Wada County California Nevada County Grand Jury Final Report*

Conclusions 65

• CL1 Page 15
  The City's financial operations are significantly improved with major progress having been made toward instituting modern financial practices. Page 3 Nevada City Government
• CL2 Page 17
  The City is developing needed policies and procedures.
• CL3 Page 17
  With the addition of responsibility for human resources, there is a very real risk of overloading the Financial Manager.
• CL4 Page 18
  The City Council has become more involved in the City's business and appears to have assumed a greater level of responsibility and accountability. Nevada City Government Page | 6
• CL5 Page 19
  The engagement of a new audit firm is welcome and was long overdue.
• CL6 Page 19
  The City Clerk function is currently being performed adequately.
• CL7 Page 19
  The level of financial oversight by the City Council appears appropriate.
• CL8 Page 30
  The August 15, 2007 Agency Shop Secret Ballot Elections were not conducted in accordance with applicable law.
• CL9 Page 30
  The Mediation and Conciliation Service misinformed the County Human Resources Department as to the definition of a "working day," a matter that should have been within the Mediation and Conciliation Service's expertise.
• CL10 Page 65
  The August 15, 2007 Agency Shop Elections were held without the advance notice required under the Election MOAs and the Mediation and Conciliation Service's Procedures. The elections should be declared null and void.
• CL11 Page 65
  To the extent the Union posted notice of the August 15, 2007 Agency Shop Elections, there is no evidence in the records of the Mediation and Conciliation Service reflecting the location or manner of such posting. The Union's notice efforts did not meet the requirements of the Election MOAs or the Mediation and Conciliation Service's Procedures. × Agency Shoe Riecaist Part th P = 9 3
• CL12 Page 85
  The complaints concerning the VSO received by the Jury were found to have merit.
• CL13 Page 85
  Veterans need a VSO they can trust and have confidence in when working with that office.
• CL14 Page 85
  There are pockets of underserved and housebound veterans living in Nevada County who would greatly benefit from an expanded out-reach program and a mobile VSO unit.
• CL15 Page 85
  The part-time office assistant position does not allow sufficient time to meet the needs of the VSO clientele.
• CL16 Page 85
  The current staffing of the VSO may well prove insufficient to adequately address the needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
• CL17 Page 85
  There is a lack of awareness by veterans as to where to go to resolve issues regarding the VSO.
• CL18 Page 85
  Elimination of the current disharmony within the VSO is necessary if that office is to effectively meet its responsibilities.
• CL19 Page 85
  The Social Services Director is taking an active and continuing role in resolving the issues within the VSO.
• CL20 Page 100
  There is a lack of public understanding about who is responsible for the financing, providing, and coordinating of fire protection services within the County. Many residents Wildfire Danger 4| ' . . . are incorrect on their belief that the County government has a significant role in fire protection services.
• CL21 Page 101
  Voter approval of increased financing for fire protection could favorably influence insurance rates.
• CL22 Page 101
  Fire protection is affected by the complex geography of the fire agencies and an even more complex set of funding methods that provide inconsistent and irregular funding for equipment and staffing
• CL23 Page 101
  To date, because of the good will and cooperation of the various fire services, fire suppression activities in Nevada County has been adequate.
• CL24 Page 101
  The citizens of Nevada County currently do not receive equal levels of fire services across jurisdictions within the county.
• CL25 Page 101
  The public should be concerned that a local electorate rejected a ballot measure to increase support for fire services.
• CL26 Page 101
  Recently modified by the BOS, the Fire Plan now does not appear to require adequate action by the County against the threat of catastrophic fires as it no longer "...provides the Board of Supervisors with recommendations to reduce the risk and impacts from wildland fires to life, property and natural resources in Nevada County." (Nevada County Fire Plan)
• CL27 Page 101
  The BOS approval of their modified Fire Plan does not provide the governmental structure or funding process originally envisioned by the FPC, and fails meet Nevada County citizens' desperate needs.
• CL28 Page 162
  Given the time devoted to the discharge of their duties, and the nature of those duties, the current salary paid to members of the BOS is inadequate.
• CL29 Page 162
  A continued delay in addressing Supervisor salaries will only exacerbate the political difficulties in considering such matters. NEVADA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS-COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS REVIEW Page 1 23 The Jury believes that the Performance Proximity Method would be the most appropriate to use
• CL30 Page 163
  in fixing a new base salary for the Members of the BOS, the current 5% differential for the Chair of the Board also being appropriate.
• CL31 Page 163
  The Jury believes that once a new base salary is approved for the Members of the BOS, the Social Security COLA method would be the most suitable to use for future adjustments.
• CL32 Page 163
  All other factors being equal, an increase in the Supervisors base salary to $53,800/year appears warranted at this time. XI.
• CL33 Page 185
  There is a lack of adequate space for materials and programs within the Truckee, Grass Valley, and Madelyn Helling branches. The libraries, based on similar statewide numbers reviewed, now fall more in line with
• CL34 Page 185
