Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury Final

Commendations 6

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  C1. Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury commends the Environmental Management Agency Director, shelter staff, and FOCAS volunteers for their dedication to the impounded animals and their pursuit of a new Calaveras County Animal Shelter to better serve the citizens and animals of Calaveras County. C2. Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury commends the Environmental Management Agency Director, shelter staff, and FOCAS volunteers for implementing the majority of recommendations from the 2022-2023 CCCGJ report, including adjusting business hours to better serve the public, additions to staff, an improved website, and improvements in staff and volunteer communications. Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify the individuals interviewed. Penal Code §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 Grand Jury. REFERENCE SOURCES Bickmore Shelter Hazard Report, Calaveras County Animal Services Tom Kline, ARM, CPSI, Terrie S. Norris, CSP, ARM, CPSI, September 2018 BOS minutes from meetings on September 10, 2019; February 18, 2020; December 13, 2022, April 11, 2023, and January 23, 2024 (www.calaveras gov.us),. Calaveras County Animal Shelter (https://animal.calaverasgov.us/) Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury Reports from 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2015-2016, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2022- 2023 (https://grandjury.calaverasgov.us/Reports) County Ordinance, Title 6 – ANIMALS, Chapter 6. UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program; Calaveras Housing Capacity Report D. Wagner, B. Stunteback, November 3, 2022 LDA Partners, Inc. presentation to the BOS on January 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3PxHgYf 2023-2024 Calaveras County Final Budget; page 68 Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury Calaveras County Water District Still Waters Run Deep June 30, 2024 Photo courtesy of Victor Tarango SUMMARY The Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury received over 170 written complaints related to the five-year water and wastewater rate increase proposal from Calaveras County Water District. In general, the complaints centered around the amount of the proposed rate increase, non-compliance with California Proposition 218 (state mandated process for seeking a rate increase), and the perception that employee salaries are exorbitant for the water/wastewater utility industry. It should be noted that complaints were also widespread on social media sites. Given the volume of complaints, the Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury felt compelled to pursue an investigation into the rate increase proposal. The original inquiry led to the discovery of other areas in need of investigation, such as their vehicle lease program, information technology infrastructure, workplace culture, and employee turnover. This report is by no means an exhaustive analysis of the operations of Calaveras County Water District, but the content will clarify community concerns related to the rate increase proposal and make recommendations to improve operational deficiencies discovered during the investigation.
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  C1. Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury commends the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors (BOS) for its approval on February 13, 2024, of the urgency ordinance to preserve and protect historical structures in the County. DISCLAIMER Reports issued by the Civil Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code §929 requires that reports of the Civil 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. REFERENCE SOURCES Brown Act https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=2.&chapter=9.&part=1 .&lawCode=GOV&title=5, https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/the-brown-act.pdf https://www.access-board.gov/news/2022/03/21/department-of-justice-issues-web-accessibility- guidance-under-the-ada/ Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury Calaveras County High School Education Pathways to the Future June 30, 2024 SUMMARY What kind of career training is available to high school students in Calaveras County? How prepared are they for their future? The 2023-2024 Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury decided to look at vocational training opportunities for high school students within the county. Given the small size and rural location of Calaveras County, the Civil Grand Jury expected to find a lack of opportunities for local high school students to receive job-ready education and training. Upon investigation, however, we found the opposite to be true. Calaveras County high school students have an extensive selection of career training courses available to them through Career Technical Education.
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  C1. The Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury commends all the educators and instructors involved with Career Technical Education in Calaveras County high schools for their continued dedication to their students and the success of these programs. REFERENCE SOURCES Bret Harte Union High School Course Catalog, brethartebullfrogs.org Bret Harte Union High School District Website, brethartebullfrogs.org Calaveras High School Course Catalog, chs.custudents.net Calaveras Unified School District Website, calaverasusd.com Calaveras County Office of Education Website, coe.k12.ca.us Calaverascte.org Website California Department of Education Website, CTE Fact sheet for School Leaders, www.cde.ca.gov>cteschoolleaderfacts Central Motherlode Career Education Guide Governor Gavin Newsom’s Website: www.gov.ca.gov – Press release dated 11/2/2023Ready for Work Podcast: “Campus CTE Tour: How Calaveras High is Preparing for the Future”, YouTube, October 2, 2022 U.S, Census, Calaveras County, https://www.census.gov Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury Child Welfare Services in Calaveras County Striving for Success: Doing More With Less June 30, 2024 SUMMARY The Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury chose to examine the Child Welfare Services division of Calaveras County Health and Human Services Agency. The Grand Jury looked for ways in which services to our most vulnerable population, our children, could be improved and made more efficient with the intent of ensuring that no child was overlooked, neglected, or underserved. The Grand Jury also sought to understand the interdepartmental cooperation among the various county agencies and non-profits charged with protecting the vulnerable youth of our county, including Child Welfare Services, the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, the Resource Connection, and the County Office of Education. The Grand Jury’s findings were mixed but encouraging.
