El Dorado County Grand Jury
2015-2016
From the annual report
The consolidated year-end volume. The individual investigations it contains are listed separately below.
📑 Year-End Report
The full consolidated volume; individual reports are listed below.
Individual reports (5)
Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.
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Findings & Recommendations
3 findings
F1:
The Placerville Juvenile Hall, built almost 50 years ago, is an outdated and outmoded facility.
F2:
The existing Placerville Juvenile Hall does not have adequate space devoted to the provision of confidential mental health services. Having multiple clients being counseled in the same room does not provide adequate privacy for those services.
F3:
The mental health services available in the JTC are inadequate. While the quality of service provided by TYFS seems good, there are not enough service hours available to serve all the youth needing services.
Additional Recommendations
2
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
Continue the progress by obtaining approval from the Board of Supervisors for a new 20 bed facility that will meet the immediate needs of our youthful offenders.
R2:
Improve mental health services for youth in the SLT JTC by increasing the hours the outside contractor provides to 20 hours per week. 6/9/2016 Juvenile Detention Facilities Inspection 5
Findings & Recommendations
7 findings
F1:
Oversight of the LLAD assessment process is lacking
F2:
Assessments vary significantly from year to year with little or no rationale provided for the changes.
F3:
The total fund balances are growing year over year. Some LLADs have fund balances of nearly 400% of expected expenses with no explanation as to why such large balances are warranted or necessary.
F4:
CSD employees were not forthcoming with the grand jury paricularly when questioned about the fund balances and the characterization thereof - reserves versus surpluses.
F5:
Allocation of CSD overhead among the LLADs does not have an ascertainable rationale. Budgeted expenses and allocated overhead costs are inconsistent and vary widely between LLADs. Tracking actual costs by LLAD is problematic.
F6:
The SCI Engineer’s and Browning Reserve Group reports contain very obvious errors and/or misstatements that need to be examined by CSD staff with a critical eye toward detail.
F7:
Fees collected by the CSD for usage of improvements within various LLADs are put into the CSD general fund and not used to offset LLAD expenses for maintaining those improvements.
Additional Recommendations
7
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
When assessments vary significantly from one year to another, the CSD should explain the rationale for the change.
R2:
The CSD should continue its recent efforts to accurately record costs by LLAD and determine a more equitable way to allocate overhead.
R3:
Excessive fund balances should be reduced to a more acceptable percentage of expected future costs.
R4:
The CSD should fully comply with the provisions of §22660 of the Landscaping and Lighting Act and clearly disclose in a resolution when an LLAD is accumulating funds for a future expenditure that is too costly to be paid for out of a single year’s assessment.
R5:
A new reserve study should be undertaken to insure assets and replacement costs are accurately portrayed and a mechanism put in place to track repairs, additions, replacements and retirements.
R6:
The LLAD Engineer’s report should be reviewed by staff for accuracy and should be posted to the CSD website for public review for a reasonable period prior to adoption by the EDH CSD Board of Directors.
R7:
The EDH CSD Board of Directors should consider the formation of a citizen's advisory group composed of residents in LLADs to review budgeted and actual costs while providing guidance to the board. 6/2/ 2016 Landscaping and Lighting Assessment Districts in El Dorado Hills 9
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Findings & Recommendations
1 findings
F1:
Dial-A-Ride resources are not adequate to fulfill reservation requests.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Explore alternate funding sources, to include grants, augment operations and address future demands.
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The MFPD Board of Directors was inexperienced and dysfunctional.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Newly appointed board members should successfully complete the Fair Political Practice Commission AB1234 Local Ethics Training.
F2:
There have been numerous Brown Act violations by the board. There is a propensity of calls for emergency board meetings when no true emergency exists. The Board goes into closed session inappropriately to discuss salaries
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The MFPD Board of Directors should reach out to the county board of supervisors, California Special Districts Association, or others in county government for additional training and coaching on the Brown Act and effective governance.
F3:
Board minutes had not been posted to the district web site in a timely manner.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
Agendas and minutes should both be posted on the MFPD website in a timely manner. Minutes should not refer only to an agenda item unless the agenda is also available.
F4:
Turmoil and turnover in the chief’s position since 2012 has led to board members directing day-to-day administration and operations.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
The MFPD administration and Board need to be more active in seeking annexation or consolidation of services with other fire protection districts. Alternatively, they need to secure additional funds by creating a ballot measure to increase parcel assessments.
F5:
The current part time fire chief lives approximately 2.5 hours from the district. Mosquito Fire Protection District Dysfunction 4/14/2016
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
The board members should support the fire chief taking control of the day-to-day administration and operations.
Additional Recommendations
2
Not linked to specific findings.
R6:
The fire chief should likely reside closer to, if not actually in, the district to effectively maintain control.
R7:
The bylaws and/or policies should be amended to provide a process to select officers, such as the president, if the office becomes vacant.