The CSAC Executive Committee today approved appointments to a
number of leadership positions within the Association. These
include Chair and Vice Chair of CSAC’s Policy Committees, the
CSAC Treasurer, the National Association of Counties (NACo) Board
of Directors, the NACo Western Interstate Region Board of
Directors, the CSAC Finance Corporation, and numerous other
boards.
The action fills CSAC’s leadership roles for 2020 and paves
the way to continue providing guidance to CSAC staff throughout
the year.
California’s Counties support Governor Gavin Newsom’s $222.2
billion budget proposal, especially the significant investments
in areas of key county priorities: homelessness, healthcare,
wildfire preparedness and resiliency, and criminal justice.
“The state budget underscores the interconnectedness between the
state and counties in improving the lives of Californians and
implementing statewide initiatives,” said CSAC President and
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. “Thanks in part to CSAC’s
ongoing advocacy and education efforts, the 2020-21 budget
invests in critical areas like homelessness and housing, wildfire
prevention and resiliency, and criminal justice to further
provide vital services to our communities.”
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.
About 15 years ago, while working for the Western Plant Health
Association, I testified in support of a project at the Port of
San Diego alongside representatives from the Audubon Society, the
Teamsters Union and more. It struck me as funny that civil
engineering could bring together such diverse groups, and that’s
exactly the case in Riverside County’s Southeast Drainage Channel
Improvement Project.
After the Corona Landfill closed in 1986, the southeast channel
located adjacent to the landfill became an integral link in the
city of Corona’s drainage plan to convey storm water from about a
third of the city’s watershed.
Over time, a new residential development grew up to the channel’s
southern bank while increased storm events and flooding eroded
the armor of the slope. As the channel took on more and more
water, Riverside County’s Department of Waste Resources (RCDWR)
had to return to the site every couple of years to repair the
channel from storm water damage to prevent landfill material from
being exposed to the environment.
