The Orange County Board of Supervisors is scheduled this week to update the county’s harassment policies in the wake of the Carlos Bustamante sex crimes case and just days after officials exonerated Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly of anonymous sexual harassment allegations.
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas charged Bustamante this summer with 12 felony sex crimes against at least seven female employees. The Bustamante case brought to light many deficiencies in the county’s system for investigating misconduct of its officials.
And late last week, an investigation by an independent law firm cleared Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly of allegations that he sexually harassed and showed systematic favoritism to female employees in his office. In his statement following the report, Daly took issue with the county’s system for ferreting out anonymous complaints.
A short staff report on the update does not detail the proposed changes but does state they “reinforce the consequences for violations of this policy or the malicious filing of an unfounded complaint.”
Supervisors are also scheduled to increase construction costs to McCarthy Building Cos. by $1.5 million for terminal improvements at John Wayne Airport, raising the total cost to $127.8 million. County officials say the contractor experienced “disruptions to workflow and labor inefficiencies” because of “defects, ambiguities, and omissions in the design, as well as numerous field changes.”
A $500,000-per-year contract to the firm Satellite Tracking of People for GPS tracking of probationers is also up for approval.
Here’s a sampling of other items on the board’s agenda this week:
Approve a $100,000 sole-source contract with Ruth S. Grubb to help configure the Orange County Medical Emergency Data System (OC-MEDS) and train county employees to use it.
Approve an exclusive negotiating agreement with Lowe Enterprises to prepare a developer agreement for master planning and development of a 100-acre parcel at the former El Toro Marine base.
Closed-session discussion of property negotiations concerning the “Greenspot Property” in Highland near San Bernardino, involving the Lewis Group of Companies and Highland. No address or parcel number is listed.
Rejecting all bids received and re-advertising and setting bid opening for Dec. 5 for beam replacement project at Costa Mesa Donald Dungan Branch Library.
Accept deed from Irvine to transfer ownership to the county of 60 acres along the southern edge of the former El Toro Marine base.
Approve a five-year, $50,000 sole-source contract with American Alarm Systems to provide fire and security alarm monitoring services at the Probation Department’s North County field office.
Approve notice of intent to contract with public or private nonprofit agencies to provide family support and child abuse and neglect prevention services. Expected yearly budget of $2.9 million.
— NICK GERDA