⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 3 findings
F1
Persistent staff shortages place an undue burden on current DESS employees, but DESS appears to be resolving staffing issues.
F2
The response to the failure to support and fund welfare fraud investigations has been adequate.
F3
The current Grand Jury found it unsettling to hear testimony that an Assistant Director cited in last year’s report continued to harass DESS employees.
Recommendations 23
-
05-04Page 1The Yolo County Board of Supervisors should immediately ensure appropriate funding of the Welfare Fraud Investigations Unit, with budgetary control transferred from DESS to the District Attorney.
-
05-05Page 1The Yolo County Administrative Officer should create an ombudsman position to actively intercede in conflicts between DESS and the Welfare Fraud Investigations Unit to ensure sensitivity, fairness, and unbiased arbitration. A priority function of this individual should be to coordinate joint interpersonal skills training for DESS and Welfare Fraud Investigations Unit staff. Investigator’s Report: The negotiations between the District Attorney’s Office and DESS have been dysfunctional. There are hard feelings and mistrust on both sides. It may be the District Attorney’s Office is not completely acquainted with the complexities of the allocation and claiming system. DESS is skeptical of the District Attorney’s Office welfare fraud investigation staffing needs. The departments use different statistical assumptions and do not appear to understand or appreciate each other’s perspective. Disputes have persisted without resolution for, in many cases, years. As a result of these disputes and other factors, the relationship between DESS management and certain staff and managers of the District Attorney has deteriorated to an unacceptable level and inhibits both agencies from pursuing their joint missions in the best interest of the citizens of Yolo County. Our
-
05-06Page 1The Yolo County Auditor should arrange for fiscal audits of DESS by State and Federal funding agencies. Investigator’s Report: There are no allegations or evidence of personal gain. All the “allegations” stem from efforts to maximize State and Federal reimbursements and minimize General Fund spending. Staff were not directed to change any log or similar document. In the end, it was concluded that only those units delivered to clients could be claimed in the reporting period. Though [time studies are] a complicated issue, we have concluded the allegation is not true. However, absolute certainty on this issue can only be achieved by an unwieldy and expensive audit. The evidence reviewed by us suggests no reason to do that. Auditor-Controller’s Response: Since the State Department of Social Services has oversight, we will transmit to them the complete Grand Jury
-
05-08Page 1Animal Services, the courts, and the District Attorney’s Office should create a process that closes the holes in the collection and enforcement process. A new policy should be generated that reflects follow-up of the court decisions, enforcement of penalties, and collection of fines. Response of the Yolo County Sheriff/Coroner: The Sheriff directed that all communications between Animal Services and dog barking complainants be carefully reviewed. The Animal Services Section has updated its communications practices to ensure that individuals who complain about barking dogs are kept informed of the disposition of their complaints. To establish effective tracking and enforcement of barking dog citations, the Sheriff’s department’s Animal Services Section is working with the Yolo County Superior Court and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, as well as with County Counsel and County Administrative Office to review existing county code to determine if there is a more effective means of tracking and enforcing these types of citations. Response of the Yolo County District Attorney: We have met to accomplish those efficiencies. However, it should be noted that the DA’s office acts only as a consultant in assisting these functions and only by invitation. Response of the Yolo County Traffic Commissioner and Chief of Animal Services: None. The information is included in the Sheriff/Coroner’s response.
-
05-09Page 1Animal Services staff should review mid-year, recently-created training materials to determine effectiveness as well as thoroughness and completeness of the program, and re-write it as necessary. Response of the Yolo County Sheriff/Coroner: The Sheriff will continue to review training materials with staff on an ongoing basis. Yolo County Jails
-
05-10Page 1New construction plans should consider “opening” the physical plant design to include better monitoring capabilities. Correctional staff should be able to observe inmate activity from a distance, rather than only upon entering the pod. Response of the Yolo County Sheriff/Coroner: This recommendation requires further analysis. Expansions at the Monroe Detention Center will include the latest technology available. Those areas that do not provide for the best visibility will not be duplicated in the new construction. To resolve current visibility issues, a security upgrade project is underway which will increase the number of cameras in the facility.
