Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich applauded hardworking County staff and outlined his goals for the coming year. Leading the list of of priorities are:

“We will strengthen public safety focusing on the gang violence that is plaguing our schools and communities.

 

To alleviate congestion on the ground and in the air at LAX, we will develop our regional airports – Palmdale and Ontario — and encourage our cities to utilize creative strategies to reduce traffic congestion, including signal synchronization, reverse flow lanes, and restricting truck deliveries during peak driving hours.

We will also support programs that provide the mentally ill homeless the necessary medical treatment to resume productive lives. To ensure that our County’s 22,000 foster children are placed in loving homes, we will enhance adoption and foster care opportunities with our faith-based communities and other organizations.

We will also keep our emergency preparedness departments trained and focused to respond whenever earthquakes, fires or acts of terror impact our county. In addition, we must implement the required reforms at King Drew Medical Center — predicated on the results of the forthcoming CMS and JACHCO audits. 

If King Drew fails either one, we must retain vital medical services for the community by implementing a contract with an outside operator or develop a multi-specialty ambulatory care center.”  

Antonovich said that in 2006, “the Board will focus on results and challenge County departments to be proactive, responsible and responsive.  The public is both our client and boss deserving of accountability and professionalism from each of us and our departments.”

He thanked the strong and effective members of the county workforce who perform in a professional manner and who have gone the extra mile in protecting public safety or helping a child find a loving home or helping a taxpayer correct a bureaucratic error.