County Pulls Plug on Probation Office in Mission Viejo

From the city of Mission Viejo:

The county of Orange is no longer planning to a open a probation office in Mission Viejo for adult and juvenile offenders, the city learned today.

The news comes just hours before the city’s Planning and Transportation Commission was set to take up the issue. Last month, county officials told the city they planned to enter into a 10-year lease on a 7,793-square-foot operation at 26030 Acero in the Highpark business area and would use “sovereign immunity” to surpass Mission Viejo’s ordinances.

The city asked the County Board of Supervisors, which was set to vote on the proposal last month, to push the meeting back to Sept. 9 to give city officials and residents the chance to weigh in. The City Council on Sept. 2 hosted a public meeting about the probation office, and the city has been collecting public comments.

In an email message today, County of Orange Chief Probation Officer Steven J. Sentman said: “[T]he County/Probation will no longer be pursuing the Acero building. Additionally, we also will not be attending tonight’s City Community Planning Commission meeting.”

The city is not aware of other potential sites the county will consider for its probation office. The South County field office was located in Laguna Hills, but its lease was not renewed when it came up earlier this year.