-
05-11Page 1The Sheriff/Coroner and his management team should develop plans, policies, and procedures to establish a Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) to serve as first-responder in the event of an emergency (i.e. inmate riot or hostage situation). Response of the Yolo County Sheriff/Coroner: This will be implemented within 90-120 days of budgetary funding. The Sheriff has authorized the establishment of a SERT and has included funding within his budget request. Staff are working with Solano County Sheriff’s Department staff who have offered assistance in the development and training of such a team. Yolo County Police Departments
-
05-12Page 1The Yolo County Communications Emergency Service Agency (YCCESA) should look into the troubling issue of radio communications in Winters to rectify the reception difficulty as soon as possible. Response of the Executive Director and YCCESA Board: We agree that radio communication in the Winters area is a troubling issue. In September 2004 the YCCESA Board approved a proposal for upgrades to Green Fire (fire dispatch) and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office primary radio systems. Upon successful project completion, the upgrade is expected to improve outbound coverage and to eliminate the need for dispatchers to select a specific transmitter site. Additional radio communications strategies need to be explored cooperatively with YCCESA, the City of Winters, and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office to address additional concerns.
-
05-13Page 1The YCCESA, working with the Winters City Manager and Winters Police Chief, should find a way to add a second channel to the present single-channel radio system so that more than one emergency entity can use the system concurrently. Response of the Executive Director and YCCESA Board: Today and historically the Winters Police and Winters Fire operate on separate radio channels. In February 2005, YCCESA submitted correspondence with APCO to receive an additional six frequencies that are scheduled to be released by the City of Davis and other existing frequencies in the near future. This would allow law and fire agencies more flexibility in channel usage and would help reduce congestion on existing frequencies.
-
05-14Page 1The Winters Police Chief should explore the possibility of using Emergency Preparedness funds to purchase a generator to replace the battery currently used when power outages occur. Response of the Winters Police Chief: A request will be made to fund an emergency generator through the next round of grant funding.
-
05-15Page 1The Winters City Manager must find a way of providing a locked holding cell in the police station. Response of the Winters Police Chief: Due to facility size limitations and Title 15 regulations, it is not practical to provide a locked holding cell at the police department.
-
05-16Page 1The Winters City Manager should explore all possible avenues for improving or replacing the police department’s current physical facility. Response of the Winters Police Chief: The City of Winters is planning to build a new Public Safety facility by the year 2008. The new facility will solve the physical plant issues identified by the Grand Jury. Yolo County Homeland Security Preparedness
-
05-17Page 1A live action training session should be developed within the coming year. The scenario should include law enforcement, fire, and environmental health and other agencies that the Yolo County Office of Emergency (OES) would consider pertinent to the training. Response of the OES Coordinator: OES agrees with the recommendation to conduct a live training session involving multiple disciplines to practice and improve their emergency response capabilities. Two table top exercises were held during the current fiscal year. Yolo Operational Area is also participating in a regional exercise in November 2005. Another medical exercise will be conducted in November for medical and communications staff preparedness. A full scale exercise based on a coordinated multi-discipline, multijurisdictional response to terrorism will be conducted within the next fiscal year.
-
05-18Page 1Law enforcement representatives should attend a medical table top exercise to understand the nature of complexities these organizations are experiencing, and how far along they are in their development stage. Response of the Yolo County Sheriff/Coroner: The Sheriff’s Department agrees that law enforcement representatives should train with the medical community and will work with representatives from those disciplines in future training exercises. Response of the Chief of Police, Woodland: The Woodland Police Department is committed to exercising our skills in order to prepare for disaster or terrorism response and has participated in table top exercises, a full scale tactical response exercise, and three City of Woodland EOC training exercises to prepare for a local response. We will look for the OES to coordinate such an event to maximize the benefit for all involved. We certainly recognize the importance of such training and look to balance these opportunities with our operational demands. Response of the Chief of Police, Davis: The Davis Police Department would be pleased to participate in a medical table top exercise. We feel we could learn a lot about the abilities and limitations of the organizations responsible for providing medical care to our citizens in a crisis. Additionally, we know we can educate the medical community on our abilities and limitations in a critical incident, be it a weapon of mass destruction or a natural disaster.
