San Bernardino County Grand Jury • 2004-2005

County of San Bernardino

Published: July 06, 2005 131 pages

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⚠️ 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.

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, F17, F18, F19, F20, F21, F22, F23, F24, F25, F26, F27, F28, F29, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F35, F36, F37, F38, F39, F40, F41, F42, F43, F44, F45, F46, F47, F48, F49, F50, F51, F52, F53, F54, F55, F56, F57, F58, F59, F60, F61, F62, F63, F64, F65, F66, F67, F68, F69, F70, F71, F72, F73, F74, F75, F76, F77, F78, F79, F80, F81, F82, F83, F84, F85, F86, F87, F88, F89, F90, F91, F92, F93, F94, F95, F96, F97, F98, F99, F100, F101, F102, F103, F104, F105, F106, F107, F108, F109, F110, F111, F112, F113, F114, F115, F116, F117, F118, F119, F120, F121, F122, F123, F124, F125, F126, F127, F128, F129, F130, F131, F132, F133, F134, F135, F136, F137, F138, F139, F140, F141, F142, F143, F144, F145, F146, F147, F148, F149, F150, F151, F152, F153, F154, F155, F156, F157, F158, F159, F160, F161, F162, F163, F164, F165, F166, F167, F168, F169, F170, F171, F172, F173, F174, F175, F176, F177, F178, F179, F180, 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Findings 6 findings

The voter’s name is not on the official roster of voters and the voting official cannot verify eligibility.

A voter has moved within the County, but did not re-register to vote.

Records indicate that the voter requested an absentee ballot and the voter fails to turn in the absentee ballot at the polls.

The voter is a first time Federal Election voter in the County and was unable to provide the required proof of identification. The ROV will count all provisional ballots prior to the declaration of the final and official count of the election. Each polling place in the County had provisional ballots for immediate use. It was reported that various polling places experienced long lines and slow voting due to the large number of voters requiring a provisional ballot. Some voters were at the wrong polling places and were unable to locate their official polling places because of changes of policies by the ROV. Precinct maps were not available at polling places. A large number of new registrations came in at the end of October and keying them into the system was not a priority of the ROV. Over 20,000 new registrations had not been keyed into the system by Election Day. The ROV determined that those voters not registered could go to the polls and vote using the provisional ballot. As a result, each provisional ballot had to be individually opened by hand and researched for authenticity. Checks had to be made on each ballot for duplications of registration, correct address and whether or not the ballot was correctly filled out. Signatures had to be verified and precinct numbers had to be placed on the ballots, which was time consuming. In the 2004 elections there were 44,888 provisional ballots compared to the normal 10,000 ballots. This was due to the priority set by the ROV. Because of the large number of ballots, additional staff was required to process the ballots. Each polling place had only one voter list available, which caused long lines. Voters were unable to determine whether their names appeared on the list without waiting in line to do so. When it was learned that they were at the wrong precinct they were then required to find their actual precinct. The poll workers did not have maps to help the voters locate their proper voting place, or they had to stand in the provisional ballot line to vote.

F1986 Page 32

It allows the transfer of an existing Proposition 13 base year value from a former residence to a replacement residence. This benefit is open to homeowners who are at least 55 years old and meet the requirements outlined in the conditions below. If either spouse is over age 55 or disabled, Proposition 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value within the same county and transfer of the Prop. 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property. Proposition 90 is a State law which allows anyone over age 55 to transfer the value of their property between counties if Prop. 90 is approved by that county’s Board of Supervisors. Only eight counties in the State have opted to adhere to the provisions of Prop. 90. San Bernardino County’s Board of Supervisors has not approved the provisions of Prop. 90. New equipment and software has been acquired by the Assessor’s office that will improve efficiency, accuracy and cost effectiveness of daily operations in the office. The hardware includes 120 new desktop computers, all of which have been deployed and are currently in use. The remainder of the computers are in the process of being distributed and set up. Along with the hardware, the Assessor has purchased a new program, called AES, which deals with comparable sales. This program deals only with the sale of residences, not new construction. Presently, all of the research dealing with comparison values of property must be done manually. The new faster, more accurate program will provide the comparisons automatically. An added benefit is that the same number of workers will be able to handle the growing workload, thus reducing the need to hire more appraisers. The Assessor’s office regularly receives data used for appraisals and assessments from the Recorder’s office. This information must be downloaded and placed into the Assessor’s database. This information includes copies of deeds, ownership records, etc. The establishment of an online, real-time system of sharing this information with these other agencies has been in development and is expected to be completed in the next fiscal year. This would expedite the Assessor’s operations. Such a system would move the department toward its goal of becoming a “paperless” department. The office utilizes the Geographical Information System (GIS) to create Assessor’s parcel maps used in the appraisals and assessments. Overhead high definition imagery from aircraft and satellites would give the department the ability to assess homes throughout the County. An analysis of the workload generated by required audits mandated by State law has shown a requirement for an additional six (6) positions in the Business Division of the Assessor’s office. The plan is to hire lower level staff that can do the routine daily tasks and take the pressure off those State certified auditors qualified to conduct the audits. RECOMMENDATIONS 05-13 PROPOSE TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION 90 INTO THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO. 05-14 THE ASSESSOR EMPLOY THE REQUIRED PERSONNEL IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED AUDITS MANDATED BY STATE LAW. AUDITOR/CONTROLLER-RECORDER AND COUNTY CLERK INTRODUCTION The Auditor/Controller-Recorder and County Clerk is an elected office. The mission of the Auditor/Controller-Recorder (ACR) is to provide superior accounting, auditing and recording services in accordance with legal requirements and professional standards. The Audit/Fiscal Committee looked at four areas within the ACR responsibility and each is addressed separately. CONTROLLER DIVISION ACCOUNTS PAYABLE BACKGROUND The Accounts Payable division audits claims then issues and mails warrants (payments) for legal and valid claims, cancels all outdated (stale) warrants and reissues on request, issues stop payments and verifies reported forgeries on County warrants. The Audit/Fiscal Committee investigated this to determine the length of time for payments to be made. FINDINGS The standard for processing payments is ten business days. Standards are not always met. Staff estimates the standards are met 90 percent of the time. Timeline starts when a form comes in and is time-stamped. When it is paid in the Fiscal Accounting System (FAS), it is again date stamped with an ending date. Each desk does not prioritize work by date stamp to meet timelines. An Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) to an individual’s bank is processed 2 to 3 days after the final date on the documents. The method for assessing the volume of work on an employee’s desk is to use a ruler and measure the width of documents in trays. Attention is paid if the measurement becomes too large. Each desk has a different norm based on the type of work/function performed at that desk. These measurements are included in the Weekly Workload Status Report which is used by the supervisor to give assistance in problem areas. Under the present procedure, it is impossible for a supervisor to come up with a percentage of on-time work using the Weekly Status Report. A complaints log is not maintained in the Accounts Payable Department. Most complaints come in e-mail form, which the supervisor flags. The problem is immediately corrected by the supervisor or directed to the appropriate individual. If the flagged e-mail is not sent back with the corrective action, the supervisor will follow-up at that time to ensure the problem gets resolved. There is no record other than incoming e-mail and subsequent e-mail showing correction. E-mails are not saved. First-line supervision takes all incoming complaints and corrects them. Overtime reports for fiscal years 2003-04, 2002-03 and 2001-02 were not readily available. Overtime is not the first option when Accounts Payable or Data Entry falls behind schedule, as far as processing and posting of payment documents are concerned. At the beginning of the investigation, we were advised that a new accounting system was scheduled for implementation in July 2005. The new system is an on-line system that allows departments to electronically transmit payment requests. The new system will check for errors, thus diminishing, but not eliminating, auditing. However, current information is that the system will not be fully developed until July 2006.

