The Grand Jury of Humboldt County

Recommendations 3

• R1

  Page 12
  The Board of Supervisors adopts policy and procedure for annual written job performance evaluations for all department heads who report to the Board of Supervisors. Policy to include that such evaluation is kept as part of the employee’s permanent personnel file.
• R2

  Page 12
  The Board of Supervisors should either conduct regular performance evaluations through a subcommittee of the board or do what is necessary to direct the Chief Administrative Officer to conduct performance evaluations, with the authority necessary to make the process timely and effective. Such direction to include making the evaluations part of the employee’s personnel file. 10
• R3

  Page 13
  Conduct an annual evaluation of the Chief Administrative Officer, at which time goals consistent with the priorities of the board can be established. Grand Jury Report # 2008-AF-03 Office of Emergency Services Who Shall Respond: Pursuant to California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, responses to the Findings and Recommendations of this report shall be provided as follows:  No Response Required Report: The Grand Jury reviewed the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and its role in coordination of services and agencies in the event of disaster. Office of Emergency Services The Office of Emergency Services is located in the basement of the Humboldt County courthouse in Eureka. It houses a complete communications center with emergency power to operate in the event of an electrical outage. The equipment is well organized and maintained although working space is limited and there is no room for expansion. The OES director maintains his office at this location and is responsible for daily operations and the coordination of services in the event of disaster. OES is an arm of the sheriff’s department and the resources of that department are available to OES. The sheriff and the OES director are prepared to mobilize emergency equipment and materials county-wide, as necessary. Assistance includes the provision of trained personnel and equipment and taking the lead in coordinating interagency resources. Request for mutual aid from outside the county, such as from the State Office of Emergency Services, are routed through the county OES. The OES offers training by state and federal personnel to maintain expertise and readiness. This includes specific training in communications protocol and the coordination of emergency services. The Department of Homeland Security previously provided resources to OES, including $250,000 for the purchase of a state-of-the-art emergency van known as the Mobile Command Center. This special communications center is controlled by the Humboldt County Sheriff Special Services Department. Several individuals receive mandatory periodic training in the operation of the command center. The Mobile Command Center is available for use by various agencies including law enforcement, fire departments, and the health department. The mobile unit is equipped to operate in remote areas. Emergency Support Agencies Several public and independent agencies offer valuable service in the event of disaster. Two volunteer agencies, the American Red Cross and the local Ham Radio Operators Club, were visited by jury members. The American Red Cross is a private organization working with individuals, schools, and civic groups. It trains volunteers to prepare for emergencies and provides orientation to individuals responding to disaster. Organizing an effective response, when communications are lost or roads are impassable, requires knowledge, training, and practiced crisis skills. Approximately eighty volunteers have received disaster training and are ready to support OES in times of emergency. The Red Cross stores emergency supplies throughout the county and maintains two mobile units, each equipped with medical supplies and staples. The main office, located at 406 11th Street in Eureka, is also equipped with Ham radio equipment. Current information regarding earthquakes, tsunamis, and other disasters is available at http://humboldtredcross.org. Local Ham radio operators provide a free valuable service in times of disaster. They have operated in Humboldt County since 1947. The Eureka Ham Radio Operators (EHRO) function as a communication center in times of major emergencies. During major emergencies, at least one operator is stationed at the OES center. Ham operators must learn radio theory and pass an exam before they are licensed. There are about eight hundred Ham operators in Humboldt County. For more information about EHRO, visit http://www.humboldt-arc.org. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was a concept developed in Southern California after the Whittier Narrows earthquake. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognized that citizens will have to provide for their own needs during a catastrophic disaster and a need exists for training in survival and rescue skills. In 2003, FEMA directed Homeland Security to make CERT available to communities nationwide. The purpose was to harness the power of individuals through education, training, and volunteer services. Funding from Homeland Security initially went directly to counties. That is no longer the case. CERT is no longer organized in Humboldt County as the state now controls and allocates available funding. The aforementioned organizations work together to insure citizens will be served in the event of natural disaster or other emergencies. Grand Jury Report # 2008-CD-01 Sewer Treatment Systems Who Shall Respond: Pursuant to California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, responses to the Findings and Recommendations of this report shall be provided as follows:  The Sewer District Management of Manila and Shelter Cove shall respond to Finding and Recommendation 1.  