-
05-19Page 1We encourage the Davis Police Department to develop a permanent liaison position with the U.C. Davis Police Department, to better develop intelligence, promote awareness, and enhance security measures of high-risk facilities on campus. Response of the Chief of Police, Davis: The Davis Police Department sees tremendous value in developing a permanent liaison position with the U.C. Davis Police Department. While staffing and financing are constant struggles for the Davis Police Department, we are working towards creating the recommended position.
-
06-01Page 1The Yolo County Board of Supervisors [YCBOS] and the Yolo County Administrative Officer should evaluate the Director/Health Officer and the Deputy Directors of the Health Department as to their interaction with employees and handling of funding, with the intent of retraining, demoting, or dismissing said individuals. YCBOS’ Response: The recommendation has been partially implemented. Evaluations of the Health Department Director/County Health Officer, deputy directors and other department personnel have been conducted routinely as required by county policy. The Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator have determined that the Health Department Director/County Health Officer and the deputy directors of the department have been evaluated on factors including, among other things, their interaction with employees and handling of funding as appropriate to their job classifications. Pursuant to existing county policy all employees will continue to receive periodic evaluations of their job performance. Evaluations are not done “with the intent” to retrain, demote or dismiss, although those actions may be pursued as a result of an evaluation. Evaluations should be a fair measure of an employee’s performance and not conducted with any predetermined outcome.
-
06-02Page 1The Yolo County Board of Supervisors and the Yolo County Administrative Officer should split the position of Director/Health Officer, returning to the organizational structure that was in effect during 1999-2000 fiscal year. YCBOS’ Response: This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. Yolo County developed the combined functions of Director/Health Officer after significant review and careful analysis. Factors included examination of redundant or overlapping functions, greater structural and budgetary efficiency and qualifications of staff. Yolo County’s combination of functions is not unique. Pursuant to both contract and policy, Yolo County uses eight other counties for purposes of benchmarking salary and other personnel data (Butte, Sutter, Placer, Sacramento, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Solano and Napa). Of the eight comparable counties, four have a structure similar to Yolo County, i.e., combined department head/health officer. The other four counties have a separate health director (non-medical doctor) as department head along with a medical doctor-health officer. We note that organizational structures must be flexible enough to take into account the changing demands of state, federal and professional regulation, including budgetary fluctuations. The reorganization of the department was conducted in response to those factors and may at some point in the future benefit from a different organizational structure. At this time, no structural changes are warranted.
-
06-03Page 1The Yolo County Administrative Officer should hire a Director of Health who has managerial training and experience, one who can successfully articulate and implement a plan for the Unit. YCBOS’ Response: This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The present Health Director/County Health Officer is a well-trained manager in addition to being a nationally recognized public health physician. Dr. Bette Hinton, in addition to six years of management experience with Yolo County, has another eleven years of management experience in Sacramento County as their County Health Officer/Director of Public Health Promotion and Education, supervising 120 employees. Additionally, Dr. Hinton has eight years of management experience as Health Officer/Director of the Monongalia County Health Department (Morgantown, West Virginia). By various measures, the Yolo County Health Department is well-managed. In 2005, the department was one of 39 nationwide to receive the “Model Practice Award” from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). The department has been without audit exception in the WIC (Women, Infant and Children) program for the last nine years. Last year, the California Department of Health formally recognized the fiscal division staff for exemplary performance. The department has also received two California State Association of Counties (CSAC ) Challenge Awards; the first for the Yolo Health Alliance and the most recent for the Pharmacy Patient Assistance program.
