FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 1999
Contact: Diane Thomas
714.834.6203
County Innovation
Receives State Award
(Santa Ana) –
An Orange County program to streamline information became
one of 12 programs named this week as the most creative
in the state. The California State Association of
Counties (CSAC) chose the innovative approach by the office
of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to receive one
of CSAC’s Challenge Awards. This year there
were 176 entries from 36 counties.
Clerks of the Boards of Supervisors throughout the state
are required to maintain a wide assortment of information
on the boards, committees and commissions under the jurisdictions
of their Boards of Supervisors. Each of these groups
has pertinent data including by-laws, source of legal
authority, length of membership terms, vacancy dates,
qualifications, filing requirements and compliance, oaths
of office, and membership rosters. The Orange County
Clerk’s office tracks 105 boards, committees and
commissions. Previously, this large assortment of
data was maintained manually or on several PCs in the
Clerk’s office. With the new procedures and
database, all of the material is collected in one place
and Board members and their staffs have immediate access
through their own office computers to accurate, up-to-date
information to prepare for upcoming appointments to County
boards, committees and commissions. Within the next
few months, the database will be available over the County’s
web site, www.oc.ca.gov, to provide more information to
the public about upcoming vacancies.
“This is an excellent use of technology to manage
information and keep the Board of Supervisors well informed,”
said Chuck Smith, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
“I’m very proud of Darlene Bloom, Clerk of the
Board, and the leadership she’s shown in implementing
this system. To go one step further and win a Challenge
Award is an achievement the entire County can be proud
of.”
“The difficult selection of winning programs
was based on demonstrated leadership, innovation, collaboration,
creativity, resourcefulness and effectiveness, as well
as the potential for successful elements of the program
to be used as a model for other counties,” said Steven
C. Szalay, CSAC Executive Director. “These
award winners are the evidence that counties are using
creative means to operate in an efficient, cost-effective
manner.”
Challenge Award winners will be featured in a December
1 workshop at CSAC’s annual meeting in Monterey County.
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