Board directs staff to extend elder services contract after public outcry over single‑provider award

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on May 21 directed county staff to extend the master contract for early‑intervention services for older adults and return at a future meeting with negotiated proportional allocations, after hours of public comment and an often emotional exchange over a contested request for proposals process.

Supervisor Katrina Foley introduced the item and called for clarification on why the Health Care Agency (HCA) recommended a single provider. Annette Moghadishan, HCA, said the RFP was reissued after an appeal and a five‑member panel recommended Council on Aging; that organization would subcontract culturally specific services, she said. Juan Corral, HCA procurement, confirmed protest procedures and that the county procurement office had denied the most recent appeal.

Multiple speakers representing affected community organizations and service users urged the board to preserve the network of small, culturally specific providers. “ESOA really benefits older adults — it helps us avoid loneliness and depression,” said a Cambodian Family participant, whose remarks described services delivered in native languages and community settings. Matt Haines, communications and development manager for MECCA, said MECCA and its partner agencies have provided those services for more than a decade and warned that awarding a single contract to Council on Aging would sever long‑standing local relationships and leave monolingual older adults at risk.

Council on Aging CEO Lisa Wright Jenkins defended her agency’s capacity to deliver the services and said Council on Aging has directly administered this program for 14 years. “We have provided stellar results exceeding contract requirements year after year,” Jenkins said.

Supervisors sought details about panel membership, scoring and subcontracting. Chair noted an outlier on the scoring sheet and asked why one panelist’s ratings diverged from the others; HCA procurement said the outlying scores related to geri‑psychiatric responses on the RFP. Supervisors also emphasized that Prop 1 funding reductions meant less money would be available going forward.

After extended discussion about procedure and service continuity, Supervisor Katrina Foley moved — and the board seconded — a direction for HCA to extend the existing master contract through negotiated proportional allocations that reflect current provider shares and to return to the board with a proposed agreement. The board took the direction unanimously.

What the board decided matters because the program serves linguistically and culturally specific older adult populations across the county and because the current funding is declining; the board’s instruction aims to avoid service gaps while staff negotiates the contract terms. HCA staff told the board it is prepared to work with both top bidders and to come back with contracts and recommended allocations for board approval.

Next step: HCA will negotiate extensions or amendments to the master contract reflecting proportional shares and return to the supervisors for a public vote on the negotiated terms.