Orange County task force formalizes statewide push for sober‑living oversight; Villa Park praised for early support

Chris Burry, a representative of the Association of California Cities — Orange County, and Jeff Corless of the California Sober Living and Recovery Task Force told the Villa Park City Council on Tuesday that the local effort to improve regulation of sober‑living and recovery homes has expanded into a statewide nonprofit and legislative campaign.

The presenters said the task force grew from a 2023 Mission Viejo effort into a 501(c)(3). Corless described results from a Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) audit and legislative work this year, and Burry credited Villa Park as one of the earliest cities to support the effort beyond Mission Viejo.

The presentations matter because task force leaders said the DHCS audit found slow complaint adjudication and inconsistent oversight of treatment operations, and they want state regulatory changes to speed responses and improve local notice when licenses are issued. The presenters urged residents to use a task force portal to submit support letters for pending bills.

“We saw such a proliferation of, really nefarious operators in our communities who were truly causing harm to our most vulnerable residents,” Chris Burry said, describing how the initiative expanded across Orange County and into a statewide nonprofit structure under ACCOC’s managerial oversight.

Jeff Corless summarized legislative activity: “During the course of 2025, 11 bills were introduced to address reforms associated with the issues that the task force has been looking at. These are the 2 bills that have made it to the governor’s desk: AB424 by Assemblymember Davies, [which] requires a more timely response within 10 days to a complainant, and AB492, alcohol and drug programs and licensing, [which] will require DHCS to notify the local agency when a license is issued.”

Corless said the task force also supported amicus briefs in Costa Mesa’s lawsuit involving sober‑living regulation and noted that the appellate ruling upholding Costa Mesa’s ordinance “was a milestone for this movement, and very important for local control in cities.”

Burry and Corless described practical tools the group has built: a public portal on soberlivingtaskforce.com that automates the creation and submission of support letters into the state’s legislative portal, and public data products showing geographic concentrations of sober‑living homes to help cities target outreach.

Council members praised the effort and asked for follow‑up details. Councilwoman Crystal Miles thanked the presenters for bipartisan advocacy and asked leaders to share a tracker of cities that have adopted Costa Mesa‑style ordinances; Corless replied that about “a half a dozen” cities had formally adopted similar ordinances and that the task force would provide a follow‑up list.

Councilman Frackelton said he had attended task force meetings and asked how many cities had adopted such ordinances; Burry and Corless said they maintain a tracker and would follow up with specifics.

The task force emphasized a mix of activities for 2026, including state regulatory advocacy, research partnerships to gather qualitative and public‑opinion data, and expanded outreach to elected officials and community stakeholders.

No formal council action or vote was taken; the presentation was received and council members asked staff to distribute the task force signup information to residents.

Ending: Council members asked staff to circulate the task force portal link in the city newsletter; presenters said they would provide follow‑up materials and a list of cities that have adopted model ordinances.