  median numbers within the state in terms of salaries, as compared to the salaries reviewed in the 2005/2006 Grand Jury report. The library's staff of 28.6 full time equivalent employees is the same as reported by the 3. 2005/2006 Grand Jury. This does not provide for the increased usage in the form of more staffing and hours to accommodate increasing population. The libraries strive to promote from within benefiting from qualified staff people very
• CL35 Page 185
  2005/2006 Grand Jury. This does not provide for the increased usage in the form of more staffing and hours to accommodate increasing population. The libraries strive to promote from within benefiting from qualified staff people very
• CL36 Page 185
  familiar with the branches in which they work.
• CL37 Page 185
  The Bear River branch cannot be easily located nor hours of operation determined as the result of poor signage. Support from the community in the form of volunteers is a critical element to the
• CL38 Page 185
  libraries ability to provide the many services currently available. Present staffing appears to be adequate to maintain only the current hours of operation. 7.
• CL39 Page 199
  The Nevada CCSDO appears to have become non-functional.
• CL40 Page 199
  The Grand Jury believes that the former and current County Superintendents' disregard of any advisory or consultative role for the CCSDO as part of a broad, inclusive, and proactive decision-making mode, is not in the county schools' best interests.
• CL41 Page 199
  The Nevada County Board of Education and its Superintendent of Schools are not in compliance with Chapter 3 of the California Department of Education's School District Organization Handbook's policy on the function and mission of a county committee on school district organization.
• CL42 Page 199
  There are five small districts that might benefit from consolidation of administrative functions while preserving school identity.
• CL43 Page 216
  While the T-TSA is much larger than the DSPUD, its operation of a wastewater treatment plant makes it the most logical agency in the area to compare with the DSPUD.
• CL44 Page 216
  While it is necessary to attract citizens to participate in the governing process, the high fee schedule for DSPUD Directors, paying them even if they do not attend a meeting, and serving dinner at regular meetings, sends the constituents and the public the wrong message.
• CL45 Page 216
  Salaries paid by DSPUD to senior level employees seem excessive when compared with T-TSA (see Attachment A).
• CL46 Page 216
  The DSPUD property insurance cost is considerably higher than T-TSA given that the insured property value is one-sixth that of T-TSA
• CL47 Page 216
  Communication with the stakeholders is not being given sufficient priority by the Board and staff.
• CL48 Page 216
  The engineering, technology, capital investment, and personnel requirements of the DSPUD plant will require significant upgrade to ensure proper disposal of increased treated wastewater.
• CL49 Page 216
  The Board appears to be relying largely on staff and counsel and demonstrates little oversight, questioning and judgment.
• CL50 Page 216
  The failure of the General Manager to execute the contracts with the County for fire services and the delay in negotiating a special use permit with the USFS displayed inadequate oversight and direction on the part of the Board.
• CL51 Page 216
  The practice of DSPUD of discharging large quantities of wastewater into the low flowing South Yuba River poses a threat to the beneficial uses of the river. Donner Summit Public Utility District Page 4
• CL52 Page 246
  This dispute, marked by acrimony and disrespect on both sides, took much too long to resolve.
• CL53 Page 246
  The absence of an established process for resolving disputes between the District and developers contributed to this matter getting out of hand.
• CL54 Page 246
  The Developer did not submit as-built drawings promptly upon completion of construction. Had the Developer done so and the District monitored the Developer's account, completing the reconciliation of costs on time, this dispute might have been avoided or minimized.
• CL55 Page 246
  The District, a public utility special district, that makes its own rules and regulations, needs greater public oversight to assure that its customers and stakeholders are treated fairly and respectfully.
• CL56 Page 246
  The three-year gap in reconciling costs with deposits and the five month delay in providing supporting materials which had been redacted to a point where they were difficult to analyze, represented egregious performances by the District staff.
• CL57 Page 246
  The suggestion that Developer was a credit risk was fallacious considering the amount of deposits on hand and the Developer's previous credit history with the District.
• CL58 Page 246
  Delivering the magazine article about the Developer's past to his attorney to support the suggestion of a credit risk was improper, as well as irrelevant.
• CL59 Page 246
  It was immoral to hold the Developer hostage by denying services on a later project.
• CL60 Page 246
  It was inappropriate to require the Developer to release the District from liability for its conduct as a condition for receiving service.
• CL61 Page 246
  The Board's disengagement in this matter contributed to escalation of the dispute. The matter should have been put on the first available Board meeting agenda. A hearing 4
• CL62 Page 247
  The Board of Directors' focus on the collection of the bill rather than the relationship between the District and a Developer who provides capital improvements for the District was shortsighted.
• CL63 Page 14
  City records management has been significantly improved.
• CL64 Page 16
  It appears that the City Clerk duties are now being performed adequately.
• CL65 Page 127
  The Nevada County Planning Department has not taken advantage of grant monies available from the State in order to develop and submit to the state an Oak Management Plan. The State Wildlife Conservation Board OWCA funds are not available to Nevada County residents or other entities because the County has not provided an Oak Woodlands Management Plan.

No Responses Found 2

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