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  C1. Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury commends the many organizations and services available to serve the youth of our county. Under new leadership, effort is being made to improve efficiency and cooperation among county agencies, and we feel confident that those working in these agencies are devoted to supporting and serving our children to the absolute best of their ability. C2. Throughout the review and investigative process by the Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury, the Grand Jury was impressed and pleased to have been introduced to personnel within multiple divisions of the Calaveras County Health and Human Services Agency. The Grand Jury encountered dedicated professionals who extended their time and full cooperation to help us understand their mission and functions in providing health and social wellbeing support to the citizens of Calaveras County. They have been tasked to do so much with fewer resources than many comparable counties. The Grand Jury applauds their efforts and can comfortably suggest that Calaveras County Health and Human Services Agency is in capable and amply qualified hands. Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code §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 Grand Jury. REFERENCE SOURCES Calaveras County Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes Calaveras County Office of Education Website and Brochures, www.ccoe.k12.ca.us (See Student Support Services) Calaveras Enterprise articles Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, nexusyfs.org/casa/ Health and Human Services Handbook Health and Human Services Website and Brochures, hhsa.calaverasgov.us Resource Connection Website, Brochures, and Community Resource Directory, rr.trcac.org Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, www.calaverasmentoring.org Gutierrez, Melody, “California Has Too Few Behavioral Health Professionals. Lawmakers Propose Fix.” Los Angeles Times, February 10, 2022 Weiner, Jocelyn, “Why California Is Facing a Mental Health Care Worker Shortage”, CalMatters, September 8, 2022 “Bridging the Gap: The Urgent need for Social Workers” Columbia School of Social Work, September 29, 2023 “Social Work Profession Faces Impending Labor Shortages, Study Finds” Philanthropy News Digest , March 13, 2006 “Classification and Compensation Study for Calaveras County, CA” conducted by Evergreen Solutions, LLC, March 21, 2024 http://steinberginstitute.org www.sierrachildandfamilyservices.org RESPONSES TO 2022-2023 GRAND JURY REPORTS August 8, 2023 The Honorable Timothy S. Healy, Presiding Judge Superior Court State of California 400 Government Center Drive San Andreas, CA 95249-9794 RE: Board of Supervisors response to "Calaveras Cannabis Dis-Jointed" Grand Jury Report Dear Honorable Judge Healy: In accordance with California Penal Code sections §933 & §933.05, the County of Calaveras Board of Supervisors submits this response to the above referenced Grand Jury report dated June 22, 2023, which was received in the Office of the County Administrator on June 19, 2023. The Board wishes to thank the members of the Grand Jury for their professionalism and dedication to public service, which made this report possible. GRAND JURY FINDINGS FOR CALAVERAS COUNTY LOCAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY Grand Jury Finding FI The Environmental Management Agency and Code Compliance do not test for contaminants in soil and water at cannabis cultivation sites, so any environmental impact remains unseen. County Response to Finding FI The County agrees with this finding. EMA does not have a program, nor has the Board of Supervisors directed it to undertake a program, to affirmatively test for soil or water contamination on any parcels— cannabis-related or otherwise—and certainly not in the absence of any actual evidence of contamination. If hazardous materials were discovered in the soil or water as part of EMA's routine operations, or if a law enforcement investigation resulted in evidence of contamination on a parcel, EMA would help facilitate an appropriate response either itself or with the appropriate regulatory agencies. EMA does not, however, have either the resources or the authority to pre-emptively enter all properties "identified by the MET team" to test water and soil there—and certainly not in the absence of property owner consent, a warrant, or an emergency situation that can't wait for a warrant. EMA works cooperatively with law enforcement on an as-needed basis but cannot simply assume that all properties suspected by the MET team of harboring illegal cannabis cultivation also have contaminated water and soil. The County does have a CEQA-compliant program in place to regulate cannabis-related environmental impacts on permitted cannabis cultivation sites, and—while soil and water testing for contaminants are not part of this program--EMA does work with the DCC to ensure compliance with the various provisions of Chapter 17.95 that are designed to mitigate potential impacts. EMA's involvement in Cannabis Cultivation is primarily identifying potential permitted Cannabis grows that include operations related to EMA regulated program elements. The programs include Solid Waste Management, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Material