Gran Jurado del Condado de Marin
2019-2020
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
9 hallazgos
F1:
No single agency or jurisdiction is taking responsibility and authority for building infrastructure for safe evacuation routes across jurisdictions in Marin County.
F2:
There is confusion in the county as to who has ultimate responsibility and authority for ensuring that Marin has safe evacuation routes.
F3:
Marin County Board of Supervisors and town and city councils have the responsibility for safe evacuation routing, and they have not sufficiently considered evacuation as a criterion when approving improvements to roads and traffic infrastructure in their jurisdictions.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
Within 180 days of the date of this report, the governing boards of the County of Marin and its cities and towns should direct their respective planning and public works departments to include evacuation needs among their criteria for evaluating and recommending public works projects.
F4:
County and municipal administrators, public works, and traffic engineers have not adequately considered mass evacuation as a criterion for planning and funding traffic infrastructure improvements.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
Within 180 days of the date of this report, the governing boards of the County of Marin and its cities and towns should direct their respective planning and public works departments to include evacuation needs among their criteria for evaluating and recommending public works projects.
F5:
Most Marin jurisdictions have not yet included urgently needed evacuation plans in their general plans as required by state law and as recommended by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3:
In calendar year 2021, the County of Marin and its cities and towns should update the safety elements of their general plans to include evacuation planning.
F6:
As Marin’s designated “congestion management agency,” the Transportation Authority of Marin, is best positioned to coordinate and support the funding of public works projects for improving evacuation routes, including cross-jurisdictional evacuation routes.
F7:
Contrary to its previous responses to the Grand Jury, the Transportation Authority of Marin is not precluded or constrained from incorporating evacuation planning needs as a criterion in its infrastructure projects.
F8:
The Transportation Authority of Marin’s decision-making process is inadequate unless it includes evacuation as a criterion when funding improvements.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (2)
R2:
Within 180 days of the date of this report, the governing boards of the County of Marin and its cities and towns should adopt resolutions calling on the Transportation Authority of Marin to include evacuation needs among the criteria it considers when planning and funding public works projects.
R4:
Within 120 days of the date of this report, the Transportation Authority of Marin should establish a criterion requiring that evacuation impacts be examined and stated when planning and funding infrastructure projects.
F9:
The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority’s Advisory/Technical Committee would benefit from having the expertise of the Transportation Authority of Marin to advise on evacuation infrastructure needs.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R5:
Within 120 days of the date of this report, the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority should invite a Transportation Authority of Marin representative to become an at-large, nonvoting member of its Advisory/Technical Committee to support program development, funding, and implementation of improvements in evacuation routes.
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Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
6 hallazgos
F1:
A comprehensive public awareness campaign that reaches all Marin residents would be effective in reducing the risk from unsafely handled and stored guns.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
The Marin County district attorney should begin work, within six months from the date of this report, on a comprehensive, multimedia (including social media) public awareness campaign that includes information regarding the safe handling and storage of firearms, and the availability of gun violence restraining orders.
F2:
Marin residents should be reminded that firearms stored unsafely increase the potential for accidental injury or death.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2:
Each town, city, police authority, as well as the sheriff, should, at least annually, beginning in fiscal year 2020–21, send reminders to its residents regarding the need for safe handling and storage of firearms, and this reminder should be posted on official websites and social media platforms.
F3:
Firearms that are not stored in a gun safe pose an unacceptable risk of being stolen or used in crime.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3:
Each town, city, police authority, as well as the sheriff should, within six months of the date of this report, offer free gun locks and publicize a procedure for residents to turn in unwanted weapons. This message should also be posted on official websites and social media platforms.
F4:
Marin residents should be reminded that a gun in a home increases the risk of suicide for all members of the household.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R4:
The Marin County district attorney should work with other law enforcement agencies to continue to offer gun buyback programs, funded by public donations or grants.
F5:
Gun buyback programs reduce the availability of lethal weapons to suicidal individuals, the risk of accidental injury or death, and the possibility that a gun will be stolen.
