On the Agenda

Here’s a rundown of the main issues we’ll be tracking this week throughout Orange County.

Is there something happening in your city we should know about? Let us know.

Irvine Deals With State’s Order for $71 Million in Assets

City officials plan to formulate their response this week to a state demand that they fork over $71 million in property and cash in connection with their now defunct redevelopment agency.

State Controller John Chiang told the city last month that it had improperly transferred the assets from its redevelopment agency to the city nearly six months after such transfers were barred.

Irvine city management, meanwhile, is fighting back, saying the report is “based on erroneous information and application of incorrect legal standards,” according to The Orange County Register.

Council members are set to discuss the issue toward the end of their meeting Tuesday, which starts at 4 p.m. Click here for the staff report and a copy of the state’s findings.

Finalizing Ambulance Requirements for State Review

County supervisors are expected to make their final changes to the county’s ambulance contracting process before the proposed request for proposals heads to the state for review.

The supervisors are required to choose the top-ranked firms by five review panels, so the panels’ composition and the rating process are expected to be closely watched.

Supervisor Todd Spitzer has suggested placing supervisors themselves on the review panels, though state officials indicate that could be problematic.

“The RFP [requests for proposals] review panel needs to be an impartial [group] that does not have an interest in the final decision to award a contract for ambulance service,” wrote Jennifer Lim, spokeswoman for the state Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman, in an email.

“In a situation where a local governing body is issuing and approving a contract, having one of its members take part in the RFP review panel could be considered a conflict of interest.”

Local city officials have also raised concerns about the dropping of certain experience requirements for ambulance firms, an issue that has yet to be publicly addressed by supervisors.

The discussion is scheduled toward the end of Tuesday’s supervisors meeting, which starts at 9:30 a.m. Click here for correspondence to the county about the contracting process which starts on page 131.

Unclear Delays Prompt $1.3-Million County Contract Boost

County supervisors are also scheduled to approve a $1.3-million increase to a construction management contract with MWH Americas, citing unspecified delays.

The original $6.7-million contract was to oversee relocation of the Santa Ana River Interceptor, a sewer line from the Inland Empire to the the county’s main treatment plant in Huntington Beach.

It was increased by $2.8 million last year for an “extended duration of construction,” with another increase of $1.3 million up for a vote on Tuesday, also for “the extended duration of construction.”

The county staff report doesn’t explain the reasons for the delays.

Major Meetings This Week:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

See something interesting in the agendas? Let us know.

Adam Elmahrek contributed to this post.

You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.

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