announces August Commission Appointments (+ designates reappointments)
