Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 15, 2014

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 15, 2014 5 AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 15, 2014 5 
BOARD SUPPORTS EFFORT TO EXPEDITE 
STORMWATER PROJECTS 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY — To increase the region’s locally available water supply, the Board of 
Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich directing the 
Department of Public Works to expedite the construction of stormwater projects. 

The Southern California region gets an average of 15 inches of rain a year -- enough water to supply 
5 million people. “The County captures 95% of the rain that flows down the San Gabriel Mountains, 
but roughly 75% of the water that enters the Los Angeles River is lost,” said Antonovich. “Today’s 
action will help increase the number of County projects that capture stormwater and seek to streamline 
that state and federal regulatory permitting requirements.” 

Additionally, the motion directs the Department to work with the United States Army Corps of 
Engineers to maintain and operate their facilities to maximize the capture of stormwater. 

On average, the County’s existing reservoirs, debris basins and spreading grounds capture and add 
210,000 acre-feet of stormwater along of with 45,000 acre feet of recycled water to local groundwater 
aquifers each year. 

COUNTY TO IMPLEMENT ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY — To provide county residents with a convenient method to access government 
applications and permits, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by 
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich to implement “E-government solutions” to County systems as 
recommended by the Citizen’s Economy and Efficiency Committee. 

“This action accelerates the County’s initiative to utilize technology to facilitate the application and 
permitting process -- saving taxpayer dollars, streamlining processes, and enhancing civic participation,” 
said Antonovich. 

In 2012, Supervisor Antonovich introduced a motion directing the Commission to review the 
County’s E-government system and provide recommendations. Among the recommendations 
made by the Commission include: 

1) Adopting E-government technologies including online permit and application submittals 
2) Designating an E-government authority to cut red tape 
3) Establishing a clear management process for high-tech projects 
4) Establishing a countywide culture that embraces technology 
5) Updating and replacing antiquated systems 
6) Including E-government in departmental strategic plans 
7) Improving management structure to eliminate redundancy 
8) Establishing technology fund 
9) Publishing a road map for E-government projects 
10) Reorganizing existing Information Technology Group into smaller groups of specialists 
11) Recruiting specialized personnel to spearhead key projects 
12) Encouraging the County to evaluate and apply innovative E-government practices