August Archives

August 2004

Public Access Update - In a continuing effort to open County government to greater citizen participation, the County recently updated its Web page for accessing public documents. Click public records for detailed information on County records policies and helpful advice for those interested in obtaining various types of County and court documents.

Yaroslavsky Cites Pending Closure of Northridge Hospital, Calls for Federal Action to Close Gap in Emergency Services - Citing the announcement by Catholic Healthcare West of the pending closure and sale of Northridge Hospital, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky warned in a statement that "The continued loss of inpatient beds and emergency rooms strategically impairs the fundamental ability of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system to perform as intended," and noted that as a result of losing the hospital's bed capacity, "Patient bottlenecking in the emergency rooms will increase, and paramedic ambulances will be tied up for greater periods of time putting our community's health at greater risk and driving up EMS costs." Calling it a national problem, Yaroslavsky said that "national leaders both in the executive and legislative branch need to address it immediately." Click full statement for the entire remarks

LATEST INFORMATION -- WEST NILE VIRUS - West Nile Virus cases are increasing in Los Angeles County. To find out more about the virus, keep up with the latest news and learn how to better protect yourself and your family, visit this website maintained by the County Department of Health Services: http://lapublichealth.org/acd/vectorwestnile.htm. The site includes information about reporting of potential mosquito breeding areas, standing water sites, and dead birds, and offers many useful links to state and federal vector control and health agencies. For the Vector Control District serving your ZIP Code, please click Vector Control by ZIP Code.

Sheriff’s Independent Counsel Report Released Examining Dog Bites, Racially Motivated Inmate Violence – Special Counsel Merrick Bobb has released his 18th Semiannual Report to the Board of Supervisors examining problems within the Sheriff’s Department that may lead to liability for the County and financial exposure for County taxpayers, and suggesting ways in which that risk can be minimized or eliminated. Areas addressed include a doubling in this year’s “bite ratio,” the share of arrests where police dogs bite suspects, more than 80% of whom are Latinos and African-Americans, and an update on efforts to control racially motivated inmate violence. To read the full report, click 18th Independent Counsel Report; for background on the Special Counsel and on-line access to all his other reports, click Sheriff’s Monitor.

County Urges Court to Let Valley Transit Project Proceed – On August 10, 2004, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an urgency motion by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky asking the California Court of Appeal to lift a temporary stay and let construction proceed on the San Fernando Valley’s Orange Line bus rapidway while the court considers minor technical challenges to the project’s Environmental Impact Report.

Board Endorses Stem-Cell Research Initiative – Also on August 10, the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s motion to endorse Prop. 71, a bond-measure initiative on the November 2, 2004 California general election ballot that would underwrite a 10-year stem-cell research program in California aimed at treating and curing a wide variety of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cancer, HIV/AIDS and many others. Click motion and background for the text of Yaroslavsky’s motion and additional analysis by the County’s Chief Administrative Office. For further information on the initiative, click Cures for California, the official campaign website.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky greets two volunteers from the County’s Child Support Services Department working a table at the 24th Annual “Government Day” event. Sponsored by Yaroslavsky’s office and hosted by the Panorama City Mall, the gathering offers an opportunity for adults and families to learn about the government and the community services that are available to them from more than 40 participating federal, state, County and city agencies. Participants include County departments such as Health Services, Registrar-Recorder, Public Social Services and Community and Senior Services; the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; the Los Angeles Police Department; the California Department of Motor Vehicles and State Employment Development Department; the Social Security Administration; and many others. (7/17/04)

Van Nuys Civic Center Child Care Center Project Advances – On August 3, 2004, the Board of Supervisors awarded a construction contract for a new child care center to serve public employees working in the Van Nuys Civic Center. The new child care center will include a large outdoor play yard fenced for privacy and security, and numerous amenities for children and staff, including a kitchen, staff lounge, adult and children’s restrooms, and an isolation area for sick children. The project is scheduled for completion by August 2005. County plans call for hiring an experienced child development program operator to run the center, while a consortium of County departments with offices in the Civic Center will absorb the maintenance and utility costs to minimize expense to parents and allow more County employees to participate.

Board Approves County Arts Grants – With Board approval, the County of Los Angeles Arts Commission has awarded grants to 72 arts organizations from the Third Supervisorial District. Competitively reviewed and scored by panels, the grants were part of a roughly $2 million package for 2004-5 awarded to 204 non-profit organizations Countywide, aimed at assisting them to create visual and performing arts projects, strengthen infrastructure, and provide access to the arts for children and adults. Third District grant recipients range from small troupes like the Aeolian Ballet Theatre, the August Strindberg Society of Los Angeles and the Valley Youth Orchestras Association to large organizations like the Autry National Center, the Geffen Playhouse and the Skirball Cultural Center. Click Arts Commission grant recipients for a full list of organizations funded for 2004-5. For information on how you or your arts organization can apply for grants during the upcoming funding cycle, click arts funding opportunities.

Yaroslavsky Announces Commission Appointments (+ designates reappointments)

8/17 - Jo Kathleen Kaplan+, Probation Commission

8/10 - Joyce L. Foster+, Probation Commission
Susan Ng+, Los Angeles County Commission on Aging

8/3 – Lester Breslow, M.D.+, Public Health Commission
Andrew Stern+, Los Angeles Beach Commission
Hugo Farias, Commission on HIV Health Services