F6:
Gun violence restraining orders can play an important role in keeping guns away from those who should not have them.
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Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
5 hallazgos
F1:
Many mental health issues result from social and cultural factors that lie outside the schools, but affect the ability of students to learn and schools to teach. This is a complex problem that the community must help address.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
Health and Human Services and the Marin County Office of Education should direct the Marin Schools Wellness Collaborative to begin implementation of Strategy 6 of the Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan in the fall of 2020.
F2:
Strategy 6 of the Marin County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan, which includes a promise of support by the county and designates the Marin Schools Wellness Collaborative with responsibility for leading its implementation, presents an especially appropriate opportunity for addressing mental health needs.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2:
When funding becomes available, Marin County Office of Education should employ a full- time licensed therapist whose job is to help coordinate wellness services in the schools. Responsibilities would include finding and supervising interns.
F3:
To help provide therapeutic counselors at affordable costs, most districts need assistance from licensed therapists who have the time and skills to recruit, train, and supervise interns from local graduate school programs.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3:
As soon as possible, Marin County Office of Education should designate staff to connect the schools with community agencies that can provide them with mental health services.
F4:
Most districts need staffing help to identify, arrange, and maintain relationships with community mental health resources.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R4:
Marin County Office of Education should expand teacher and staff training and parent education around mental health issues.
F5:
The Grand Jury recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely strained resources at all levels of government. However, the mental health concerns for students will remain. It is appropriate to expand teacher and staff training and parent education even while funding is sought for more costly programs.
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
7 hallazgos
F1:
Climate change mitigation efforts by Marin governments have been notably effective in meeting their goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
The board of supervisors, in collaboration with the municipalities and other agencies affected by climate change, should convene a multi-jurisdictional task force (referred to in this report as the Marin Climate Adaptation Task Force) charged with developing a single, comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional adaptation strategy for all of Marin.
F2:
Adaptation planning is essential to protect local public utility and transportation infrastructure as well as private property interests, and to enable Marin’s citizens to maintain their current standards of living.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2:
The board of supervisors should form a new office within county government (referred to in this report as the Office of Sustainability and Resilience) devoted to climate change mitigation and adaptation and reporting to the county administrator’s office or the board of supervisors.
F3:
With the BayWAVE and C-SMART initial vulnerability assessments completed, the county is now well-positioned to focus on adaptation planning and policies related to sea level rise.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3:
The board of supervisors should direct the formation and staffing, preferably in the new Office of Sustainability and Resilience, of a centralized grant-seeking function related to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts for county government.
F4:
The existing adaptation efforts across the county pay insufficient attention to the other potential effects of climate change, including impacts on public health, ecosystems, and social equity.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R4:
Each member of the Marin Climate & Energy Partnership, should declare its support for broadening the partnership’s mission and increasing its funding as necessary to enable it to support overall climate change planning efforts, including both mitigation and adaptation in cities, towns, and other member agencies throughout the county.
F5:
There are insufficient staff and financial resources devoted to climate change adaptation efforts across county government as well as in the cities, towns, and other agencies, and many of the existing efforts are highly dependent on grant funding.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R5:
The board of supervisors should commission a feasibility study concerning the reorganization of Marin’s Flood Control and Water Conservation District. This multi- jurisdictional study should analyze broadening the district’s mission to include coastal and bayside sea level rise adaptation across the county as well as revising its governing membership to include representatives of the county and all Marin cities and towns. If the board of supervisors supports the formation of the Marin Climate Adaptation Task Force as recommended in this report, the responsibility for this study could be referred to the task force for consideration at the appropriate time.
F6:
Within the county government, there is no single coordinating body focused on climate change, which could impede the ability to unify county efforts around a common strategy and plan.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R6:
Each city and town, if it does not have a full-time sustainability coordinator (or similar position), should appoint a committee or commission charged with monitoring and reporting on its climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
F7:
Cross-jurisdictional collaboration and coordination will be required for successful adaptation efforts, but Marin lacks any overarching organizational or governance structure to facilitate this.