Management, Water Adequacy, Onsite Wastewater Management and Air Quality for Carbon Offsets. EMA works with the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) to identify any potential cannabis grows that do not satisfy regulatory requirements. The DCC, Code Compliance and EMA staff work together to identify any potential violations. Water Adequacy testing is required for permitted cannabis cultivation sites. EMA does not have knowledge that any permitted cannabis cultivation sites have violated this requirement. Water Adequacy Testing is required to be facilitated by licensed professionals. EMA and DCC staff verify all EMA elements are satisfied. The Sheriff's office reaches out to other County departments if needed. Grand Jury Recommendation R1 The Calaveras Grand Jury recommends that the Environmental Management Agency, Code Compliance, and the Sheriff's Office work together to coordinate efforts in the collection of soil and water samples at cultivation sites that have been identified by the Marijuana Enforcement Team, to be tested for contaminates by January 1, 2024. County Response to Recommendation R1 This recommendation will not be implemented as it is not reasonable and not warranted. To date no contamination concerns have been identified at permitted sites. EMA works with the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) to identify any potential cannabis grows that do not satisfy regulatory requirements. Water and soil testing for chemical contaminants is not required by EMA. Code Compliance Investigators already coordinate with the Sheriff's Office in the investigation and eradication of illegal cannabis cultivation sites. As part of this investigation, it is standard procedure to identify the presence of known or unknown chemicals or materials that are contamination risks and require remediation which would include testing of soil and/or water as necessary to determine that remediation has been conducted sufficiently to remove these contaminants. However, our records do not indicate that any such unidentified chemicals or known contaminants have been found on previous cannabis investigations. Therefore, testing and remediation were not required. The Code Compliance Division will continue to coordinate with its partner agencies in the investigation of these sites and will work to improve communication between all enforcement partners. However, it is not reasonable to ask for remediation measures or testing of sites where there is no evidence to suggest that a contaminant exists. Grand Jury Finding F2 The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors does not request or hear, in a timely and ongoing way, information specific to cannabis cultivation, thus they and the public are not adequately informed of the environmental consequences facing the County. County Response to Finding F2 The County agrees with this finding. Grand Jury Recommendation R2 The Calaveras Grand Jury recommends that the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors get a periodic briefing from the Division of Cannabis Control, Environmental Management Agency, and Sheriffs Office about any activity related to environmental impacts of the cannabis industry in the County. County Response to Recommendation R2 This recommendation will be partially implemented. The Division of Cannabis Control and the Calaveras Sheriff's Department will present to the Board of Supervisors in August 2023, regarding cannabis operations in Calaveras County. The Board will continue to request annual updates. In addition, EMA will collaborate with partnering agencies and the Calaveras Office of Administration on an acceptable presentation to the Board on any identified environmental violations as reported by the Sheriff's Office, Code Compliance, and the DCC on an as needed basis should any future violations occur. Grand Jury Finding F3 The Calaveras County Cannabis Code allowed for environmental remediation on cultivation sites to alleviate concerns about environmental damage, but available records do not support that this code has been actively enforced, leaving any environmental damage unchecked. County Response to Finding F3 The County disagrees with this finding. EMA, Code Compliance, and the Sheriff's Office have worked together to identify any environmental concerns. Code Compliance has been the lead agency for response; EMA staff act as consultants to assist with any findings and to provide direction on remediation. Since the DCC has been in operation strict compliance is adhered to by both EMA, Code Compliance and the DCC. Grand Jury Recommendation R3 The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends that the Calaveras Board of Supervisors instruct the Division of Cannabis Control and Code Compliance to actively enforce Calaveras County Codes §17.95 and §8.06 related to remediation of cannabis cultivation sites by January 1, 2024. County Response to Recommendation R3 This recommendation will not be implemented as it is not reasonable and not warranted. The Code Compliance Program is complaint driven and does not provide for 100% enforcement of County ordinances. Completing investigations of all possible cannabis cultivation sites arising from the 2016 cannabis ordinance by January 1, 2024, would not be possible due to the limited staffing currently providing code compliance services. The County has limited resources for all programs within the County. Departments have the opportunity to submit rationale for funding multiple times throughout the fiscal year. All requests are considered and prioritized within the constraints of the County Budget. Sincerely, Gary Tofanelli Chair