F2003 Page 37

Needed startup procedures, staff turnover and mandated audits caused performance audits to not fully begin until fiscal year 2003-2004. Six performance audits were started during July, 2003-June, 2004. As of November 4, 2005, the reports had not yet been issued. The Auditor will continue to increase the number of performance audits over time to meet the goals set in the Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan, as resources allow. The plan has not been fully implemented. The significant number of mandated audits impacts the ability to conduct periodic performance audits. RECOMMENDATION 05-22 IMPLEMENT THE RISK-BASED INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN IN A MORE TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER RECORDER DIVISION RECORDS MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND The ACR was given responsibility for the Records Management Program on July 1, 2001. In 2001 the County Administrative Office (CAO) did a survey of 33 departments on document retention and found there are 57 different off-site storage areas, with no particular safety or security measures. Each individual department negotiates their own storage contract; therefore the ACR office does not know the location of these facilities. The locations where ACR stores records are: Hall of Records, 222 West Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino; Records Management Center and Central Stores, 777 East Rialto Avenue, San Bernardino; Iron Mountain, 13379 Jurupa Avenue, Fontana. FINDINGS A consultant was contracted at a cost of $74,000 to help ACR employees develop a retention schedule and records management policy for all County departments. The ACR retention schedule is complete. The Treasurer/Tax Collector and the District Attorney have begun to develop their retention schedules. The next two departments to develop their retention schedules will be Human Resources and Information Services. Each department has to determine how long, for what reason and to what extent documents are to be retained. Documents prior to 1992 are now scheduled to be shredded. The County maintains documents and records from as far back as 1853. Original documents from the formation of the County are maintained. Documents that relate to legal obligations and/or custodial issues are required to be maintained. There is no current electronic technology that produces records of archival quality. There are boxes of stored documents in a warehouse on Rialto Avenue. There are plans to move the Archives to a more secure location. Approval from the CAO is needed to move Archives to a different area/building. This will open up approximately 5,000 square feet in the warehouse. The consultant is knowledgeable of all requirements for retention and/or destruction. After the consultant makes recommendations, software systems can be studied. The CAO is requiring each department designate a lead person for records management. The consultant, along with two designated ACR employees, will assist departments with training on records management responsibilities. The two ACR employees have been assigned this project in addition to their regular job duties and are not dedicated to only records management. A new records retention center is needed for the ACR, but a site for that facility has not been selected. The ACR is conducting an assessment of the existing Records Management storage facilities. This will determine if the space requires remodeling or if new construction will be required. The Auditor stated the department is in the initial stages of a lengthy project. To fully implement the project, a building, software, personnel and funding are required. Each County department requires training in records management. The task of Records Management has been a low priority for departments, so it is a challenge for the ACR to change the mind-set of each department. This low priority has caused delays in implementation.

Recommendations 99

R05-01

CREATE AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ALL HIRING PRACTICES BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
R05-02

CONSTRUCT A NEW JAIL FACILITY IN APPLE VALLEY WHILE THE CURRENT INTEREST RATES ARE AT A LOW LEVEL, TO ENSURE ADEQUATE JAIL SPACE.
R05-03

ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE A “NO GIFT POLICY” FOR COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES. COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER BACKGROUND The County Administrative Officer (CAO) is appointed by the Board of Supervisors to implement Board decisions and manage the business of County government. The CAO’s job is to manage the day-to-day affairs of the County and implement the policies and decisions of the Board of Supervisors (BOS). Nearly 40 departments work under the supervision of the CAO, which provide approximately $2.8 billion worth of services to the 1.7 million residents of San Bernardino County. The CAO prepares budget and operational recommendations for the Board of Supervisors, monitors and controls Countywide expenditures, analyzes and advocates legislation, coordinates capital improvement projects and debts, assesses leasing and space management, performs demographic and geographic research, and monitors city redevelopment activities to ensure legal conformance and mitigate negative impact on County resources. The CAO provides central coordination for the County’s strategic planning and performance measurement efforts, coordinates emergency preparedness activities and cost recovery efforts following major emergencies and disasters, administers insurance management programs, addresses unincorporated area issues, collaborates with departments to deliver exceptional service to children and their families. The CAO coordinates centralized workplace programs and initiates and promotes activities which provide information about the County to the public. The CAO makes such studies and investigations as the administrator believes necessary or desirable and makes any study or investigations the BOS requests. All County officers and departments assist in the preparation of such studies as directed by the CAO. Before the Board makes any administrative appointment to a County office, department or institution, the CAO recommends one or more qualified persons for the position. The administrator may recommend that the BOS suspend or remove any person holding an administrative position in cases where the Board has powers to appoint and remove. The CAO’s responsibilities are enormous as they relate to the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations. After 15 years of unstable leadership and questionable management, the Board of Supervisors appointed the current CAO to take charge of its administrative offices, operations, budget ($2.8 billion) and 18,000 employees. FINDINGS The frequent turnover in top administrators prompted the Grand Jury to review all new operational policies and procedures. The Grand Jury was interested in finding out what was being done to restore credibility to San Bernardino County. Immediately, the Grand Jury found that the Coroner was unable to meet the challenges of the Labor Day weekend (September 2004), which resulted in overcrowding and stacking of bodies. The Coroner did not implement several recommendations of previous Grand Juries, which contributed to the merging of the Coroner’s office with the Sheriff’s Department. This was followed by the requested resignation of the directors of the Behavioral Health Department and the Architecture and Engineering Department. The CAO then requested and received the resignation of the Registrar of Voters. The relationship between the Human Resources Director and the president of the Sheriff’s Employees Benefit Association added to the continuing scandals of the County. The disclosure of having improper relations during negotiations of a new contract between the County and Sheriff’s employees created the possibility of a conflict of interest. The Grand Jury believes that this may have had a major impact on the County’s budget. The CAO asked for the resignation of the Director of Human Resources. Later, the CAO requested the Public Defender resign. The term “error in judgment” is prevalent in the reasons given by the administration for all of these resignations. The CAO is making every effort to change the image of the County. With the recent resignations of several major departmental personnel, it reflects the CAO’s strong commitment to reflect a positive influence in the County. It will take a long time for everyone to begin to change and follow County policy and regulations. It is the perception of “business continues as usual” that must be eliminated in order to restore sound government. The CAO has proposed to implement a “customer service” workshop for all County employees. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-04

THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WORK TO RESTORE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY TO THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO.
R05-05

THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER PREPARE AN “ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT” TO BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR. 6
R05-06

MONITOR “CUSTOMER SERVICE” THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY BY SOME INSTRUMENT TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER BACKGROUND The Public Information Officer (PIO) reports directly to the County Administrative Officer (CAO) and works closely with the Board of Supervisors (BOS) and County departments in the dissemination of County information. The job of the PIO is to promote public understanding of County goals, programs, policies and services. The PIO acts as a spokesperson for the County and arranges press conferences, tours and County dedications. FINDINGS The Public Information Officer provides journalistic services to the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrative Office. The PIO communicates with the media about matters of special concern to the Board and the CAO. If requested, the PIO will provide these same services to other County departments and special districts. Several County departments have their own Public Information divisions and do not require the assistance of the County PIO. There is no current coordination of these services and media contact at the County level. There are no formal scheduled meetings with the Board of Supervisors to discuss public information. The Public Information Officer has no assigned staff. A secretary will occasionally assist in event planning and answers the telephone when the PIO is out of the office. Typing, newspaper clipping and Internet research are clerical tasks that are currently performed by the PIO. A majority of the work time is consumed with responding to media inquiries. A goal of the office is to provide more direct communication with the public through mailings, newsletters, County brochures, radio and local cable television. There is a County newsletter, The Straight Arrow, which is offered on the County webpage; the last publication available online is May, 2004. Local newspapers are the primary source of getting the County message out. A second goal is to establish a toll free telephone number for citizen use. This number would be a link for the public to get timely and 7 accurate information on County services. This would be of particular help to those who reside a long distance from San Bernardino. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-07

THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS IN OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO COORDINATE THE COUNTY MESSAGE.
R05-08