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Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
2 hallazgos
F1:
With the active follow-up provided by Marin’s 2019–2020 Civil Grand Jury, Marin’s public agencies generally did a good job of satisfying their legal obligations to respond to grand jury reports.
F2:
Where the 2019–2020 Civil Grand Jury followed up with agencies to obtain additional information regarding actions taken to implement specific recommendations contained in reports issued by the 2018–2019 Grand Jury, those agencies were generally cooperative and forthcoming. Responses No responses to this report are requested or required. The report is issued in the interest of transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of local governments. Note: At the time this report was prepared information was available at the websites listed. Reports issued by the Civil Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code Section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Civil Grand Jury. The California State Legislature has stated that it intends the provisions of Penal Code Section 929 prohibiting disclosure of witness identities to encourage full candor in testimony in Grand Jury investigations by protecting the privacy and confidentiality of those who participate in any Civil Grand Jury investigation.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2:
SMART: Getting to the Station SMART train’s ultimate success may very well turn on the availability of convenient options for getting to and from the train station using so-called first mile/last mile options. In SMART: First 2 Marin County Civil Grand Jury, Wildfire Preparedness: A New Approach, April 25, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/wildfire-preparedness-a- new-approach. Marin Wildfire Prevention Agency accessed April 15, 2020, https://www.marinwildfire.org. Mile/Last Mile Options, the 2018–2019 Grand Jury recommended establishing a free shuttle between the ferry terminal and the new Larkspur SMART station that was opened in December 2019.4 The report recommended a joint feasibility study of an autonomous shuttle by SMART, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), and Marin Transit. The report also recommended expansion of the Marin Connect Shuttle service beyond northern San Rafael. Responses were required from SMART, Marin Transit, and TAM. To date, SMART has not established the recommended free shuttle to serve its Larkspur station and the ferry terminal. However, TAM is using a portion of a Federal Highway Administration grant to study the Larkspur SMART ferry terminal connection. Both the City of Larkspur and Golden Gate Transit will be involved in that study. In February 2020, Marin Transit expanded its shuttle service beyond Terra Linda to cover more areas of San Rafael and Santa Venetia. SMART has developed additional first mile/last mile options, including Lyft discounts, a pilot program for electric bikes, and special ticket packages for its riders. The defeat of a proposed SMART tax extension in the March 2020 election will likely hurt SMART’s ability to further enhance first mile/last mile services. Measure I would have extended the ¼ percent sales tax that funds SMART for an additional 30 years and given it additional financial flexibility to support additional first mile/last mile programs. A $7 million cut in the 2020-2021 SMART budget together with service reductions and a drop in ridership as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic will hurt SMART’s ability to contribute to enhancement of first mile/last mile options.
Recomendaciones adicionales
5
No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.
R3:
Vaping: A Danger to Our Children The 2018–2019 Grand Jury published a report entitled Vaping: An Under-the-Radar Epidemic.5 The report recommended that the Marin County Office of Education (“MCOE”) and all school districts increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Additionally, the Grand Jury recommended the installation of vaping detectors in school bathrooms and other areas where vaping frequently occurs. The report called for all municipalities that have not banned the sale of flavored tobacco to do so within the subsequent year. Fairfax and Novato were asked to amend flavor bans in their tobacco ordinances to include menthol-flavored tobacco products. The Grand Jury also urged cities and towns to coordinate with the county sheriff to enforce sales bans of flavored tobacco products in retail stores. Shortly after the report was issued, news of multiple deaths across the nation surfaced, reportedly caused by Vitamin E and other substances added to vaping cartridges. This added impetus to local agency responses to the jury report. Marin County Civil Grand Jury, SMART: First Mile/Last Mile Options, May 9, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/smart-first-mile-last-mile- options. Marin County Civil Grand Jury, Vaping: An Under-the-Radar Epidemic, May 16, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/vaping-an-under-the-radar- epidemic. In responding to the jury report, the Marin County Office of Education said it had already prepared a detailed plan to step up its prevention programs to counter the vaping epidemic. By November 23, 2019, MCOE had made 18 vaping information presentations to more than 1,400 people. MCOE reported 17 school site coordinators, representing each of the high schools in Marin and four targeted middle schools, had been trained. Prior