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  DATE: July 5, 2023 Honorable Timothy S. Healey, Presiding Superior Court Judge Rick DiBasilio, Sheriff TO: FROM: Response to 2022-23 Grand Jury Report on Cannabis Cultivation in Calaveras County Board of Supervisors SUBJECT: Cc: The 2022-2023 Grand Jury Report was reviewed by The Calaveras County Sheriffs Office and staff members. The Grand Jury's investigation into the status and effects of Cannabis cultivation in Calaveras County outlined three findings. Of these three findings, two required a response from the Sheriff's Office. Finding 1: The Environmental Management Agency and Code Compliance do not test for contaminants in soil and water at cannabis cultivation sites, so any environmental impact remains unseen. Recommendation: The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends that the Environmental Management Agency, Code Compliance, and the Sheriff's Office work together to coordinate efforts in the collection of soil and water samples at cultivation sites that have been identified by the Marijuana Enforcement Team, to be tested for contaminants by January 1, 2024. Sheriff's Office Response: The Sheriffs Office does not agree or disagree with this finding. However, the Sheriffs Office currently has a mechanism in which the Calaveras Division of Cannabis Control is notified of cannabis eradication activities that have been conducted pursuant to a criminal investigation. Additionally, media releases are published on every search warrant that is served at a cannabis cultivation site. The Sheriffs Office will immediately begin notifying the Environmental Management Agency and Code Compliance with a notification letter that will provide the location, date, and relevant details of cannabis eradication activities. From this letter, the proper agencies will be equipped with information that can be utilized if they choose to collect soil and water samples. The Sheriffs Office does note that the collection of these samples, even for civil or administrative use, represents an investigative seizure of property that should be discussed with proper counsel by the respective agencies. Finding 2: The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors does not request or hear, in a timely and ongoing way, information specific to cannabis cultivation, thus they and the public are not adequately informed of the environmental consequences facing the county. Recommendation: The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends that the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors get a periodic briefing from the Division of Cannabis Control, Environmental Management Agency, and Sheriffs Office about any activity related to the environmental impacts of the cannabis industry in the County. The Sheriff's Office currently publishes a full press release on every search warrant which is served at a cannabis cultivation site. Environmental concerns, if present, are identified and photographed. These photographs are routinely included in media releases along with an informational narrative that details if another agency became involved to investigate the environmental concerns. Often, the agency investigating environmental concerns is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Sheriff's Office currently has an informational item concerning marijuana eradication scheduled for the Board of Supervisors in the next thirty days. The Sheriff's Office will continue to provide these informational updates to the Board of Supervisors as needed. RECEIVED JUL 05 2023 CALAVERAS SUPERIOR COURT County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team Statistics MET Statistics 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 TOTAL LOCATIONS 18 68 55 76 77 83 45 8 ERADICATED Marijuana Search Warrants 16 50 52 72 74 73 41 8 Consent/8.06/Parole Searches 1 4 0 1 2 2 4 0 BHO Labs Investigated 3 3 3 6 3 3 2 0 Marijuana Plants 62,841 59,783 74,424 85,075 37,436 68,084 43,444 7,917 Processed Marijuana (lbs.) 7,385.11 14,962.62 8,023.85 3,319.96 2,147.36 2,490.00 1,238.24 28.30 Marijuana Concentrate (lbs.) 27.73 35.17 264.01 23.78 25.27 4.43 20.12 0.00 CCSO Arrests/Cites 72 58 39 64 42 71 28 2 Firearms 7 41 23 43 79 60 56 0 Skid Steer On Site 8 1 0 0
