Board of Supervisors : A Big Part of the Job Is Doing the Honors for Staff and Citizens

There was nothing particularly noteworthy on the Board of Supervisors agenda at its Jan. 27 meeting, but the room was packed. It was standing room only, with mothers tending to children in the hallways.

The crowd wasn’t there because of some controversial issue to be considered by the supervisors. No, it was bigger than that. It was the last Wednesday of the month--service awards day in Orange County.

Every observer of the supervisors gets used to it after a while. But while the last Wednesday of the month is the really big day for awards and commendations, the same thing happens before nearly every board meeting. Before getting down to the day’s business, the supervisors almost always spend up to a half hour handing out plaques and resolutions. Sometimes, it takes longer than the regular agenda.

And there are all kinds of awards. For county workers, there is an employee-of-the-month designation, as well as a manager-of-the-quarter prize, the service awards, a woman-of-achievement certificate and a suggestions contest with prizes up to $1,500.

In addition to in-house plaques, supervisors pass out their own awards at almost every meeting to special people in their districts. Often, there is a ceremony and a photo taken of the recipient with the plaque in one hand and a smiling supervisor shaking the other.

Once last month, Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder even presented Supervisor Roger R. Stanton with an award recognizing his previous year’s service as chairman of the board.

Recently, the board gave an award to Joe Martin, commending him for receiving the City of Hope’s 1988 Spirit of Living Award. Wendell Hartman got a plaque congratulating him for receiving the Associated General Contractor’s 1987 Skill, Integrity and Responsibility Award. And Don Wilson was the subject of a board resolution “extending wishes for a happy and fruitful retirement.”

There are resolutions for successful high school football teams, citizen heroes and those who have contributed time or knowledge to county research projects.

The only award with money attached, though, is the employee suggestion contest for county workers.

Helen Lotos, who sits on the committee that issues the awards for good suggestions, said the suggestions generated by the contest have saved the county about $3 million over the last 11 years. Those whose ideas are implemented get bonuses amounting to about 10% of the annual savings to the county--up to $1,500.

Lotos recalled one county parks employee who recommended that an informational brochure be published in black and white instead of color, saving the county $16,000. The employee got $1,500.

A Probation Department employee recommended that the county take advantage of a state law permitting it to charge for a change-of-plea petition. The supervisors established a $27 fee, and the county made $6,000 extra that year. The employee got $600.

A group of mechanics said the county should put a hot water booster on the final rinse cycle of its dishwasher at the James A. Musick branch jail near Lake Forest. Subtracting the cost of the part, the county saved $4,500 in a year and the mechanics split $450, Lotos said.

There are cynics, said Lotos, who say the county should not give employees bonuses for doing their jobs. She points out, however, that all bonuses are paid out of money saved by the county.

“These employees,” she said, “are our biggest resource.”