County of Mendocino Post Office Box 629

R1

The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors require the Department of Human Resources to perform desk audits for workers in the Clerk/Assessor’s office to determine the appropriateness of current salaries for those jobs. (Finding 2) Response (County Clerk/Assessor): This recommendation requires further analysis. I have met with the Human Resources Director regarding the shortage of adequately skilled employees in the Assessor’s office as well as desk audits for workers in the Clerk/Assessor’s office to determine the appropriateness of current salaries of these jobs. I believe it is appropriate for Human Resources to perform desk audits and determine the appropriateness of current salaries of these jobs. Response (Human Resources): Response (Human Resources): The Human Resources Department is prepared to review the job classes which are voted as high turnover (Staff Assistant I) and shortage of skilled staff (Auditor Appraiser) to determine if the positions are properly classified and compensated. The Human Resources Department has a backlog of over 30 positions requiring classification review, but these positions will be given a higher priority. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this recommendation. The Human Resources Department will perform desk audits for the classifications unique to the County Clerk/Assessors Office and will research salary levels for those positions. This work will be completed by January 1, 2006 and the results will be presented to the County Clerk/ Assessor, as well as the Board of Supervisors for their consideration.

R2

The Grand Jury recommends that election machines be stored in one secure, structurally sound facility. (Finding 12) Response (County Clerk/Assessor): This recommendation requires further analysis. I have met with the General Services Director regarding the storage election machines in one secure, structurally sound facility. Currently, the Accu-vote optical scan ballot counters are stored in the County Clerk-Recorder-Elections designated section of the storage facility adjacent to (707) 463-4320 the County Administration Center at 501 Low Gap Road while the voting booths and optical scan ballot boxes are maintained in a storage shed with a leaky roof in back of the General Services Department. The optimum solution would be to have all of our election equipment stored in the storage facility adjacent to the County Administration Center. However I recognize that this storage facility has already been partitioned out to other departments and there is now not room to expand our space. The General Services Director has therefore agreed to make space available in the General Services warehouse to store election voting booths and ballot boxes. The General Services warehouse is secure and structurally sound. Response (General Services): This recommendation requires further analysis. General Services has met with County Clerk-Recorder/Assessor Marsha Wharff to review the situation and discuss alternatives. We agree that the current storage location at General Services for the ballot boxes and portable voting booths is inadequate in that the ballot boxes are required to be stacked three high and that the metal roof over the storage area needs to be repaired. To resolve that situation, we have agreed to create an adequate and secure storage area for this equipment within the General Services warehouse. The electronic ballot tabulators are currently stored in the Clerk- Recorder/Elections’ designated portion of the new storage facility adjacent to the County Administration Center at 501 Low Gap Road. This area is adequate and secure and convenient to the Elections office, and therefore preferable to the General Services warehouse. There is not additional space available in the new storage facility for all of the elections equipment, and therefore General Services is not able to implement the Grand Jury’s recommendation that all “elections machines” be stored in one secure, structurally sound facility. Instead, as noted above, pursuant to our understanding with the Clerk-Recorder, the equipment will be housed in two separate but secure and structurally sound facilities. The Clerk-Recorder anticipates the delivery of some number of computerized, touch-screen voting “booths” in the near future. Prior to such delivery, General Services and the Clerk-Recorder will collaborate on a plan to ensure that this equipment is adequately and securely warehoused in a location convenient and acceptable to the Clerk-Recorder. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this recommendation in part. The County Clerk/Assessor and Department of (707) 463-4320 General Services have developed a viable proposal for improved storage of election equipment. This proposal would address the issue of protection of equipment from the elements, but would utilize two locations rather than one. This solution is acceptable to the Board.

R3

The Grand Jury recommends that further efforts to address the shortage of adequately skilled employees in the Assessor’s office be undertaken. (Finding 15) Response (County Clerk/Assessor): This recommendation requires further analysis. I have met with the Human Resources Director regarding the shortage of adequately skilled employees in the Assessor’s office as well as desk audits for workers in the Clerk/Assessor’s office to determine the appropriateness of current salaries of these jobs. I believe it is appropriate for Human Resources to perform desk audits and determine the appropriateness of current salaries of these jobs. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this recommendation. The Board notes that the County Clerk/Assessor is currently working with the Human Resource Department on addressing the shortage of adequately skilled employees in the Assessor’s Office. COMMENTS The astute use of technology by the office of the Clerk/Assessor has mitigated the effect of budget cuts that have had such a negative impact on many County agencies. The Grand Jury commends the administration of the office for both the overall efficiency and helpfulness demonstrated in the workplace.

R15

Response (County Clerk/Assessor): This recommendation requires further analysis. I have met with the Human Resources Director regarding the shortage of adequately skilled employees in the Assessor’s office as well as desk audits for workers in the Clerk/Assessor’s office to determine the appropriateness of current salaries of these jobs. I believe it is appropriate for Human Resources to perform desk audits and determine the appropriateness of current salaries of these jobs. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this recommendation. The Board notes that the County Clerk/Assessor is currently working with the Human Resource Department on addressing the shortage of adequately skilled employees in the Assessor’s Office. COMMENTS The astute use of technology by the office of the Clerk/Assessor has mitigated the effect of budget cuts that have had such a negative impact on many County agencies. The Grand Jury commends the administration of the office for both the overall efficiency and helpfulness demonstrated in the workplace.