ASSIGN A PERMANENT FULL-TIME CLERK TO ASSIST IN THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC.
R05-09

INCREASE EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH ALL COUNTY CITIZENS REGARDING COUNTY ISSUES AND CONCERNS. HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND The Human Resources Department (HRD) has 209 employees of the more than 16,000 San Bernardino County employees. The HRD is engaged in adjusting and updating its personnel hiring practices with classified staffing, and rebuilding its leadership teams. HRD is developing avenues to reestablish employee trust, refine hiring procedures and working with the union to finalize the collective bargaining agreements. The recent changes in leadership at the Human Resources Department initiated the Grand Jury’s review of the department. Discussion with the new leadership of HRD included inquiry relating to ongoing competitive hiring practices, vacancy rates and also who the ultimate decision makers were in the hiring and release of County personnel. FINDINGS The Human Resources Department indicated a big improvement was made in the competitive processes in hiring individuals. Standard procedural rules govern the hiring of classified service employees. Non-classified employees are governed by department requirements. It was stated that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) is the ultimate decision maker in the hiring and release of County employees. The HRD can make recommendations on discipline of employees, but those decisions can be challenged and/or taken to a higher level. The HRD provides a modified process for those individual’s slated for employment in the BOS office because Board staff is considered unclassified, pursuant to the County Personnel Rules. Those particular employees have to qualify for the job, but are not required to go through the entire HRD hiring processes. The Fair Labor Standards Act is applied to all personnel hired, with the exception of exempt employees. Exempt employees are those hired by the BOS and other elected officials of the County. Each department develops a background protocol based upon the scope of work assigned to their employees. Some classifications require a more thorough background assessment than others. The Sheriff’s Department, for example, has staff dedicated to conducting rigorous checks of all applicants for safety positions and a less rigorous check of civilian employees. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) employees have different background check procedures that meet hospital mandates on employee accreditation. Other departments have different levels of checks dependent upon whether the employee handles legal documents, cash, or highly confidential information. In the area of employee reclassification, a clear policy on procedures is adhered to. In case of significant changes in an individuals or job classifications duties and responsibilities, the change must receive approval from the BOS. The process or procedure for soliciting persons for employment in a particular department warrants that the department provides HRD with the minimum qualifications candidates must possess. HRD starts the application process and proceeds to post the job, take applications, determine qualifications, test applicants and establish eligibility lists. The exam or tests applicants are administered help establish a list of the 10 top candidates. The candidates’ names are then listed in alphabetical order and sent to the requesting department for interview and final selection. According to Federal and State Civil Service procedures, five candidates are referred in the hiring process. Rules regarding the examination processes used by HRD are included in the County Personnel Rules. Periodic changes to the rules are negotiated with the recognized employee associations, reviewed by the County’s Civil Service Commission, and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Depending on classification, employees have a probationary period of six to nine months, with most benefits becoming effective after two weeks of employment. Sick leave and vacation leave accrual begin immediately upon hiring, but cannot be used until probation is completed. All County employee benefits are negotiated by collective bargaining agreements. HRD believes giving employee benefits up front is a good recruitment tool. When an employee leaves or retires from County employment, unused vacation and sick leave hours are paid. The sick leave hours are determined on a pro-rated basis depending on years of service. HRD stated it posts an average of 275 eligibility lists per month in a 12-month period. Each list is used to fill a vacant position(s). The number of vacancies for the 12- month period March 2003 to March 2004 was approximately 3,300 positions. Vacancies occur for several reasons such as employee promotions, lateral transfers and terminations. The actual total cost for lateral changes, transfers and new employment is unknown. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.6 percent of the American work force left their jobs in 2004. The most recent figure in January 2005 indicates the number has risen to 1.9 percent. Recent studies from the Angott Search Group estimate turnover costs range from a conservative 30 percent of annual salary plus benefits, to as much as 150 percent of a worker’s yearly pay. Vacancies are advertised on an as needed basis. Specialized positions require more targeted advertising in professional websites and publications. Other positions can be readily filled through County website postings. Departments are billed for advertising for positions in their departments. As employees leave a particular department, each 10 individual department, at its discretion, conducts an exit interview with those employees. Recent studies show that retaining workers is going to get tougher for employers. Employees are looking for better opportunities and better working conditions. Employees are also interested in child care and other workplace perks. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-10

ALL EMPLOYEES HIRED BY THE COUNTY, WHETHER THE POSITION IS UNDER A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT OR AN EXEMPT POSITION, SHOULD GO THROUGH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT’S REGULAR HIRING PROCESS.
R05-11

THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REVIEW THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF REFERRING TEN (10) INDIVIDUALS TO DEPARTMENTS FOR EACH JOB INTERVIEW, AS IT RELATES TO TIME AND COST.
R05-12

THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND DETERMINE THE REASONS FOR SUCH A HIGH TURNOVER RATE AND THE ACTUAL COST TO PROCESS AND HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES. INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT GRAND JURY WEBPAGE www.sbcounty.gov/grandjury BACKGROUND The Information Services Department (ISD) provides various communication and information technology services to all County departments and special districts. The department maintains a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week computer operations and systems support help desk. The department is on the cutting edge of introduction and implementation of new technologies including: Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Storage Area Network, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and fiber optics. ISD is responsible for the administration of the WAN/LAN for the County and the maintenance of the County’s website. Upon request, the ISD will create a webpage to be included on the County website. FINDINGS In the past, citizens had to call the Grand Jury office to request Grand Jury volunteer applications, complaint forms, copies of the Grand Jury report, courthouse location and any other information concerning the Grand Jury. The 2004-2005 Grand Jury requested ISD create a webpage to be incorporated into the County website to provide better and immediate communication with the public. The ISD worked with the Grand Jury and the Grand Jury Assistant to ensure all requested details of the page were included. Content was directed by the Grand Jury and the graphic design and layout were developed by ISD. The coordinated effort produced an effective webpage for the Grand Jury. COMMENDATION THE 2004-2005 GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE COOPERATION AND PROFESSIONALISM OF THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GRAND JURY WEBPAGE EXCEEDED THE GRAND JURY’S REQUESTS. 12 (cid:36)(cid:56)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:18)(cid:41)(cid:44)(cid:54)(cid:38)(cid:36)(cid:47)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:55)(cid:40)(cid:40) (cid:47)(cid:72)(cid:73)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:29)(cid:3) (cid:49)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:37)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:87)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:36)(cid:93)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:47)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:42)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:38)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:12)(cid:15) (cid:3) (cid:3) (cid:3) (cid:46)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:47)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:47)(cid:72)(cid:76)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:75)(cid:68) (cid:36)(cid:56)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:18)(cid:41)(cid:44)(cid:54)(cid:38)(cid:36)(cid:47)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:55)(cid:40)(cid:40) (cid:36)(cid:56)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:18)(cid:41)(cid:44)(cid:54)(cid:38)(cid:36)(cid:47)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:55)(cid:40)(cid:40) (cid:36)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:85) (cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:20)(cid:23) (cid:36)(cid:88)(cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:18)(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:16)(cid:53)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:20)(cid:26) AUDIT/FISCAL COMMITTEE The Audit/Fiscal Committee reviewed the operations and functions of the following County departments: Assessor Auditor/Controller-Recorder Treasurer-Tax Collector The Audit/Fiscal Committee appointed one subcommittee for the Assessor. The full committee was used on reviews and investigations of other departments. No contract audit was requested. There were no significant findings or recommendations for the office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Included in this report are the findings and recommendations of the Audit/Fiscal Committee. ASSESSOR BACKGROUND The Assessor determines the current assessed value of vacant land, improved real estate, business property and certain manufactured homes, boats and aircraft for property tax purposes. The Assessor has nine (9) district offices for the convenience of the citizens of San Bernardino County. Offices are located in Barstow, Big Bear, Fontana, Needles, Ontario, San Bernardino, Twin Peaks, Victorville and Yucca Valley. At the present time the Assessor is interested in adding a tenth district office in Rancho Cucamonga. The Assessor is committed to providing various services that help provide information and good will, including a website on the Internet. The department also uses newspapers, seminars, tours, help week and speeches to schools, service organizations and local businesses to promote the department. Assessor personnel provide assistance in tax exemptions, exclusion relief and reappraisals. The department uses the Assistant Assessor as the information services/public information person. Grand Jurors met with the Assessor and his key staff to review current assessment processes and inquire into the integration of new computers and state-of-the-art software appraisal/assessment activities. FINDINGS Based upon Proposition 13 passed by the voters in June 1978, the Assessor is required to appraise real property as of the date of the change in ownership or as of the date of completion of any new construction. The property will be assessed on the basis of the new valuation. The assessed value then may only be increased each year by an inflationary rate not to exceed two percent (2%) per year unless there has been new construction or a change in ownership. The maximum amount of property tax cannot exceed one percent (1%) of the property’s appraised value, plus any bonded indebtedness or fees as approved by the voters, and special assessments fees approved by governing bodies. When a change in ownership occurs, the Assessor receives a copy of the deed and determines if an appraisal is required under State law. If it is required, an appraisal is made to determine the current assessed value of the property. The property owner is then notified of the new assessment and has the right to discuss the new value with the Assessor and/or appeal the value through the appeals process. Proposition 60 was a constitutional amendment approved by California voters in 1986. It allows the transfer of an existing Proposition 13 base year value from a former residence to a replacement residence. This benefit is open to homeowners who are at least 55 years old and meet the requirements outlined in the conditions below. If either spouse is over age 55 or disabled, Proposition 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value within the same county and transfer of the Prop. 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property. Proposition 90 is a State law which allows anyone over age 55 to transfer the value of their property between counties if Prop. 90 is approved by that county’s Board of Supervisors. Only eight counties in the State have opted to adhere to the provisions of Prop. 90. San Bernardino County’s Board of Supervisors has not approved the provisions of Prop. 90. New equipment and software has been acquired by the Assessor’s office that will improve efficiency, accuracy and cost effectiveness of daily operations in the office. The hardware includes 120 new desktop computers, all of which have been deployed and are currently in use. The remainder of the computers are in the process of being distributed and set up. Along with the hardware, the Assessor has purchased a new program, called AES, which deals with comparable sales. This program deals only with the sale of residences, not new construction. Presently, all of the research dealing with comparison values of property must be done manually. The new faster, more accurate program will provide the comparisons automatically. An added benefit is that the same number of workers will be able to handle the growing workload, thus reducing the need to hire more appraisers. The Assessor’s office regularly receives data used for appraisals and assessments from the Recorder’s office. This information must be downloaded and placed into the Assessor’s database. This information includes copies of deeds, ownership records, etc. The establishment of an online, real-time system of sharing this information with these other agencies has been in development and is expected to be completed in the next fiscal year. This would expedite the Assessor’s operations. Such a system would move the department toward its goal of becoming a “paperless” department. The office utilizes the Geographical Information System (GIS) to create Assessor’s parcel maps used in the appraisals and assessments. Overhead high definition imagery from aircraft and satellites would give the department the ability to assess homes throughout the County. An analysis of the workload generated by required audits mandated by State law has shown a requirement for an additional six (6) positions in the Business Division of the Assessor’s office. The plan is to hire lower level staff that can do the routine daily tasks and take the pressure off those State certified auditors qualified to conduct the audits. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-13

