Supervisors Ask Plan for S. County Agencies : Government: A south court, sheriff’s substation and social services office for the fast-growing region are called a must.

Citing rapid growth and the “piecemeal” approach to providing government facilities, two county supervisors Thursday called for a new plan on how the county will provide services for the more than 500,000 people now living in the southern part of Orange County.

In a letter to the board, Supervisors Gaddi H. Vasquez and Thomas F. Riley said that more and more of the time of county staffers is being taken up by a 35-mile-plus drive between the government civic center in Santa Ana and locations in the South County.

“With the rapid growth of South Orange County, it is imperative that the county provide more accessible government services in that region,” the letter said. “South Orange County now includes more than 500,000 people, covering an expanse of land up to 35 miles from the County Civic Center in Santa Ana. More and more residents and county staff time is consumed by traversing these 35 miles on a daily basis.”

The two supervisors continued: “In light of ongoing budget constraints and an ever-increasing demand for efficiency, the county needs to develop a long-range plan for providing services for that region well into the next century.”

Various facilities are under discussion, the letter said, including a new, expanded south court, a sheriff’s substation and a social services office.

The board is expected to make a decision in January on financing a full-service office in Laguna Hills to serve welfare recipients in South County.

Financing the office became a heated issue recently when county officials closed a small welfare office in San Juan Capistrano, forcing many welfare clients to go instead to an office in Costa Mesa. Because of strong public reaction, the office was reopened less than a week later.

Riley and Vasquez, whose districts cover South County, pointed out that in addition to the need for a court, sheriff’s substation and social services facilities, the county for the last two years has been unsuccessful in negotiating space in South County for the public defender and probation offices.

“Building or leasing one facility at a time piecemeal-fashion may preclude our option to deliver the best services in the most cost-effective manner possible,” the letter to the board said. “ . . . We believe that the time has come to develop a well-planned approach to providing services to South County.”

Vasquez said in an interview that developing a mid- and long-range plan may be overdue, noting that the cost of land in South County is rising. He said there should be permanent county government facilities “that don’t move from place to place.”

He agreed it is possible that some land could be set aside for courts, substations or county government buildings through agreements with developers who plan to build projects in South County.

Riley had a similar proposal aimed at looking for building sites for government facilities in South County four or five years ago, according to Christie Mcdaniel, his executive assistant, but it did not receive much support.

Vasquez and Riley are expected to direct the General Services Agency and the county administrative office next week to assess the needs based on population projections in South County and the type, size and location of facilities and the resources available to pay for them.