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  2023 Percentage Compared to MET Statistics 2022 2023 2022 TOTAL LOCATIONS ERADICATED 45 8 18% TOTAL WARRANTS WRITTEN 65 11 17% Eradication/BHO Search Warrants 41 8 20% BHO Labs 2 0 0% Marijuana Plants 43,444 7,917 18% Processed Marijuana (lbs.) 1,238.24 28.30 2% Marijuana Concentrate (oz.) 321.99 0.00 0% CCSO Arrests/Cites 28 2 7% Firearms 56 0 0% Indoor Cultivation Sites Eradicated Each Year Indoor Grow Sites 2023: 5 2022: 29 2021: 29 : 2020 10 2019: 15 2018: 7 2017: 9 2016: 0 Repeated Eradication Sites 48 Sites have been eradicated multiple times, 2016-2023 1 site has been eradicated 6 Times 1 site has been eradicated 5 Times 1 site 5 40 has bee eradicated 4 Times sites have been eradicated 3 Times sites have been eradicated 2 Times 25 of the repeat sites were previously registered or had applied for registration during the Urgency Ordinance. August 8,2023 The Honorable Timothy S. Healy, Presiding Judge Superior Court State of California 400 Government Center Drive San Andreas, CA 95249-9794 RE: Board of Supervisors response to "Calaveras County Fire and Environment: Everyday is Earth Day" Grand Jury Report Dear Honorable Judge Healy: In accordance with California Penal Code sections §933 & §933.05, the County of Calaveras Board of Supervisors submits this response to the above referenced Grand Jury report dated June 15,2023, which was received in the Office of the County Administrator on June 15,2023. The Board wishes to thank the members of the Grand Jury for their professionalism and dedication to public service, which made this report possible. GRAND JURY FINDINGS OF CALAVERAS COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AGENCY, CALAVERAS COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, CALAVERAS COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT Grand Jury Finding FI Since the emergency notification system does not provide customer feedback to the account holder by way of two-way confirmation of a successful test, residents cannot be sure they are being notified appropriately. County Response to Finding FI The County disagrees with this finding. There is a test function within the alerting programs. These tests should (emphasis added) be conducted in the test environment in order to avoid "alerting fatigue" from the public. Anecdotally, many counties and system operators see an increase of participants "opting out" or turning their notifications off if the notification is perceived to be a nuisance from the public. The tests provide positive confirmation to the alerting operator that the system is operating normal. Grand Jury Recommendation R1 The Calaveras Grand Jury recommends the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Emergency Services to develop and annual emergency alert test system offering positive confirmation tests with an 80% confirmation rate by January 1, 2024. Gary Tofanelli Jack Garamendi Martin Huberty Amanda Folendorf Benjamin Stopper District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 286-9002 286-9003 286-9007 286-9050 286-9059 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 891 Mountain Ranch Road San Andreas, California 95249 (209)754-6370 FAX (209) 754-6733 County Response to Recommendation R1 This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. Everbridge is the current emergency alert system used in Calaveras County and also includes Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS). This portion of the system allows Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) or short text messages to mobile phones and active cellular towers in the geo-targeted area, and/or Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) send a short text message to televisions and audio transmission to radio stations. This notification system is only dependent on cell service and the phone being in the designated area and does not require opting in. Grand Jury Finding F2 Residents are unsure of what emergency notification systems are used for what purposes within the County and are unclear how to set up each system to accommodate their personal needs. County Response to Finding F2 The County agrees with this finding. Grand Jury Recommendation R2a TheCaJayeras County Grand Jury .recommends the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Emergency Services to develop a communication plan to promote the use of all Emergency Alert Systems by January 1,2024. County Response to Recommendation R2a This recommendation will be implemented by January 1,2024. Grand Jury Recommendation R2b The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Emergency Services to create user friendly instructions for residents clearly defining which emergency notification systems exist, what each system is used for, and how residents will be notified in the event of and emergency by January 1,2024. County Response to Recommendation R2b This recommendation will be implemented by January 1,2024. Grand Jury Finding F3 Most wildfire fuel breaks built in the County are not routinely maintained which reduces the effectiveness of the fuel breaks overtime. Gary Tofanelli Jack Garamendi Martin Huberty Amanda Folendorf Benjamin Stopper District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 286-9002 286-9003 286-9007 286-9050 286-9059 891 Mountain Ranch Road FAX (209) 754-6733 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS San Andreas, California 95249 (209) 754-6370 County Response to Finding F2 The County neither agrees or disagrees with this finding because the County does not construct or maintain fuel breaks and has no metrics to evaluate fuel break effectiveness. Grand Jury Recommendation R3a The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the Board of Supervisors direct the appropriate agency to inventory, create, and maintain a publicly available map of the wildfire fuel breaks in the County by March 29,2024. County Response to Recommendation R3a This recommendation requires further analysis. Fuel breaks are built and maintained by multiple agencies within the County. This will require a multi-agency