PROPOSE TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION 90 INTO THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO.
R05-14

THE ASSESSOR EMPLOY THE REQUIRED PERSONNEL IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED AUDITS MANDATED BY STATE LAW. AUDITOR/CONTROLLER-RECORDER AND COUNTY CLERK INTRODUCTION The Auditor/Controller-Recorder and County Clerk is an elected office. The mission of the Auditor/Controller-Recorder (ACR) is to provide superior accounting, auditing and recording services in accordance with legal requirements and professional standards. The Audit/Fiscal Committee looked at four areas within the ACR responsibility and each is addressed separately. CONTROLLER DIVISION ACCOUNTS PAYABLE BACKGROUND The Accounts Payable division audits claims then issues and mails warrants (payments) for legal and valid claims, cancels all outdated (stale) warrants and reissues on request, issues stop payments and verifies reported forgeries on County warrants. The Audit/Fiscal Committee investigated this to determine the length of time for payments to be made. FINDINGS The standard for processing payments is ten business days. Standards are not always met. Staff estimates the standards are met 90 percent of the time. Timeline starts when a form comes in and is time-stamped. When it is paid in the Fiscal Accounting System (FAS), it is again date stamped with an ending date. Each desk does not prioritize work by date stamp to meet timelines. An Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) to an individual’s bank is processed 2 to 3 days after the final date on the documents. The method for assessing the volume of work on an employee’s desk is to use a ruler and measure the width of documents in trays. Attention is paid if the measurement becomes too large. Each desk has a different norm based on the type of work/function performed at that desk. These measurements are included in the Weekly Workload Status Report which is used by the supervisor to give assistance in problem areas. Under the present procedure, it is impossible for a supervisor to come up with a percentage of on-time work using the Weekly Status Report. A complaints log is not maintained in the Accounts Payable Department. Most complaints come in e-mail form, which the supervisor flags. The problem is immediately corrected by the supervisor or directed to the appropriate individual. If the flagged e-mail is not sent back with the corrective action, the supervisor will follow-up at that time to ensure the problem gets resolved. There is no record other than incoming e-mail and subsequent e-mail showing correction. E-mails are not saved. First-line supervision takes all incoming complaints and corrects them. Overtime reports for fiscal years 2003-04, 2002-03 and 2001-02 were not readily available. Overtime is not the first option when Accounts Payable or Data Entry falls behind schedule, as far as processing and posting of payment documents are concerned. At the beginning of the investigation, we were advised that a new accounting system was scheduled for implementation in July 2005. The new system is an on-line system that allows departments to electronically transmit payment requests. The new system will check for errors, thus diminishing, but not eliminating, auditing. However, current information is that the system will not be fully developed until July 2006. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-15

USE DATE STAMPS TO DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE OF ON-TIME WORK FOR EACH EMPLOYEE TO BETTER IDENTIFY THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT MEETING STANDARDS AND NEED ASSISTANCE.
R05-16

RECORD THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS BEING DATE STAMPED TO ASCERTAIN THE VOLUME OF WORK RECEIVED ON A GIVEN DAY. RECORD THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS GIVEN TO EACH DESK TO PROCESS.
R05-17

AT THE END OF EACH WORK DAY, MOVE DOCUMENTS NOT PROCESSED WITHIN TIMELINES TO A FIRST-TO-BE-PROCESSED AREA FOR THE NEXT DAY’S WORK.
R05-18

MAINTAIN A LOG OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS WHICH WOULD INCLUDE RESOLUTIONS AND PERTINENT INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY REPEAT PROBLEM AREAS.
R05-19

MAINTAIN ACCURATE, TIMELY REPORTS ON THE USE OF OVERTIME IN ORDER TO BUDGET CORRECTLY FOR KNOWN PERIODS OF HIGH VOLUME. DATA ENTRY BACKGROUND Data Entry keypunches all transactions and transmits all keyed batches to Information Services. The Audit/Fiscal Committee reviewed this unit after discovering ties to timelines for Accounts Payable. FINDINGS There are five Data Entry employees. Each employee processes 30 to 40 batches per day; each batch contains ten (10) documents. Employees’ type input from the first page of documents, saving them from searching through a packet. At the beginning of the day each employee takes five (5) batches from the bins for input. When completed, those batches are returned and the employee takes five (5) batches to verify. This is done by actually inputting all data as if it had not been input previously. This is how mistakes are caught. No employee inputs and verifies the same batch, allowing for double-checking. A log of batches is maintained. The speed of data entry is based on key strokes which are counted by the computer software. A report is generated once a month which shows key strokes and errors. In March 2004 employees began using a Windows based program. This has reduced the speed of data entry; prior speed levels have not yet been attained. The speed measurements are frozen at this time until learning the new program is completed. Employees earn higher compensation for being above the minimum key strokes expected. Completed batches are transmitted into FAS (Fiscal Accounting System) overnight, between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. Occasionally a payment will reject due to discrepancies during the FAS nightly run. The documents will be pulled and the discrepancy corrected and reprocessed. When the daily batches are complete and transmitted, they are date stamped and stored in appropriate boxes and kept in Data Entry for two months. Then the boxes are taken to a downstairs storage area and remain there for up to three years. The boxes are then taken offsite to be stored until destruction, which is normally another two years. “A new accounting system is in the building”, with a revised implementation goal of mid-2006. The new on-line system allows departments to access the system and electronically transmit payment requests. There are some departments, such as small special districts, that may not have the computers/technology to access the system and will continue submitting the payment requests the old way. Power outages in the ACR building are an ongoing problem, especially in the summer. When a lengthy outage occurs, batteries can no longer sustain the building’s needs. The ACR is looking into having generators installed for back-up. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-20

EVALUATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEES ONCE THE NEW ACCOUNTING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED.
R05-21

ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR BACK-UP GENERATORS. AUDITOR DIVISION INTERNAL AUDITS BACKGROUND The Internal Audits Division of the ACR performs operational and financial audits of departments, offices, agencies and special districts. It provides management with objective appraisals as to the status of operations of the audited organizations. It evaluates internal controls and assesses business risks. FINDINGS A list of audits completed by the Internal Audits Division and external auditors for fiscal years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 was provided to the Grand Jury. These lists are based on the issue dates of the reports and not the audit period. An example is the audit reports issued by the external auditors on December 15, 2003 are for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003. The reports for school district audits started in fiscal year 2003- 2004 will not be issued until fiscal year 2004-2005. The Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan was submitted to the Board of Supervisors in February of 2003. The plan had performance audits projected to start in fiscal year 2002- 2003. Needed startup procedures, staff turnover and mandated audits caused performance audits to not fully begin until fiscal year 2003-2004. Six performance audits were started during July, 2003-June, 2004. As of November 4, 2005, the reports had not yet been issued. The Auditor will continue to increase the number of performance audits over time to meet the goals set in the Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan, as resources allow. The plan has not been fully implemented. The significant number of mandated audits impacts the ability to conduct periodic performance audits. RECOMMENDATION
R05-22