to publication of the report, MCOE coordinated a funding request from the California Department of Education’s new program: Tobacco Use Prevention Education Youth Engagement to Address Tobacco Related Disparities. This new funding stream is focused on underserved populations. The grants provide the following annual funding for three years: $224,000 to Tamalpais Union High School District, $130,000 to Novato Unified School District, and $105,000 to Ross Valley School District, which serves San Anselmo and Fairfax. Vaping detectors were installed in three high schools in the Tamalpais Union High School District. Their effectiveness will be evaluated by educators across Marin to determine whether vaping detectors should be used in other schools. Some school districts declined to install detectors for cost reasons, and one because of concerns about its impact on the culture of trust in the district. Municipalities revisited their respective tobacco ordinances. Fairfax updated its ordinance to include a ban on menthol-flavored tobacco products. The Novato City Council has directed its staff to draft an amendment to its tobacco ordinance to include a ban on menthol flavors. San Rafael, San Anselmo, Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Tiburon adopted bans on sales of flavored tobacco products. Law enforcement agencies across Marin recommitted to the enforcement of tobacco regulations. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office and the Marin County Health and Human Services Department stated that they will continue to conduct decoy operations on tobacco retailers to enforce bans on illegal tobacco sales.
R4:
Improving School Safety with More School Resource Officers School resource officers (SROs) are police officers with special training who are positioned on school campuses to foster good relations between law enforcement and students while also serving as a deterrent to campus violence. A number of Marin schools have SROs at their schools on a full- or part-time basis, but not all do. In School Resource Officers Revisited, the 2018–2019 Grand Jury recommended that Marin’s municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and school districts give higher priority to the funding of school resource officers and programs.6 The Grand Jury also recommended that the agencies explore cost sharing and new funding sources such as grants, bond issues, and special taxes. The responses to the report underscore the broad support that this program has garnered. Most of the school districts favored having more SRO positions, additional training, and opportunities for the SROs to communicate and share their expertise and experiences. Marin County Civil Grand Jury, School Resource Officers Revisited, May 30, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/school-resource-officers- revisited. Separate from the jury report, the Marin County Office of Education and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office received a $627,000 three-year grant in December 2019 from the California Department of Justice Tobacco Grant Program for a school resource officer to serve in Marin’s unincorporated areas. The San Rafael City Schools also received a $570,000 three-year grant for one additional SRO. Additionally, the Mill Valley Police Department converted a detective position into a full-time SRO position. The Central Marin Police Authority responded to the Grand Jury report by pointing out that a school resource officer for the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District has been funded at least through 2038 as a result of a ballot initiative passed in 2009.
R5:
Abolishing Marin’s Outdated Telecommunications Agency The Marin Telecommunications Agency (MTA) is a joint powers authority formed in 1998. It administers the Comcast, AT&T, and Horizon Cable franchises and was charged initially with developing telecommunications policy in Marin County related to cable and broadband. In addition, it has financial responsibility for the Community Media Center of Marin, which provides public access video services, including coverage of public meetings of local agencies. This 2018–2019 Grand Jury report, Marin’s Telecommunications Disconnect, questioned whether MTA is needed at all. The report recommended that the agency be dissolved and its responsibilities be either terminated or moved to the Marin General Services Authority, which already runs similar administrative programs for the county, cities, and towns.7 The Grand Jury also pointed out that MTA’s responsibility has been largely restricted to the collection and disbursement of franchise fees levied on cable television bills, and that it had abandoned its mission to provide strategic leadership on telecommunications issues. The report requested responses from MTA, the Marin County Board of Supervisors, and nine Marin cities that are members of MTA. MTA and all of its members rejected the report’s recommendations. MTA explained that it had already reduced its executive director position from an 80 percent role to 50 percent, eliminated another position, and combined two other roles into one to reduce its operating expenses. On February 20, 2020, less than eight months after rejecting the recommendations of the Grand Jury, the MTA board voted unanimously to commence a process to dissolve the agency and transfer its responsibilities to the Marin General Services Authority, effective July 1, 2020. Completion of this process is contingent on approval by all members of MTA.