The City Managers of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, and Rio Dell shall respond to Finding and Recommendation 1. Report: The Grand Jury studied sewer treatment systems including those serving Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Manila, Rio Dell, and Shelter Cove. The jury discovered a common problem involving Inflow and Infiltration (I & I). The aging infrastructure and I & I are negatively impacting the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of each sewer system. The Grand Jury, in its investigation, concluded the problem exists systemically with all Humboldt County sewer districts. Inflow is the immediate introduction of rainwater into a sewer collection system. Inflow is caused by roof drains and/or storm drains improperly connected to the sewer collection system, or by breaks in main sewer lines allowing rainfall to quickly enter the system. Infiltration is the siphoning of rainwater into the sewer collection system through small cracks or leaks during periods of sustained heavy rainfall. Many older homes have sewer lines constructed of terra cotta tile pipes laid end-to-end. Over time, the grouted joints develop cracks through which water is pulled into the sewer system when the ground is saturated. During winter months, when rainwater and surface run off are at their highest flows, the sewer treatment plants struggle because of I & I. In some systems, the flow can be as much as five times the normal summer rate. Many systems have infrastructure containing sewer lines in excess of fifty years old. Several of the systems studied are so deteriorated that building a new sewer collection grid is the only effective solution. In extreme circumstances involving imminent threats to public health, grant money may be available for infrastructure upgrades. In the absence of grant money, the management is forced to increase user rates to pay for upgrades. The rate increases must also reflect the increasing cost of system operation and maintenance over the useful life of the improvements. Sewer systems are designed to treat wastewater, not excessive amounts of rainwater. Successfully addressing the I & I problem requires long-term planning and on-going efforts. This is not only to mitigate the negative impacts of the I & I, but also to satisfy the state regulatory North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB). In recent years, the NCRWQCB has aggressively enforced regulations. Large fines and moratoriums on new sewer connections, due to water quality violations related to high I & I flow rates, have negative impacts on home construction and business development. Wastewater treatment plants operated by large cities or districts normally have more financial resources available. They can typically afford to hire professional managers and engineering firms for necessary technical assistance involving the ever-growing complexities in operating municipal wastewater systems. Smaller systems have limited resources and are at a disadvantage. Management responsibility often falls on volunteer boards in the community, not paid professionals larger systems can afford. Many of the functional issues facing small districts are the same ones facing larger districts, but the small district cannot always afford to hire adequate staff. As each special district is independently operated, it individually contracts with different engineering firms for technical advice and long-term planning. Consistency in such services is 13 sometimes interrupted by changes in local political will resulting in changes to district leadership. Inconsistency in leadership can be problematic when dealing with the technical aspects of WWTP operation and planning. The Grand Jury received testimony regarding potential benefits of consolidating certain elements of small sewer system management. Joint efforts by cities, special districts and the county are not new. Sewer districts are political subdivisions of the county and have the ability to become part of a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). In the early 1990’s, several small cities, sewer districts, and the county worked toward the establishment of a JPA to manage and operate a centralized sewer sludge compost site. Although those efforts did not come to fruition, the example can be used to facilitate long-term planning to reduce the impact of I & I on our local WWTP's. Economies of scale could be realized by the consolidation of engineering services. Local governing board members could then be free to act in an advisory capacity and not burdened by technical aspects of long-term planning. Further study is needed to determine whether other elements could be similarly consolidated, such as human resources, billing, and customer services. As a possible model, Lake County has a separate department operating many of their special districts, including sewer districts.