IMPLEMENT THE RISK-BASED INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN IN A MORE TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER RECORDER DIVISION RECORDS MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND The ACR was given responsibility for the Records Management Program on July 1, 2001. In 2001 the County Administrative Office (CAO) did a survey of 33 departments on document retention and found there are 57 different off-site storage areas, with no particular safety or security measures. Each individual department negotiates their own storage contract; therefore the ACR office does not know the location of these facilities. The locations where ACR stores records are: Hall of Records, 222 West Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino; Records Management Center and Central Stores, 777 East Rialto Avenue, San Bernardino; Iron Mountain, 13379 Jurupa Avenue, Fontana. FINDINGS A consultant was contracted at a cost of $74,000 to help ACR employees develop a retention schedule and records management policy for all County departments. The ACR retention schedule is complete. The Treasurer/Tax Collector and the District Attorney have begun to develop their retention schedules. The next two departments to develop their retention schedules will be Human Resources and Information Services. Each department has to determine how long, for what reason and to what extent documents are to be retained. Documents prior to 1992 are now scheduled to be shredded. The County maintains documents and records from as far back as 1853. Original documents from the formation of the County are maintained. Documents that relate to legal obligations and/or custodial issues are required to be maintained. There is no current electronic technology that produces records of archival quality. There are boxes of stored documents in a warehouse on Rialto Avenue. There are plans to move the Archives to a more secure location. Approval from the CAO is needed to move Archives to a different area/building. This will open up approximately 5,000 square feet in the warehouse. The consultant is knowledgeable of all requirements for retention and/or destruction. After the consultant makes recommendations, software systems can be studied. The CAO is requiring each department designate a lead person for records management. The consultant, along with two designated ACR employees, will assist departments with training on records management responsibilities. The two ACR employees have been assigned this project in addition to their regular job duties and are not dedicated to only records management. A new records retention center is needed for the ACR, but a site for that facility has not been selected. The ACR is conducting an assessment of the existing Records Management storage facilities. This will determine if the space requires remodeling or if new construction will be required. The Auditor stated the department is in the initial stages of a lengthy project. To fully implement the project, a building, software, personnel and funding are required. Each County department requires training in records management. The task of Records Management has been a low priority for departments, so it is a challenge for the ACR to change the mind-set of each department. This low priority has caused delays in implementation. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-23

THE AUDITOR/CONTROLLER-RECORDER APPOINT TWO FULL-TIME STAFF DEDICATED TO IMPLEMENTING THE COUNTY RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
R05-24

EXPEDITE A DECISION ON A CENTRAL RECORDS RETENTION CENTER.
R05-25

ACCELERATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. 22 (cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:51)(cid:47)(cid:36)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:55)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:55)(cid:40)(cid:40) (cid:47)(cid:72)(cid:73)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:29)(cid:3)(cid:3)(cid:3) (cid:45)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:78)(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:38)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:12)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:47)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:42)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:74)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:57)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:40)(cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:69)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:15)(cid:3) (cid:3) (cid:3) (cid:3) (cid:37)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:37)(cid:85)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:37)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:78)(cid:86) (cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:51)(cid:47)(cid:36)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:55)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:44)(cid:55)(cid:55)(cid:40)(cid:40)
R05-26

THE COUNTY RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT REVIEW THE METHOD CURRENTLY BEING USED TO DETERMINE INSURANCE COSTS TO THE AIRPORTS. ADJUST THE RATE AND CHARGE THE AIRPORT A FAIR PREMIUM BASED ON ACTUAL REPLACEMENT COSTS. APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT (APV) Apple Valley Airport is owned by County Service Area 60. CSA 60 provides a tax base for the airport’s operations and contributes in excess of $500,000 annually for capital improvements. CSA 60 is an area approximately the size of the state of Rhode Island and includes the towns of Apple Valley, Adelanto, Hesperia and Victorville as well as portions of the unincorporated desert area. While CSA 60 owns the airport, it is located within the town limits of Apple Valley and is governed by the Board of Supervisors. Regarding the Town of Apple Valley and its desire to acquire the airport for its own use, it has not been clearly shown that some of the approved economic development is in the best interest of the airport. The transfer of the airport’s ownership from the CSA to the Town would create financial burdens for the airport and create major changes in the operations of the airport. It will cause serious employment changes to the current staff because the funding is now done with the CSA 60 funds that will be lost. This also means that the employees would not be able to continue as County employees, thus causing major benefit deficits. There is evidence of great pride in the present “airport team” organization. The on-again/off-again negotiations to acquire the airport only promote instability in the daily lives of the employees and hinder the filling of the vacant airport manager position. This uncertainty has the potential to affect employee morale as well as career status. There have been some serious flaws in the ability to understand how to develop the properties adjacent to the airport. For example, the Apple Valley Town Council approved a heavy lift helicopter facility just a few miles off the north end of the main runway. This facility is directly in the path of the only FAA approved instrument approach to the airport. The Airports Department was not consulted nor advised or notified when the Council held its meeting to approve the location of this facility. The airport has two usable runways. The main north-south runway is 6,500 feet in length and can easily handle large corporate jets. The crosswind runway (4,100’) runs east-west at the base of the main runway and is primarily used when light aircraft are unable to use the main runway due to high crosswinds. The only instrument approach to the airport is at the north end of the main runway. The airport has a large amount of recreational and sports aviation activity. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is very active and has many home-built aircraft based at the airport as well as many “on-site” aircraft being built. Aerobatic flying is a major recreational activity and nearby there is a designated area that is FAA-certified specifically for aerobatics. The area is west of and not a part of the airport. There are several tenants that are part of the economic development of the airport. One of the major tenants is Midfield Aviation Company (MAC). MAC leases property and in turn provides services to the flying public. MAC also leases/rents hangar space and has tie-down spaces available for rent. MAC does maintenance on aircraft and has a training program to teach flying. The County leases space to other flying services in competition with Midfield Aviation. The County also has its own portable hangars and tie-downs as well as permanent structures for lease. In addition, the County has full-hangars for lease or rent for executive jets. The County has a fuel island that provides both aviation gas and jet fuel. Aztec Aviation manages the gas sales. The County’s operations provide competition for Midfield Aviation. The north-south runway is in need of a “run up area” to allow aircraft to get off the taxiway as soon as possible. With the increase in business in the surrounding cities, more corporate jets are bringing more company executives to the area. Therefore, an area for the parking of corporate jets is needed, which would allow jet blast to be diverted away from the smaller aircraft parked in the area. At the present time the County is building a facility that will house CHP offices, helicopters and fixed aircraft hangars. The County Sheriff helicopters will also use this facility. With regard to plans for further development at the airport, parcels of land were observed adjacent to the ramp area and taxiways that are ideal for new hangars, executive aircraft facilities and potential aircraft maintenance operations. There has been more interest shown lately in APV because of the increased development in the area and congestion at other airports in the San Bernardino Valley. If Rialto Airport closes, APV may benefit from some of its displaced aviation related businesses, activities and tenants. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-27

IMMEDIATELY HIRE AN AIRPORT MANAGER AT APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY’S EFFORTS TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPORT.
R05-28

APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT WORK WITH THE FAA AND THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY TO RELOCATE THE HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER FACILITY TO ELIMINATE THE SERIOUS HAZARD IN THE ONLY INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT.
R05-29

IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY AND ITS LAND USE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO PREVENT CONSTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AND STRUCTURES IN THE LANDING APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT.
R05-30

APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT FUND A “RUN-UP AREA” TO THEIR MAIN RUNWAY IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT AND KEEP TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS CLEAR.
R05-31

APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT PROVIDE AN AREA WHERE CORPORATE JETS WOULD BE ABLE TO PARK AND LEAVE WITHOUT CAUSING PROBLEMS DUE TO THEIR “JET BLAST”. CHINO AIRPORT (CNO) Chino Airport is owned by San Bernardino County. Its revenue is generated by its leases, rentals, and percentages of sales by some tenants. All income made at the airport is spent on the County Airports system. Any profit goes back into the Airports system and no money is budgeted from the General Fund of San Bernardino County. If the whole process of running the County airports just breaks even, then this is considered a successful support of the transportation system. Chino Airport was formerly a base run by Cal Aero Academy to train pilots during WWII. It consists of 1,100 acres and is now located within the city limits of Chino. Many of the buildings are World War II vintage, but are serviceable. The airport has more than 400 leases and is home to more than 1,000 aircraft. There is constant construction at the airport. Tenants sign long-term leases with the County and build hangars and offices to meet their needs. Once the lease is concluded, the building and the property revert to the County. The skills and experience of six maintenance personnel are used to make renovations that meet requirements of new tenants. The airport houses the “Planes of Fame” and “Yanks Air” museums. Flo’s Café is a flourishing business, but has been shut down on occasion due to maintenance and safety problems. The Airports Department collects a percentage of their total business operations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has designated the Chino Airport Tower as a Level II FAA facility whose daily operations are from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. It is also designated as a “reliever airport” for Orange County’s John Wayne Airport. That relieves this commercial airport of having a large amount of general aviation traffic that conflicts with commercial flights. The airport’s 7,000-foot runway is able to accommodate the latest aircraft. It is important that Chino Airport operate its facilities with the understanding that the economic development on airport property be related to aviation related industries. Several executive and corporate hangars are being developed as part of a master- planned operation at Chino Airport. Increasing economic and housing developments have encouraged companies to be highly interested in Chino. As capacity at other LA area airports fills, a greater demand for facilities is expected at Chino Airport. Turboprops and mid-sized jets will fit in its flexible hangars floor plans and one of its runways is sufficient to accommodate jets of any size. Optional features may include bathrooms, crew quarters, loft areas, office space, air conditioning and security. Hangars can be as large as 80’x 120’ in size. The airport is secured by fence around the entire facility. Electronic gates require special access cards and are limited to tenants and official personnel. A new asphalt perimeter road has been completed to eliminate vehicle traffic crossing aircraft “taxi” 30 and/or landing areas. The Chino Police Department has an office at the airport and provides additional security and service. The Chino Valley Fire Department provides the necessary fire protection and also has a fire station at the airport. Chino Airport is a busy airport with more than 165,000 annual operations (an operation is a takeoff or landing of an aircraft). To clarify, there were 82,500 aircraft landings and 82,500 take-offs at Chino Airport. The field has instrument approaches and its runway lights remain on even after the tower is shut down at 9:00 p.m. Corporate leases for housing of corporate jets are increasing due to the economic development within the area, and several housing and commercial contractors are developing the surrounding area. This will attract more businesses to the airport. Long- range plans call for private companies to use the airport as a base of operations for their corporate aircraft. More condo type hangars are anticipated. This will create the potential of significant increases in the number of passengers using the airport facilities. There is no passenger terminal building at this airport. Housing development is expected to increase by more than 40,000 homes within the next 15 to 20 years. Economic development at Chino Airport is vital to its operations. More important is that these developments be aviation related. At the present time there are more than 395 jobs that have been created by 60 employers on the airport site, of which 46 employers are aviation related. The other 14 employers who lease space at the airport, lease at the will of the airport manager and can be terminated as new aviation tenants become available. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-32

THE AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT REPAIR AND REMODEL FLO’S CAFE´ AT CHINO AIRPORT TO CURRENT FOOD SERVICE AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.
R05-33

CONSTRUCT A TERMINAL AT CHINO AIRPORT TO PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR PASSENGERS TO WAIT AND A BETTER PLACE FOR AIRCRAFT TO PICK-UP AND DE-PLANE PASSENGERS.
R05-34

THE AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT CONTINUE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT CHINO AIRPORT BASED UPON AIRCRAFT RELATED BUSINESSES. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND The County Fire Department (CFD) provides fire suppression and emergency medical/rescue services to County unincorporated areas and contract cities. The Fire Department is a special district fire department. Employees are not County employees but Special District employees. One of the main reasons for the special district structure is to limit the liability to the County of San Bernardino. The department’s responsibility covers 65 communities over 16,225 square miles and consists of 67 fire stations, 35 fire districts, 469 employees, 421 paid-call firefighters, with more than 500 vehicles. The current CFD operating budget is $86 million. The department is funded by ad valorem property taxes, Federal and State grants, money from Homeland Security, and $2.6 million from the County General Fund. Fiscal year 2005- 2006 funding will be critical as some of the grants will end and are not renegotiable or renewable. County Fire is divided into four (4) divisions: North Desert, South Desert, Mountain, and Valley Divisions. The North and South Divisions cover vast territory where growth is not occurring, except along the freeway corridors. The cost to provide service is a serious challenge. In addition, nearby cities and adjoining states of Arizona and Nevada are paid to provide needed additional service. Growth in the Valley and Mountain Divisions continues and revenue for fire and emergency service are maintained. Several proposals to consolidate the divisions into one fire district have been reviewed and presented to the Board of Supervisors. FINDINGS San Bernardino County is so large that in some areas emergency services are seriously limited. Because fire departments are generally the first to respond to emergencies, two areas of the County are in desperate need of immediate attention: Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Due to the long distances and the high traffic volume of these corridors, there is extreme concern about the length of time it takes for medical services to reach accident victims. No other state (in the lower 48 states) has this amount of “uncovered mileage” along Federal and/or state highways. According to the California Highway Patrol Department (CHP), vehicles traveling on Interstate 15 totaled more than 4,700 per hour and on Interstate 40, 1,500 per hour. As of July 2004 traffic volume has increased, which is directly responsible for nearly 2,100 collisions on Interstate 15 and 300 on Interstate 40 (See Tables 1 & 2). As a result, 2,075 32 people were injured and 122 people were killed in this two-year period. CHP reports that the first hour after an injury occurs, known as the “golden hour”, is the most critical time. Emergency services on these highways are more than that “golden hour” away. County Fire Department is always the first called on all emergency problems in the desert. Whether dealing with fire, accidents or other emergencies, these two interstate highways are seriously limited in coverage. Interstate 15 from Baker to the Nevada State line is served by one captain and two paid-call firefighters out of Baker. The County must pay the motel costs for the accommodations of these two firefighters. The equipment is left out in the elements. CFD has a working agreement with a nearby prison to use inmates to help with fire and emergency services. This sometimes can cause serious challenges due to turn-over and emergency “lockdowns”. Interstate 40 must depend on service out of Barstow, Newberry Springs or Needles. Service is limited due to personnel coverage. Should an emergency occur “halfway” between cities, the response time is at least one hour. Service may come from Essex or Amboy, but it is another one hour south of Interstate 40, and service may be subject to availability. Previous Grand Juries reviewed and investigated various proposals regarding new emergency services in Baker. It was learned that at the present time the County has property available for the purpose of building an emergency facility. The County must execute an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or will lose the property. The design for the facility has been completed and is ready for bids and construction. The estimated cost to build is $2 million and operation of the station would be $1.4 million annually. It currently costs $700,000 annually to provide this limited emergency service out of Baker. The Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) is the new name for what is known as the “Reverse 9-1-1 System”. The one-year project is in place but there are several concerns that relate to design of the system. The telephone “grids” have been set up but when the call is made to a specific “grid” the coverage may not be sufficient. And, should additional “grids” be called, the total area may not be in jeopardy, causing unnecessary notifications and/or evacuations. The “grids” are based upon local telephone company systems, therefore, making changes to the “grids” difficult and costly. TENS calls will be used only in extreme emergencies when evacuations may be required. The system may be operational, but the funding presents a major problem. Using taxpayer dollars to provide a system to a particular area has some challenges. In addition to the operational cost, the County is charged $.25 cents for each completed call. The County Fire Department currently shares its Communications Center at the Rialto Airport with the County Sheriff’s Department and the Emergency 9-1-1 System. The temporary center has been home for many years. The facilities are old and cannot accommodate modern and new equipment. The increasing growth and development in the County causes these facilities severe challenges. The decentralization of this facility is 33 another major challenge. At the present time the Communications Center, administration and the training center are located at three separate locations. Communications is located at Rialto Airport, Administration in downtown San Bernardino, and training at the San Bernardino International Airport (SBIA) facilities. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-35

THE COUNTY IMMEDIATELY CONSTRUCT AND STAFF A FIRE FACILITY IN BAKER.
R05-36

THE COUNTY CONSTRUCT AND STAFF A FIRE/RESCUE FACILITY MID-WAY BETWEEN NEWBERRY SPRINGS AND NEEDLES.
R05-37

A SURTAX BE INITIATED WITHIN THE TELEPHONE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM (TENS) AREA.
R05-38

IMMEDIATELY DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PLANS TO RELOCATE THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATIONS CENTER TO SAN BERNARDINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 34
R05-39