-
06-04Page 1The Yolo County Administrative Officer should review the salary structure of the Department of Health with the intention of providing fair, consistent, and reasonable compensation to all employees. YCBOS’ Response: This recommendation has already been implemented. The Board of Supervisors, County Administrator and the Director of Human Resources note that the existing salary structure of Yolo County Health Department positions, as well as all other positions in the County, are studied periodically and benchmarked to market. Countywide salary surveys occur in concert with the collective bargaining process. Almost all Health Department employees enjoy the benefit of strong advocacy by several employee unions, all of which have contractually agreed to present salary provisions. Salary decisions at variance with standard County policy require a review by the Director of Human Resources, the County Administrator or the Board of Supervisors, depending on the action. Reviews are conducted to ensure fairness and consistency in salary administration. The Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator and the Director of Human Resources have been sensitive to recruitment and retention issues in the Health Department that in part, have a relationship to salary. To address this issue, the Human Resources Department, in concert with the Health Department, developed retention differentials for nurses adding up to 15% of salary as a reward for longevity and service. This initiative was recommended by the County Administrator and approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 15, 2005. These two departments are currently working on additional salary and classification changes to enhance nurse retention and recruitment. It should be noted again that there is a severe nationwide nurse shortage.
-
06-05Page 1The Yolo County Administrative Officer should establish some method for employees to air their grievances before an impartial person or committee so that problems with administrators can be identified and resolved without retaliation. YCBOS’ Response: This recommendation has been implemented. There are currently a number of avenues, formal and informal, that employees may use to express concerns in a confidential environment without fear of retaliation. Employees may, by Administrative Policy and County Code, contact the county’s Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Officer in the Human Resources Department, managers both within and without their department, the Director of Human Resources, and/or the County Administrator. As to allegations of “inappropriate management, retaliation and hostility[,]” The county takes seriously any charges of such behavior. Because of these allegations in the Grand Jury’s report, the county secured the services of an independent investigator to receive comments and information from both current and former Health Department employees. The county issued an invitation to all current Health Department employees and all former employees who separated (for any reason) since January 1, 2004. Our own review and the extensive independent investigation failed to establish a “hostile work environment.” The review and investigation show that the vast majority of department employees to be generally satisfied with their working conditions and supportive of department management. Nearly all staff disagreed with the Grand Jury’s
-
06-06Page 1The Yolo County Administrative Officer should establish an impartial group responsible for conducting worker satisfaction surveys, and for distributing only the results to the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrative Officer, the Director of the Unit and the employees of the Unit. Raw data should be held in confidence to prevent retaliation against individuals. YCBOS’ Response: This recommendation will be implemented in fiscal year 2006-07.
-
06-07Page 1The Yolo County Auditor and the Yolo County Administrative Officer should review the budgeting practices of the Health Department with a view to assuring accuracy in reporting and appropriate use of available funds. Auditor-Controller Response: Auditor-Controller and County Administrator’s staff conducted a joint review of the Health Department budgetary practices during the fiscal years 2000-01 through 2004-05. We summarize our
-
06-08Page 1The Yolo County Administrative Officer and the Director of the Department of Human Resources should insure that hiring dates for both current and former employees of the Department of Health are accurate and should create a system that prohibits any inaccuracies in the future. YCBOS’ Response: This recommendation has already been implemented. The hiring dates of both current and former employees are accurate and strong controls are currently in place by the Human Resources Department and the Auditor-Controller’s office to maintain the integrity of the records. When employees are hired, records are created in Human Resources that are held in a permanent file within Human Resources, as well as transmitted to the department and to the Payroll Division of the Auditor-Controller’s office. The hiring of a permanent employee also triggers coverage by the California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS). Allowing an inaccuracy or changing of a hiring date would require approval by Human Resources, the Payroll Division, the department and the employee, and would cause an inquiry by CalPERS. We note also that the county’s Human Resources records are audited by the State Merit Systems agency and payroll records are audited as part of the annual independent audit by the County’s outside audit firm. YCBOS’ Additional Comments: The Board of Supervisors and County Administrator acknowledge the work and community service of the Grand Jury. The
No Responses Found 2
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
County of Yolo
Agency
Yolo County
County