effort to identify the locations and condition of fuel breaks. The Office of Emergency Services will work toward identifying agencies who have constructed fuel breaks within the County by January 1,2024. Once all agencies have been identified then the County will work toward updating the County's Geographic Information System with the data available. Grand Jury Recommendation R3b The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the County provide the manpower, equipment, and annual budget necessary to maintain all County created wildfire fuel breaks in the County by March 29, 2024. County Response to Recommendation R3b This recommendation will not be implemented because there are no County created and maintained wildfire fuel breaks. Grand Jury Finding F4 Recent storms resulting in major infrastructure damage have brought to light the confusion about responsibility for maintenance, preparation, and cleanup. County Response to Finding F4 The County disagrees with this finding. The County is fully aware of the assets for which it has responsibility. The County maintains an inventory of every capital asset owned by the County. In addition, the Public Works Department maintains a spreadsheet of every road mile that we maintain. This is reported to the State when changes are made. Grand Jury Recommendation R4 The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the Board of Supervisors determine who is responsible to develop a plan to maintain, prepare for, and reduce damage from future storms and put these plans into place by January 1,2024. Gary Tofanelli Jack Garamendi Martin Huberty Amanda Folendorf Benjamin Stopper District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 286-9002 286-9003 286-9007 286-9050 286-9059 FAX (209) 754-6733 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS San Andreas, California 95249 (209) 754-6370 County Response to Recommendation R4 This recommendation will not be implemented as it is unreasonable and not warranted. The County already has plans for the maintenance and protection of County infrastructure. This recommendation would require hydrology/hydraulics analysis of all road crossings of creeks and streams to determine if they still can pass the 100-year storm. This analysis would be very expensive and take significant time as there are many crossings that are not County responsibility. Once an analysis is completed, there is no funding to upgrade the crossings. Grand Jury Finding FS The Calaveras County Environmental Management Agency does not have robust enforcement practices nor an effective tracking system for environmental violations which results in mitigation delay and further environmental damage. County Response to Finding FS The County disagrees with this finding. EMA is comprised of five separate departments including the Air Pollution Control District, Agricultural, Environmental Heath, Animal Services and Onsite Wastewater. Each department regulates programs with separate laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations accordingly. To refer to EMA enforcement practices as one entity is not practical, logical, or appropriate. Each department has an effective tracking system for enforcement processes specific to the laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations that facilitate activities overseen by each department. Complaints are received, logged, and referred to the appropriate department for review, response and enforcement of any regulations that have been violated. Grand Jury Recommendation RS The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the Board of Supervisors direct the Environmental Management Agency and other related departments to develop and implement a standardized issue tracking system by January 1,2024. County Response to Recommendation RS This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not reasonable. EMA has five separate departments each with their own individual tracking system and to implement a "standardized tracking system" for all EMA is not appropriate or feasible as each department enforces separate laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations. Grand Jury Finding F6 Because the Calaveras County Air Pollution Control District does not list all information required by the Brown Act on their website, County residents are not informed about important air quality issues. Gary Tofanelli Jack Garamendi Martin Huberty Amanda Folendorf Benjamin Stopper District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 286-9002 286-9003 286-9007 286-9050 286-9059 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 891 Mountain Ranch Road San Andreas, California 95249 (209)754-6370 FAX (209) 754-6733 County Response to Finding F6 The County agrees with this finding. The Air Pollution Control District has worked with County IT to update the APCD website to reflect "Purple Air" a program that illustrates real time air quality. Grand Jury Recommendation R6 The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the Calaveras County Air Pollution Control District Board review and comply with the Brown Act requirements for websites by January 1,2024. County Response to Recommendation R6 This recommendation has been implemented and a link has been created for the public to access the Board meetings and agendas. GaryTofanelli Chair G ary Jack