CREATE A PUBLIC SERVICES/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER POSITION TO DEAL DIRECTLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLY WITH THE PUBLIC AND MEDIA ON ALL GROUP ISSUES.
R05-40

PURSUE WITH THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM WITH INSTITUTION ROAD. REGISTRAR OF VOTERS BACKGROUND The Registrar of Voters (ROV) is under the jurisdiction of the California Secretary of State and the County Board of Supervisors. The ROV is responsible to conduct voter registration and voting processes with the highest level of professional election standards, accountability, security and integrity, thereby earning and maintaining public confidence in the electoral process. In 2003 San Bernardino County complied with Federal and State mandates and ordered 4,000 optical touch-screen voting units and related equipment, software, technical and professional services from Sequoia Voting System. The County also hired a Registrar of Voters (ROV) who had previous experience in using the touch-screen voting equipment manufactured by Sequoia Voting Systems. The new equipment was first used in January 2004 in a recall election in the City of Highland. The election produced results that showed the touch-screen voting equipment was accurate and voter and poll-worker friendly. The Primary Election of March 2, 2004 was the first large-scale use of the equipment. In that election the ROV programmed the equipment for over 20,000 ballot variations in 818 precincts at 408 polling places located in over 20,000 square miles of San Bernardino County. As a result, there were a few minor problems encountered, but they were identified and plans were implemented to correct the problems. There were more than 4,000 test ballots run without the loss of one single vote. The machines went through a rigorous test and passed the pre-Election Day safeguards. Each machine was sealed with two serial-numbered seals. If the two seals don’t match, then the machines cannot start up and are taken out of service. The “on and off” switch can only be used once; therefore, no pre-use of the machine is possible. When the machine is ready for use an installation program is used to validate the “zero votes” count. Most important is that all machines are “stand alone” equipment, which means that it is impossible for “hackers” to gain access to the machines at any time. Problems prior to the Election Day concerned the Grand Jury and resulted in an investigation of the ROV. There were errors in printing, problems mailing ballots, and difficulty to register to vote. In addition, the party affiliation of some candidates was missing on the absentee ballots. The ROV failed to take competitive bids on the printing of the ballots. There were concerns when the ROV/Director announced in October that he would be leaving after the elections were completed. After the elections, there were serious allegations that the ROV seemingly had a difficult time handling the voting process. There were also claims of disorganization, inappropriate planning and improper training of poll workers. The ROV/Director also blamed the “seniors” for the problem, which triggered the firing of the ROV by the County Administrative Officer. The 2004 General Election attracted more than 175,000 new voters in San Bernardino County. In the summer of 2004 there were 690,000 registered voters, of which 110,000 voted absentee ballot. Anticipating a large turnout, the electronic machines underwent a severe test, which resulted in a successful test run one week prior to the elections. The comparison between San Bernardino County and all counties with 500,000 or more registered voters is done to show the percentage of actual voters responding to the Registrar of Voters call to vote. (See Table I) FINDINGS The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters recruited more than 4,600 volunteers. Approximately 2,600 poll workers were 65 years of age or older, 1,400 under 65 years, and over 600 high school students. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter in San Bernardino County. They must read and write English and be able to work on Election Day from 6:00 a.m. until all duties are completed. They must also have transportation to the polling place. The County provides “rovers” and “assistants” that have equipment and additional supplies and provisional ballots. They are also trained in solving any problems that might occur. They have knowledge on equipment setups and process. They also have immediate access to the Registrar of Voters should a need arise. All poll workers are considered “volunteers” and everyone must go through training classes each year. Training is mandatory and includes classes on policies and procedures, poll organization and voter processing. A special mandatory session is held for inspectors and assistants (sometimes called rovers). In an attempt to locate poll workers, a serious effort is made by the ROV to contact civic organizations, the League of Women Voters, Partners in Democracy, the political parties, senior citizen groups, and the Student Poll Worker Program. Sometimes members of the Grand Jury are called, as well as city clerks. There are several programs that have been implemented in some counties in order to increase the recruitment of volunteers. Some counties are participating in a new “adopt a poll” program whereby private corporations make their businesses available as a poll location and provide their employees as poll workers. Recently, a major push in some counties has required Spanish-speaking poll workers to be available. Generally this is not a problem because Federal law requires ballots in Spanish to be available. The County participates in a Student Poll worker Program (SPP). State law (Election Code Section 12302b) allows high school seniors to serve as “Student Poll workers” on Election Day. The SPP began in 1998 and is a great way to introduce young 38 people to democracy in action and at the same time provide a valuable community service. To this date, there have been over 3,090 students from 30 different schools in the County who served on Election Day. Students serve as regular members of a precinct board on Election Day and receive the $75 poll worker stipend. They must be high school seniors with a grade point average of 2.5, a U.S. citizen and at least 16 years of age. Any high school in San Bernardino County for which school district approval has been obtained can participate in the program. Students bring new energy and enthusiasm to the precinct. They are in “learning mode” so they easily pick up complex election procedures covered in training. They are “tech savvy” to the County’s transition to touch-screen voting. For the students, they earn community service points toward graduation and earn extra credit in class. Thirty (30) high schools currently are participating in SSP. A voter may vote a provisional ballot at the polls for one of the following reasons: 1. The voter’s name is not on the official roster of voters and the voting official cannot verify eligibility. 2. A voter has moved within the County, but did not re-register to vote. 3. Records indicate that the voter requested an absentee ballot and the voter fails to turn in the absentee ballot at the polls. 4. The voter is a first time Federal Election voter in the County and was unable to provide the required proof of identification. The ROV will count all provisional ballots prior to the declaration of the final and official count of the election. Each polling place in the County had provisional ballots for immediate use. It was reported that various polling places experienced long lines and slow voting due to the large number of voters requiring a provisional ballot. Some voters were at the wrong polling places and were unable to locate their official polling places because of changes of policies by the ROV. Precinct maps were not available at polling places. A large number of new registrations came in at the end of October and keying them into the system was not a priority of the ROV. Over 20,000 new registrations had not been keyed into the system by Election Day. The ROV determined that those voters not registered could go to the polls and vote using the provisional ballot. As a result, each provisional ballot had to be individually opened by hand and researched for authenticity. Checks had to be made on each ballot for duplications of registration, correct address and whether or not the ballot was correctly filled out. Signatures had to be verified and precinct numbers had to be placed on the ballots, which was time consuming. In the 2004 elections there were 44,888 provisional ballots compared to the normal 10,000 ballots. This was due to the priority set by the ROV. Because of the large number of ballots, additional staff was required to process the ballots. Each polling place had only one voter list available, which caused long lines. Voters were unable to determine whether their names appeared on the list without waiting in line to do so. When it was learned that they were at the wrong precinct they were then required to find their actual precinct. The poll workers did not have maps to help the voters locate their proper voting place, or they had to stand in the provisional ballot line to vote. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-41

THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS DEVELOP A “SPEAKERS BUREAU” TO INFORM COMMUNITY SERVICE GROUPS OF THE VOTING PROCESS AND TO SOLICIT VOLUNTEERS FOR POLL WORKERS.
R05-42

ESTABLISH A PART-TIME POSITION FOR A RECRUITER OF POLL WORKERS WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY WOULD BE TO RECRUIT POLL WORKERS/VOLUNTEERS.
R05-43

INSTITUTE AN “ADOPT A POLL” PROGRAM WHERE CORPORATIONS DONATE THEIR EMPLOYEES AND FACILITIES, AND THE MONEY EARNED BY THE POLL WORKERS IS DONATED TO A CHARITY OF THEIR CHOICE.
R05-44

REVIEW THE VARIOUS INCENTIVES USED IN OTHER COUNTIES TO RECRUIT POLL WORKERS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS AND ADOPT THOSE APPLICABLE TO SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.
R05-45

DEVELOP AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS WHO WOULD ORGANIZE GROUPS OF STUDENTS IN THEIR SENIOR GOVERNMENT CLASSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.
R05-46

THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO CONSIDER PLANS TO PROVIDE EXTRA CREDIT FOR ANY STUDENT THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.
R05-47

ESTABLISH AWARDS FOR SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.
R05-48

