Harnessing nearly four years of research and successful
advocacy, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC)
announces its Homelessness Action Team to serve as a working
group to complement the efforts of Governor Newsom’s
Administration and fill any gaps as a county-level platform for
engaging with the Governor’s Statewide Homeless and Supportive
Housing Advisory Task Force.
Chaired by Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, the
CSAC Homelessness Action Team will include Orange County
Supervisor and CSAC First Vice President Lisa Bartlett, and Kern
County Supervisor and CSAC Immediate Past President Leticia Perez
as Vice Chairs.
The Legislature returned from Summer Recess on Monday. With a
month left in the Legislative session, it is a sprint to the
finish to get bills to the Governor’s desk. CSAC has been
actively following hundreds of bills throughout the Session, and
has been keeping a particularly close watch on bills related to
wildfires and disasters.
Many of these bills touch on topics related to CSAC’s priority of
creating a more resilient California, including vegetation
management, land use planning and defensible space issues;
Wildfire Mitigation Plans, improved alert and warning systems;
and, potential improvements to Public Safety Power Shutdown
procedures. CSAC will continue to engage on these bills
throughout the end of session.
The Employee Relations policy area falls under the jurisdiction
of the Government Finance and Operations (GFO) Policy Committee
and is responsible for all issues related to public employment
and retirement. Specific issues areas are pension benefits and
pension system administration; labor relations; issues regarding
county negotiations with employees; workers’ compensation; and
other risk management issues facing public employers.
Willie Nelson wrote a popular song titled “On the Road Again.”
For me, being on the road again and seeing county programs in
action is one of the most rewarding parts of working at
CSAC. But it’s when we have an opportunity to meet the residents
who are benefiting from county services that we receive true and
personal insight into how vital these services are in the lives
of so many vulnerable people.
But lately it seems like a lot of our visits are with
individuals who were able to access county programs that got them
off the streets and into housing. When you meet these people you
understand that this is more than just a program; it’s about
making a huge difference in people’s lives. It’s not about
counties giving a hand-out, but about counties offering a hand
up.
