Agenda - 12-07-2020; 8-a - Minutes

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21 1 Commissioner Price said a public hearing has not been conducted and she is hesitant to 2 jump into a new agreement not knowing if the grass is greener on the other side. She said she 3 has no idea of what Alliance offers and if it will benefit the residents of Orange County. 4 Commissioner McKee said he expects this conversation tonight to have no impact on 5 the $500,000 going to Club Nova. 6 Commissioner Price agreed that there has not been a full public hearing, and she would 7 also like more details about Alliance and how it would be an improvement over Cl. She said 8 she has received few complaints about Cl over the years, and would like to know what makes 9 Alliance uniquely better. She asked if staff could research these details. She said if Cl fails to 10 pay the $500,000 to Club Nova, the County must find a way to cover the funds. 11 Commissioner Bedford said she wants to make sure the BOCC understands the 12 timeline, and the vote tonight is only an intent to disengage, and does not necessarily determine 13 the final decision. 14 Commissioner Bedford said she has a daughter with dual diagnoses, who receives 15 services through Cl. She said she has a personal interest and experience with Cl. She said her 16 entire pubic life is as a result of her daughter. She said her daughter requires a lot of care, but 17 noted she does not have an axe to grind with Cl. She said she has been an advocate for these 18 areas for many years, and is the BOCC representative on several boards related to these 19 issues. She said she contributes financially to Club Nova, and greatly supports its mission. She 20 said she also declines the $50 from Cl for mileage, etc. 21 Commissioner Bedford said she asked Cl for several records, but was declined. She 22 said she has tried to follow Cl board meeting conversations, but it is very difficult. She said Cl 23 does not try to engage the public, and does not post its minutes. 24 Commissioner Bedford said she checked Club Nova financials in October and the 25 $500,000 was present. She said she greatly supports this, and it is horrified that all involved 26 with Club Nova expects Cl to withdraw the funds if the County disengages from Cl. She said 27 this is not the type of organization with which the County should be aligned. She said better 28 services are needed for Orange County residents. She said she has done some research on 29 Alliance, whose minutes are posted publicly. She said Alliance plans to open a Children's Crisis 30 Center in June 2021, and is ahead in many other ways. She highlighted several statistics 31 showing the differences between Alliance and Cl, particularly ways that Cl has denied services 32 in larger numbers than Alliance and complaints made about the MCO. She said these statistics 33 show that Alliance is providing better services. 34 Commissioner Bedford said she does not want to give credence to the fear mongering 35 about what will happen to clients with switching providers, as she does not believe it to be true. 36 She said Cl does not allow a BOCC member to have a voice on its board, whereas Alliance 37 does. She said Cl has failed to provide any clear data, and to involve county stakeholders in its 38 governance. 39 Commissioner Bedford said the timing of this process would allow the BOCC to do it 40 properly, and to the best interest of Orange County residents. She said many local providers 41 already have contracts with Alliance, and the transition will not be as difficult as some fear. She 42 said there is power in the collective voice, and Orange County is not alone in raising this alarm. 43 She said she expects the State to listen more carefully now, and she said Ci's proposed action 44 plan is too little, too late. She said it is time to start this process, and research an alternate 45 option, as nothing can be worse than the current situation. 46 Commissioner Dorosin said Commissioner Bedford's research and commitment to this 47 topic is much appreciated. He said he has never received positive feedback regarding Cardinal 48 Innovations, and there is a serious lack of accountability. He said the BOCC has been mulling 49 this conversation for months, and the only reason offered to stay with Cl is to insure that Club 50 Nova receives $500,000. He said this is close to extortion, and the County needs to find a way 51 to secure those funds, if necessary. He said when he served as the BOCC liaison with Cl, he