R6:
Public Transparency of Marin’s Local Agencies As noted in the 2018–2019 report entitled Special Districts Transparency Update, the Grand Jury has made repeated recommendations to the Marin County Board of Supervisors that it 7 Marin County Civil Grand Jury, Marin’s Telecommunications Disconnect, June 13, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/marins- telecommunications-disconnect. publish and maintain a comprehensive list of all of Marin’s public agencies.8 This has never been completed. In discussions with public officials, the Grand Jury found there is uncertainty about the exact number of public agencies in Marin, which makes it difficult for the public to know what they all do and whether they are necessary. Three prior grand jury reports recommended the creation of such an agency list. All reports noted that this list would improve transparency and give citizens easier access to important information about their local governments. These reports included: ■ What Are Special Districts and Why Do They Matter? May 20, 2014 ■ 2015-2016 Web Transparency Report Card: Bringing Marin County’s Local Governments to Light, March 10, 2016 ■ Special Districts Transparency Update, June 20, 2019 In its response to the 2019 report, the board of supervisors said it had implemented the recommendation for “each entity under the board of supervisors” but that excludes agencies such as school districts, water districts, sanitary districts, and similar “independent” agencies. The 2019–2020 Grand Jury determined that this remains a serious deficiency. Accordingly, on June 30, 2020, the Grand Jury published a separate report entitled Finally—A Comprehensive List of Marin’s Public Agencies.9 The 2016 Grand Jury report recommended that all Marin special districts and joint powers authorities update their websites to provide information about the annual compensation of directors, officers, and employees. This concern about access to compensation information was reiterated in the 2019 Grand Jury report. The 2019–2020 Grand Jury agrees that this remains an area where public transparency is lacking, and it was not satisfied with the response of Marin’s local agencies to this recommendation. Accordingly, in April 2020, the 2019–2020 Grand Jury published a separate investigative report entitled Follow-Up Report on Web Transparency of Agency Compensation Practices.10
R7:
Improving Career Technical Education Opportunities in Marin’s High Schools Most Marin parents expect that their children will graduate from college. High schools have mirrored these expectations by stressing the importance of higher education for all students. As a consequence, vocational training, now part of what is called career technical education (CTE), 8 Marin County Civil Grand Jury, Special Districts Transparency Update, June 20, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/special-districts- transparency-update. Marin County Civil Grand Jury, Finally—A Comprehensive List of Marin’s Public Agencies, June 30, 2020, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2019-20/finally-a-comprehensive- list-of-marins-public-agencies. Marin County Civil Grand Jury, Follow-Up Report on Web Transparency of Agency Compensation Practices, April 28, 2020, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2019-20/followup- report-on-web-transparency-of-agency-compensation-practices. has not been promoted sufficiently to accommodate students who desire and can benefit from such programs. The 2018–2019 Grand Jury called attention to this shortcoming in its report The Status of Career Technical Education in Marin County.11 The report included several recommendations designed to improve awareness of and the resources available for CTE programs, including a career night for parents and students and training for school counselors. The report also recommended that the Marin County Office of Education form a working group with members of the business community to create and promote these programs. The county office of education and the four districts having high schools (Novato, San Rafael, Tamalpais Union, and Shoreline) were required to respond to the report’s recommendations. The county office of education responded favorably to all of the recommendations, indicating that all of them had been or would be implemented. It has a School to Career Partnership board consisting of 28 community leaders, including Marin’s largest employers, to “support career exploration programs and work-based learning experiences for students that teach the skills needed for success in the workplace.”12 Marin’s office of education also has an internship coordinator to help students locate internship and volunteer opportunities. All four school districts are also implementing the report’s recommendations. They reported working closely with the office of education’s School to Career Partnership program. Each of the schools also provides some form of career night or career fair to expose students and parents to vocational careers. In their efforts to educate counselors, students, and parents about career technical education options, school districts all reported using an online “CTE Toolkit” developed by the county’s office