Issue | Background | Findings | Conclusions | Recommendations | Responses | Attachments Review of Agriculture

Recommendations 5

• R1
  The Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff should develop and implement plans for reducing the populations or expanding capacity at the Maguire Correctional Facility and the Women’s Correctional Center. Response: Disagree in part. Such a plan can only occur with the active involvement and support of the Courts. The Board has established a Task Force on Jail Overcrowding composed of representatives from the Court, Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Probation Department, and Private Defender Program. One component of the Task Force charge is to examine the need for a new Women’s Correctional Center.
• R4
  The Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff should immediately develop a plan to replace the existing Women’s Correctional Center with a new facility with adequate space to meet the California Board of Corrections standards and incorporating room for multiple classes, more opportunities for work inside the facility, and childcare in an expanded visiting area. Response: Disagree. There are currently insufficient resources available for such an undertaking. However, the Jail Overcrowding Task Force will be examining the need for replacement of the Women’s Correctional Center and should such need be identified steps will be taken to begin planning for the replacement.
• R5
  The Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff should create a program to allow women inmates to pursue work opportunities outside the facility. Response: Concur. The Board supports the commercial baking program the Sheriff has put in place to help female inmates prepare for and pursue work opportunities outside the facility. The Board-established Jail Overcrowding Task Force will evaluate both the physical space needs and Court support for a work furlough program for female inmates as part of its study.
• R6
  The Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff should develop a plan for a minimum security facility for women. Response: Concur. Agree to study. Status: A task force to review the issues of jail overcrowding and the Women’s Correctional Center was formed September 2004, following the FY 2004-05 Recommended Budget hearings. The task force includes representatives from the Board, the Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, District Attorney’s Office, Private Defender Program, the Court and the public. An update on the task force’s progress is being prepared for the Board of Supervisor’s April 12, 2005 meeting and will include plans to pilot a Work Furlough Program and provide quarterly updates on jail population trends to task force members. The data elements to be tracked will include average daily population, average length of stay, pre-sentenced vs. sentenced populations, number of bookings, and number of criminal filings by types of crime.
• R33
  The San Mateo County 1999 Grand Jury recommends that the County Board of Supervisors direct the Director of Public Works to prepare a comprehensive time-phased plan for completion of the seismic retrofit and lead/asbestos abatement of the County Hall of Justice. Urgency should be placed on the development and implementation of the plan, including a detailed time-phased series of actions and the designation of personnel responsible for each action and associated deadlines. The plan should include details on office and employee relocation. The County Board of Supervisors should give high priority to implementation and funding of this program. Response: Concur. The Director of Public Works will work with the Court on developing a tentative phasing plan that allows for the work to go forward on the 7th and 8th floors. A similar approach will be undertaken with the Probation Department for the 5th Floor. However, a key aspect of this plan will be to identify additional funding sources. An additional $2.2 million will be required to complete the project. To date, the County has spent approximately $1.6 million in the design of the seismic retrofit plan, the remediation work that was done immediately after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and for the work completed or under construction on the 4th and 6th floors. Public Works estimates that it will take approximately two years to complete the work once funding is identified and agreement with the Court and Probation is obtained. Abatement work is generally done in conjunction with other work on the structure, as encapsulated lead and asbestos in the building will remain in place and does not present a threat to either the citizens visiting the Hall of Justice or employees. Status: Final Phase - Installation of Seismic Dampers and Roof Panels Retrofit On June 8, 2004, the Board of Supervisor, under Resolution No. 66710, adopted plans and specifications, determining prevailing wage scales and calling for sealed bid proposals. On July 6, 2004, bids were accepted for this project and were subsequently referred to the Department of Public Works for checking and recommendation. The bids have been checked and the base bid of Gonsalves and Stronck Construction Company, Inc. was the lowest base bid received. On August 31, 2004, the Board of Supervisor, under Resolution No.66898, awarded the contract to Gonsalves and Stronck Construction Company for the contract amount of $2,599,251. On September 20, 2004, Department of Public Works issued a notice to proceed, authorizing the start of construction. The Contractor has mobilized and submitted shop drawings. The prototypes of the damper assembly are at UC Berkeley - PEER Center for testing. Further testing is required due to the unexpected splitting of the visco-elastic material. At the same time the contractor is working on the roof panel connections upgrade and the 3rd floor installation of seismic bracing supports. The construction operations are taking place between the hours of 6:00 pm - 3:00 am, Monday through Friday. The seismic retrofit work has been coordinated with the departments that occupy the space in the Hall of Justice and Records. The offices and courts in the building will remain occupied while the work is being accomplished. The target completion date of this final phase is November 2005. Grand Jury Whistleblower Recommendation