Kings County Grand Jury
2020-2021
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The Kings County Department of Public Works has made recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
The Kings County Board of Supervisors should consider the use of less expensive solutions that could be quickly implemented.
F2:
Caltrans and Kings County have agreed to install a rectangular flashing beacon at General Petroleum Avenue.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The Kings County Public Works Department should install a rectangular flashing beacon as soon as possible. The Kings County Public Works Department should also continue working with Caltrans to install more cost-effective solutions far enough down SR41 to slow down traffic as they approach the crosswalk at General Petroleum Avenue.
F3:
Two million dollars has been designated and is being held by Caltrans for planning, engineering, and design of a pedestrian bridge at General Petroleum Avenue over SR 41 in Kettleman City. The total cost for the pedestrian bridge is estimated to be 10 to 12 million dollars.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
The Kings County Board of Supervisors should revisit the probable non usage of a Pedestrian Bridge, the astronomical cost of 10 to 12 million dollars for such a project, while keeping in mind that there are many other worthy projects in Kings County that could use funding.
F4:
The Kings County Department of Public Works and Caltrans has advocated for solutions such as a rectangular flashing beacon, the HAWK signal system, or a roundabout instead of a Pedestrian Bridge.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Considering the maintenance that a pedestrian bridge would require, and the probable non usage of such a bridge, the Board of Supervisors should not go forward with the Kettleman City Pedestrian Bridge. Other options should be installed such as the HAWK signal system, lighted crosswalk, roundabouts, or extra flashing lights.
F2022:
He is still genuinely concerned about his students having to cross SR41. The school district is willing to help in any way possible to make their students safe while walking to and from school. Crossing guards were mentioned by the Superintendent, as well as the need for flashing lights. He felt that a pedestrian bridge would be a promising idea if the students would use it. The County Public Works Director for Kings County was interviewed on March 11, 2022, and again on April 22, 2022. He shared that there are other short-term measures that could be taken until a pedestrian bridge could be built or that could be put in place instead of a bridge such as a HAWK system or a version of a roundabout. The building of a bridge could take many years and is not always used as frequently as one would think. Kings County has secured and earmarked two million dollars to the bridge project. This money would be used for the planning and design of the bridge. Further moneys would need to be secured for the actual construction costs. The County’s Director of Public Works guesstimated that the total cost of the bridge might cost about 10 to 12 million dollars. If funding is secured, it would likely take another five plus years to be built. The Grand Jury reached out to interview the Kings County Assemblyman who is responsible for the Kettleman City area multiple times during the months of February 2022 through April 2022 to see if he could confirm that funding for the project was available or if it had been denied. The first person the Grand Jury spoke with in his office did not seem to know about the project and would not connect us to the Assemblyman. Eventually, the Grand Jury was passed on to another person in his office and this person could not get the Grand Jury connected with our Assemblyman either. The Grand Jury then received a call from the Assembly Ethics Committee. After several attempts the Grand Jury connected with the Assembly Ethics Committee. He was willing to see if he could get answers for us regarding whether the funding had been approved in the Governor’s budget. He stated that yes, our Assemblyman submitted Senate Bill 119 which was signed off by the governor, thus funding of two million dollars was earmarked for the planning and design of the Kettleman City Bridge. The Grand Jury interviewed the California Department of Transportation District 6 Maintenance and Operations Deputy District Director on April 8, 2022. Projects such as this bridge are brought to Caltrans by the individual County, which is then responsible to obtain funding and permits, etc. Caltrans may decide on an individual basis to help secure funds or leave it to the County. Current secured seed money of two million dollars would be used for planning, engineering, and design. Construction costs have not been determined or secured at this time. In the Caltrans Deputy District 6 Director’s opinion and experience, a pedestrian bridge going over a two-way highway may not be used. Pedestrians tend not to go out of their way when they can go in a straight line and cross a street. He explained other alternatives to a pedestrian bridge such as many diverse types of flashing lights, roundabouts, etc. Roundabouts slow traffic down and prevent fatalities while keeping the traffic flow going. Signals are not used as they impede the flow of traffic on a highway. Flashing lighted crosswalks are expensive and have high maintenance costs because they are imbedded in the pavement. The other options mentioned such as a variety of flashing lights or roundabout, are also less expensive compared to a bridge that may or may not be used. FINDINGS Finding #1 The Kings County Department of Public Works has made recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Finding #2 Caltrans and Kings County have agreed to install a rectangular flashing beacon at General Petroleum Avenue. Finding #3 Two million dollars has been designated and is being held by Caltrans for planning, engineering, and design of a pedestrian bridge at General Petroleum Avenue over SR 41 in Kettleman City. The total cost for the pedestrian bridge is estimated to be 10 to 12 million dollars. Finding #4 The Kings County Department of Public Works and Caltrans has advocated for solutions such as a rectangular flashing beacon, the HAWK signal system, or a roundabout instead of a Pedestrian Bridge.
Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.
Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
There is a lack of community involvement (buy-in) concerning homeless issues.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
The Kings County Homelessness Collaborative needs to develop an up-to-date, comprehensive website, as well as utilize social media to highlight the activities and successes toward improving the homeless issue in Kings County.
F2:
There is a lack of adequate low-barrier shelters to provide immediate housing, especially for single adults.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The Kings County Homelessness Collaborative should continue to look for new opportunities for developing and funding low barrier housing to meet the increasing volume of homeless people, especially single adults.
F3:
There is no centralized Homeless Resource Center accessible to the homeless.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
The Kings County Homelessness Collaborative should reexamine the previous efforts to establish a “one-stop-shop” navigation center in Hanford.
F4:
Some districts have used grant writing to obtain additional funding to improve the healthcare of students.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Kings County Office of Education should provide additional resources for student healthcare grant writing.
F5:
Lack of community buy-in and lack of coordinated messaging to community stakeholders. As homelessness grows in Kings County, it may become more difficult for the Collaborative to achieve its goals. Because many members are leaders of county agencies and departments, they may be overwhelmed by the demands of their primary responsibilities. It may be necessary to establish a County division with centralized leadership. Other Grand Jury reports discussed the critical necessity in having central leadership to provide a well- coordinated, productive and efficient response to homelessness in their counties. The final question asked during an interview is: How can the Grand Jury help your agency achieve its goals? The most consistent answer was to inform and educate the public to better understand the homeless populations and the help they need. With this report, the Grand Jury hopes it will have achieved this goal. FINDINGS F1. There is a lack of community involvement (buy-in) concerning homeless issues. F2. There is a lack of adequate low-barrier shelters to provide immediate housing, especially for single adults. F3. There is no centralized Homeless Resource Center accessible to the homeless.