SANTA ANA — On Tuesday the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the report and recommendations from the Nelson-Bates Committee tasked with reviewing the recommendations from a damning review on the county Human Resources Department by Performance Auditor Steve Danley.
CEO Tom Mauk, who stomped his feet and disputed Danley’s findings two months ago, was contrite and agreeable in response to the Board findings that affirmed all of Danley’s 50 recommendations. The CEO will have 45 days to justify the lavish and excessive raises bestowed upon senior managers in the county, without any written justification. If the CEO cannot justify the actions, they will likely be reversed by the Board.
The Voice of OC has more on the discussion here.
Also at the meeting the Board heard from 20 speakers who voiced concerns over the County’s delivery of mental health services to severely mentally ill individuals in the wake of the Kelly Thomas beating death in Fullerton. Earlier in the meeting the Board grilled Director of Behavioral Health Services Mark Refowitz over the way the county allocates funding for mental health services and the implementation of “Laura’s Law” in the county.
Laura’s Law is a California state law that allows for court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment. To qualify for the program, the person must have a serious mental illness plus a recent history of psychiatric hospitalizations, jailings or acts, threats or attempts of serious violent behavior towards self or others.
Staff was tasked with reporting back to the Board in 30 days on the implementation of Laura’s Law in the county.