Martin Amanda Benjamin Tofanelli GarDaimsternicdti 2 Huberty FolenDdisotrrfi ct 4 Stopper District 1 286-9003 District 3 286-9050 District 5 286-9002 286-9007 286-9059 CALAVERAS COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 891 Mountain Ranch San Andreas, California 95249 (209) 754-6370 Road FAX (209) 754-6733 July 11, 2023 The Honorable Timothy S. Healy, Presiding Judge Superior Court State of California P.O. Box 850 San Andreas, CA 95249 RE: Board of Supervisors response to "Veterans Services Office: No Veteran Left Behind" Grand Jury Report Dear Honorable Judge Healy: In accordance with California Penal Code sections 933 & 933.05, the County of Calaveras Board of Supervisors submits this response to the above referenced Grand Jury report dated May 26, 2023, which was received in the Office of the County Administrator on May 24, 2023. The Board wishes to thank the members of the Grand Jury for their professionalism and dedication to public service, which made this report possible. GRAND JURY FINDINGS OF CALAVERAS COUNTY VETERAN SERVICES OFFICE (CCVSO) Grand Jury Finding FI Since the goal of completing a CCVSO Policies and Procedures Manual was not met, current staff is tasked with training new employees. County Response to Finding FI The County agrees with this finding. Grand Jury Recommendation R1 The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends the current CCVSO staff complete and implement a CCVSO Policies and Procedures Manual, which includes a personnel succession plan by December 31, 2023. County Response to Recommendation R1 The County agrees with this recommendation. The CCVSO has indicated that this recommendation will be implemented by the recommended date. Grand Jury Finding F2 VSO's and VSR's have to perform clerical duties due to only having part-time administrative support. County Response to Finding F2 The County agrees with this finding. Gary Tofanelli Jack Garamendi Martin Huberty Amanda Folendorf Benjamin Stopper District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 286-9002 286-9003 286-9007 286-9050 286-9059 CALAVERAS COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 891 Mountain Ranch Road San Andreas, California 95249 (209) 754-6370 FAX (209) 754-6733 Grand Jury Recommendation R2 The Calaveras County Grand Jury recommends that BOS and the County Executive Officer (CEO) provide funding for an additional FTE or PTE administrative position by December 31, 2023. County Response to Recommendation R2 This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The County has limited resources for all programs within the County. Departments have the opportunity to submit rationale for funding multiple times throughout the fiscal year. All requests are considered and prioritized within the constraints of the County Budget. Gary Tofanelli Jack Garamendi Martin Huberty Amanda Folendorf Benjamin Stopper District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Sincerely, 286-9002 286-9003 286-9007 286-9050 286-9059 RECEIVED AUG 14 2023 Calaveras Health and Human Services Agency Cori Allen, Director 891 Mountain Ranch Road Michael MagafVa, Assistant Director San Andreas, CA 95249 Adult Services 754-6452 June 5, 2023 Sehavioral Health Honorable Timothy S. Healy 754-6525 Superior Court of California, County of Calaveras Caiaveras- 400 Government Center Drive Mariposa San Andreas, CA 95249 Community Action Agency 754-6054 RE: Response to Calaveras County Civil Grand Jury "Veterans Services Office: No Veteran Left Behind" report dated May 26, 2023 Children's Services 209-754- 6452 Dear Judge Healy, Eligibility and I am writing in response to Finding 1 in the Grand Jury report referenced Employment above. Services 209-754- 6448 I believe in having a Policies and Procedures Manual for the Veterans Service Office. I First 5 Calaveras believe it is important for there to be direction in writing for all members of the office staff to refer to 754-6914 when needed. While the request was made previously for a Policies and Procedures Manual to be completed and implemented, it was not. It is my belief this was not due to negligence; however, Housing was due to the priority of time being given to the needs of our veteran community, especially Programs during times the office was short of staff. 754-6325 I, as the Calaveras County Veterans Service Officer, will complete and implement an Public Authority office Policies and Procedures Manual by the time prescribed in the Grand Jury’s report, it will 754-6544 include a personnel succession plan which will outline how the office will operate and what tasks Public Health are given priority in times of staffing shortages, i will continue to find other ways to improve upon the succession plan as well (e.g. Request funding for a second Veterans Service Representative to 754-6460 process veterans’ claims.). Veterans Services 754-6910 Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Very Respectfully ,Brian Galicia Calaveras County Veterans Service Officer cc: Diane Lloyd, Foreperson, Calaveras County Grand Jury CALAVERAS COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE Physical Address: 300 W. DAPHNE STREET • Mail: POB 1389, VALLEY SPRINGS, CA 95252 209-754-6910 •Fax:209-754-9049 • teranservices.calaverasqovus © Scarlet Columbine in Calaveras Big Trees Park – photo courtesy of Victoria Plaugher