of education. Tamalpais Union High School District enables incoming students to take an online skills inventory and provides a career technical education workshop for parents of new students. Older students are given access to a career exploration tool, which allows results to be shared with parents. Shoreline Unified School District promotes career technical education opportunities starting in K-8 schools, with open houses and other promotional events. In addition to local counselors sharing vocational educational information, the district has had representatives of Santa Rosa Junior College present information to students and parents. The San Rafael High School District has started two new programs, North Bay Builders Association and Classic Car Restoration, to focus not just on skills development, but also on education about specific vocational career opportunities. At the end of the building program, for example, students can participate in a two-week on-the-job internship. The county office of 11 Marin County Civil Grand Jury, The Status of Career Technical Education in Marin County, June 27, 2019, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/gj/reports-and-responses/reports-responses/2018-19/the-status-of-career- technical-education-in-marin-county. Marin County Office of Education, Responses to the 2018–2019 Marin County Civil Grand Jury Report on The Status of Career Technical Education in Marin County, September 10, 2019, p. 4, https://www.marincounty.org/- /media/files/departments/gj/reports-responses/2018-19/responses/the-status-of-career-technical-education-in- marin/cte--mcoe.pdf?la=en. education and San Rafael schools collaborated on and were awarded two grants: K-12 Strong Work Force and CTE Incentive Grants, both of which will support expansion of existing career technical educational programs and the development of new offerings. San Rafael also created a districtwide CTE Advisory Committee to promote and further develop career technical education offerings. San Rafael’s course offerings currently include engineering, media, information and technology, business, automotive, construction, and digital audio. In the Novato Unified School District, all ninth-grade students participate in a college and career readiness course, which includes career exploration materials. Novato has revised this course to add the ability to share results with family and peers. After the Grand Jury issued its report, academic counselors and middle-school deans in Novato received in-depth training focused on college and career readiness and career technical education. The Grand Jury is also aware that the College of Marin launched a year-long newspaper, radio, and social media campaign in fall 2019 to educate the community on available career technical education options. The college involves its students in performing public outreach efforts to community groups and schools regarding vocational programs.
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Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
2 hallazgos
F1:
Currently, there is no reliable, comprehensive, and regularly updated list of public agencies in Marin County.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
During fiscal year 2020–2021, the Marin County Department of Finance and the County Clerk should adopt the newly developed public agency list contained in this report and implement a plan for one of them to maintain and update it at least annually using a method similar to that described in this report.
F2:
There are multiple, publicly available lists of public agencies that can, with minimal effort, be combined into a single, comprehensive list that can be updated periodically. 8 “Local Government Financial Data,” California State Controller's Office, accessed April 15, 2020, https://bythenumbers.sco.ca.gov. 9 “Special Districts in Marin,” accessed April 15, 2020, https://www.marincounty.org/depts/df/special-districts. 10 “Statement of Facts - Roster of Public Agency - Marin County Filings,” Marin County, accessed April 15, 2020, https://www.marincounty.org/-/media/files/departments/ar/county-clerk/roster_of_public_agencies.pdf?la=en. 11 “Local Agencies,” Marin Local Agency Formation Commission, accessed April 15, 2020, https://www.marinlafco.org/local-government-agencies-in-marin-county.
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Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
3 hallazgos
F2:
Any link to compensation data on an agency's website that takes more than 5 minutes or three clicks from the home page to locate, does not reasonably satisfy the intent of the Government Code that the information be easily located and "conspicuous" on the agency's website. The District has redesigned its website to allow for a single mouse click to directly access compensation, which exceeds the requested requirement.
F3:
Any link to publicpay.ca.gov on an agency's website that fails to go directly to the agency's current compensation data on that website does not satisfy the intent of the Government Code that information be easily located. The embedded link to publicpay.ca.gov now directly accesses the District's compensation data with no additional inputs required.
F5:
Regarding detailed disclosure of total compensation paid, most agencies do not break out all components of compensation paid to their elected officials, including salary, meeting fees or stipends, (including compensation for serving as liaison to other advisory committees, councils and forums), reimbursements, health and retirement benefits, and other benefits such as equipment. The District has embedded a table of relevant compensation and reimbursement data on the compensation tab for all elected officials, with each listed individually.
Recomendaciones adicionales
2
No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.
R2:
No later than 90 days after the date of this report, agencies should modify the location of their existing publicpay.ca.gov links to satisfy the requirement of Government Code Section 53908 that their link be "conspicuous". Conspicuous locations for agencies are suggested in Table 2. The requested publicpay.ca.gov link is now conspicuously located on the compensation tab as requested. Lucas Valley Road, Suite 300 • San Rafael, CA 94903 • 415.472-1734 • Fax 415.499-7715 • www.LGVSD.ORG
R3:
No later than 90 days after the date of this report, agencies should modify their existing publicpay.ca.gov to that they provide a direct link to their current compensation data on the state site. To eliminate the need for annual updates, the URL used for the link should exclude any parameter specifying a year. Formatted URL examples are shown on
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
10 hallazgos
F1:
The Marin County government has a well-developed approach to cybersecurity in general, and a robust architecture and strategy for avoiding breaches.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
Within 120 days of the date of this report, the Marin County Information Services and Technology Department should create an ongoing program to share user education information, other cybersecurity practices, and updates with cities and towns.
F2:
The Marin County government has substantial cybersecurity expertise and, as the host and manager of the MIDAS system, is well positioned to assist the cities and towns in developing a common set of best practices regarding cybersecurity.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2:
Within 120 days of the date of this report, the Marin County Information Services and Technology Department should complete a plan for enhancing MIDAS to improve cybersecurity for its users.
F3:
Transparency is lacking regarding cybersecurity because past breaches have not been publicly disclosed, and city and town councils have not facilitated public discussion of cybersecurity issues.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3:
Within 120 days of the date of this report, the Marin County Information Services and Technology Department should offer to collaborate with the cities and towns, through the Marin Managers Association or another channel, to develop best practices for cybersecurity in Marin’s cities and towns.
F4:
Most elected officials in Marin’s cities and towns are not sufficiently engaged in ensuring robust cybersecurity policies and procedures are in place.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R4:
Starting in fiscal year 2020–2021, the county board of supervisors and the city and town councils should request their managers report, at least annually, regarding their cybersecurity profile and any measures being taken to improve it.
F5:
County and municipal officials and managers have been generally unaware of breaches that have occurred outside their own agencies in Marin and therefore have not felt the need to collaborate on measures to improve cybersecurity.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R5:
Starting in fiscal year 2020–2021, the county, cities, and towns should convene periodic discussions, at least annually, in a public forum such as a board or council meeting, regarding the importance of good cybersecurity practices for our government, residents, and other organizations.
F6:
Municipalities have been lax in following FBI guidance that cybersecurity breaches be reported to federal law enforcement.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R6:
The county and each city and town should adopt a policy to report to federal law enforcement any cybersecurity intrusion that results in financial fraud or unauthorized disclosure of information and make that intrusion public.
F7:
Marin’s cities and towns have not made a concerted effort to standardize around a common set of best practices with respect to cybersecurity.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R7:
Within 180 days of the date of this report, cities and towns should implement the first four practices described in the Best Practices section of this report, regarding mandatory user training, email flagging and filtering, password management, and backup.
F8:
The Marin County Council of Mayors & Councilmembers has not made cybersecurity a priority, which has minimized the awareness and engagement of elected officials in cybersecurity matters.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R8:
In fiscal year 2020–2021, cities and towns should complete an analysis of the feasibility of implementing the remainder of the practices described in the Best Practices section of this report.
F9:
The Marin Managers Association has not done enough to facilitate the sharing of cybersecurity information and resources among its members.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R9:
In fiscal year 2020–2021, cities and towns should, through the Marin Managers Association, complete an analysis of the feasibility of contracting with a cybersecurity expert to be available to cities and towns on a shared basis, in order to raise the overall level of cybersecurity in Marin’s cities and towns.
F10:
Various low-cost best practices exist that could, if implemented, significantly improve the cybersecurity posture of Marin’s cities and towns.
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Hallazgos & Recomendaciones
6 hallazgos
F1:
Many Marin public agencies fail to include on their websites either a link to the publicpay.ca.gov site showing compensation for their elected officials, officers, and employees, or a table showing such data. The Grand Jury determined that these agencies fail to comply with the requirements of Government Code Section 53908.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1:
To comply with the intent of Government Code Section 53908, no later than 90 days after the date of this report, agencies should include on their websites a link to the publicpay.ca.gov site showing compensation of their elected officials, officers, and employees using the formatted URL examples that are shown in Appendix A.
F2:
Any link to compensation data on an agency’s website that takes more than five minutes or three clicks from the home page to locate, does not reasonably satisfy the intent of the Government Code that the information be easily located and “conspicuous” on the agency’s website.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2:
No later than 90 days after the date of this report, agencies should modify the location of their existing publicpay.ca.gov links to satisfy the requirement of Government Code Section 53908 that their link be “conspicuous.” Conspicuous locations for agencies are suggested in Table 2.
F3:
Any link to publicpay.ca.gov on an agency’s website that fails to go directly to the agency’s current compensation data on that website does not satisfy the intent of the Government Code that information be easily located.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3:
No later than 90 days after the date of this report, agencies should modify their existing publicpay.ca.gov links so that they provide a direct link to their current compensation data on the state site. To eliminate the need for annual updates, the URL used for the link should exclude any parameter specifying a year. Formatted URL examples are shown on Appendix A.
F4:
Regarding compensation policies for elected officials, many public agencies do not provide the public with easy access to information regarding salary, meeting fees or stipends (including compensation for serving as liaison to other advisory committees, councils and forums), reimbursements, health and retirement benefits, and other benefits such as equipment.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R4:
No later than 90 days after the date of this report, in addition to any other compensation links, agencies should include a link on their board or council web pages that leads directly to their “Elected Officials” page on the publicpay.ca.gov site, conforming to the format suggested on Appendix A.
F5:
Regarding detailed disclosure of total compensation paid, most public agencies do not break out all components of compensation paid to their elected officials, including salary, meeting fees or stipends (including compensation for serving as liaison to other advisory committees, councils and forums), reimbursements, health and retirement benefits, and other benefits such as equipment.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R5:
No later than 120 days after the date of this report, agencies should include on their board or council web pages a comprehensive description of their policies regarding all compensation paid to elected officials specifying, at a minimum, salary, meeting fees or stipends (including compensation for serving as liaison to other advisory committees, councils and forums), reimbursements, health and retirement benefits, and other benefits such as equipment.
F6:
By comparison to other public agencies, Marin Municipal Water District annually publishes an exemplary report on its website of total compensation paid to its elected officials for salary, meeting fees or stipends (including compensation for serving as liaison to other advisory committees), councils and forums, reimbursements, health and retirement benefits, and other benefits such as equipment.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R6:
No later than 120 days after the date of this report, agencies should adopt a practice to compile and publish each year an annual report detailing the compensation actually paid to their elected officials for the previous calendar year. Compensation disclosures should include, at a minimum, salary, meeting fees or stipends (including compensation for serving as liaison to other advisory committees, councils and forums), reimbursements, health and retirement benefits, and other benefits such as equipment. A link to this report should be posted on the agency’s board or council web page.
Recomendaciones adicionales
1
No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.
R7:
No later than 90 days after the date of this report, agencies not audited in this report should review their websites for compliance with the legal requirements and higher public transparency standards recommended in Recommendations R1–R6 of this report and ensure that their websites include links to the publicpay.ca.gov site as shown in Appendix A.
* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.