DEVELOP AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO RECRUIT STUDENTS WHO SPEAK SPANISH.
R05-49

HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF TO PROCESS THE REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS PRIOR TO THE ELECTIONS. THIS WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS THAT MUST BE COUNTED MANUALLY AND THUS SPEED UP THE PROCESS. 40
R05-50

REINSTATE PRECINCT MAPS AT EVERY POLLING PLACE.
R05-51

THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS PROVIDE AN EXTRA REGISTRATION LIST THAT CAN BE POSTED AT EACH POLLING PLACE SO THAT THE VOTERS CAN DETERMINE IF THEY ARE AT THE CORRECT PRECINCT INSTEAD OF WAITING IN LINE AND FINDING OUT THAT THEY ARE NOT REGISTERED AND MUST THEN GO AND STAND IN THE PROVISIONAL BALLOT LINE. COMMENDATION IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE DIFFICULTIES, PUBLICITY AND PRESSURES, THE 2004-2005 GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE INTERIM REGISTRAR OF VOTERS FOR HER ABILITY TO COUNT THE 44,888 PROVISIONAL BALLOTS BY HAND, REORGANIZE THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, AND CERTIFY THE NOVEMBER 2004 ELECTION. 41
R05-52

ARMC SECURITY PERSONNEL RECEIVE PROPER TRAINING IN ARREST AND SEARCH AND SEIZURE, AND BE ISSUED AND RECEIVE TRAINING IN THE USE OF PERSONAL DEFENSE ITEMS.
R05-53

THE ARMC HEAD OF SECURITY HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE AT THE DIVISION LEVEL (LIEUTENANT), AND SUPERVISORS IN FIELD OPERATIONS WILL HAVE EXPERIENCE IN POLICE SUPERVISION AT THE SHIFT LEVEL (SERGEANT). 48
R05-54

ALL ARMC PERSONNEL RECEIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION IN ALL ASPECTS OF SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDING ADVANCED FIRST-AID, IN ADDITION TO COMPLYING WITH THE COUNTY MANDATED TRAINING AS PER POLICY NO. 09-07 DATED JULY, 1991, ILLNESS/INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM.
R05-55

CONDUCT STUDIES OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ARMC PARKING AREA LIGHTING. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THERE IS A COMPLAINT, AS IS CURRENT POLICY.
R05-56

METAL DETECTORS SHOULD BE INSTALLED AND USED ANYWHERE THE PUBLIC CAN GAIN ENTRANCE TO THE ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.
R05-57

MAKE SURE THE LIGHTING SYSTEM IS ADEQUATE TO ENSURE THAT THE SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM CAN PROPERLY COVER ALL OF THE ARMC PARKING AREAS.
R05-58

THE 800 MHZ RADIO SYSTEM CURRENTLY IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE COUNTY BE IMMEDIATELY PLACED INTO SERVICE AT ARMC.
R05-59

INSTITUTE A PRO-ACTIVE LOSS PREVENTION PROGRAM THAT DOES NOT SIMPLY RELY UPON REGULARLY SCHEDULED INVENTORIES OF ARMC PROPERTY.
R05-60

REPLACE THE CALL BOXES CURRENTLY IN USE AT ARMC WITH MORE UNITS EQUIPPED WITH TALL MAST-MOUNTED LIGHTS, PLACING THEM THROUGHOUT THE CAMPUS. THESE CALL BOXES SHOULD BE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE.
R05-61

PLACE PORTABLE HEART DEFIBRILLATORS THROUGHOUT THE ARMC CAMPUS, OR AT LEAST MOUNT THEM ON THE SECURITY PATROL CARTS. TRAIN SECURITY PERSONNEL IN THE PROPER USE OF THESE DEVICES.
R05-62

SECURITY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO DETER GANG VIOLENCE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR OTHER PLACES AT ARMC BE PROPERLY TRAINED AND EQUIPPED IN PERSONAL DEFENSE AND IN THE HANDLING OF DIFFICULT PEOPLE.
R05-63

ARMC ADMINISTRATION IMMEDIATELY EXAMINE AND ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE SHERIFF’S FACILITY SECURITY ASSESSMENT DATED MARCH 18, 2002. 49
R05-64

POST EMERGENCY EVACUATION SIGNS AT ARMC IN OTHER LANGUAGES BESIDES ENGLISH.
R05-65

CHANGE THE COLOR-CODED WRIST BANDS USED BY VISITORS AT ARMD WHO NEED TO BE ON CAMPUS AT OTHER THAN REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS TO A DIFFERENT COLOR EACH DAY, AND CONFISCATE THE BANDS AS THE VISITOR LEAVES THE FACILITY SO AS TO DETER IMPROPER OR UNAUTHORIZED USE.
R05-66

SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF HAZ-MAT SUITS AND PROTECTIVE GEAR SHOULD BE IN PLACE FOR BOTH SECURITY AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL AT ARMC.
R05-67

A FULLY DEDICATED CONTAGION ROOM CAPABLE OF CARING FOR MORE THAN A SMALL NUMBER OF PERSONS BE PLACED INTO SERVICE.
R05-68

EXPAND HAZ-MAT TRAINING FOR ARMC SECURITY PERSONNEL FROM THE PRESENT SIX EMPLOYEES TO ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL, WITH CONTINUOUS UPDATES.
R05-69

SINCE ARMC PRESENTLY HAS NO BACK-UP FOR ITS DOMESTIC WATER SYSTEM, A PLAN TO SAFELY TRUCK NEEDED ADEQUATE SUPPLIES OF WATER TO THE FACILITY BE IMPLEMENTED FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN THE WATER DELIVERY SYSTEM CURRENTLY IN USE IS INTERFERED WITH.
R05-70

TEST ARMC’S DOMESTIC WATER WELLS FOR MORE THAN JUST NORMAL BACTERIAL INFESTATION.
R05-71

THE WATER WELL SERVING THE ARMC FACILITY BE HARDENED AGAINST TERRORIST ATTACK BEYOND THE CURRENT CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND THE SYSTEM IS ALSO TO BE PROTECTED AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO INTRODUCE CONTAMINANTS INTO THE WATER SYSTEM.
R05-72

THE HOSPITAL GENERATOR SYSTEM SHOULD BE HARDENED AGAINST ANY INTRUSION. ACCESS TO THE GENERATOR SYSTEM SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO FIRE SERVICES.
R05-73

VISIBLE GUARD SHANTIES BE PLACED THROUGHOUT THE PARKING LOT AT ARMC TO CONVEY A GOOD SENSE OF SECURITY.
R05-74

REINFORCE PRESENT DECORATIVE PLANTERS AT THE MAIN ARMC ENTRANCE, OR REPLACE WITH SOLIDLY PLACED BOLLARDS. Exhibit 1 PC§ 830.7 Non-Peace Officer with Power of Arrest The following persons are not peace officers but may exercise the powers of arrest of a peace officer as specified in Section 836 during the course and within the scope of their employment, if they successfully complete a course in the exercise of those powers pursuant to Section 832: (a) Persons designated by a cemetery authority pursuant to Section 8325 of the Health and Safety Code. (b) Persons regularly employed as security officers for independent institutions of higher education, recognized under subdivision (b) of Section 66010 of the Education Code, if the institution has concluded a memorandum of understanding, permitting the exercise of that authority, with the sheriff or the chief of police within whose jurisdiction the institution lies. (c) Persons regularly employed as security officers for health facilities, as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, that are owned and operated by cities, counties, and cities and counties, if the facility has concluded a memorandum of understanding, permitting the exercise of that authority, with the sheriff or the chief of police within whose jurisdiction the facility lies. (d) Employees or classes of employees of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection designated by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, provided that the primary duty of the employee shall be the enforcement of the law as that duty is set forth in Section 4156 of the Public Resources Code. (e) Persons regularly employed as inspectors, supervisors, or security officers for transit districts, as defined in Section 99213 of the Public Utilities Code, if the district has concluded a memorandum of understanding permitting the exercise of that authority, with, as applicable, the sheriff, the chief of police, or the Department of the California Highway Patrol within whose jurisdiction the district lies. For the purposes of this subdivision, the exercise of peace officer authority may include the authority to remove a vehicle from a railroad right-of-way as set forth in Section 22656 of the Vehicle Code. (f) Non-peace officers regularly employed as county parole officers pursuant to Section 3089. (g) Persons appointed by the Executive Director of the California Science Center pursuant to Section 4108 of the Food and Agricultural Code. (h) Persons regularly employed as investigators by the Department of Transportation for the City of Los Angeles and designated by local ordinance as public officers, to the extent necessary to enforce laws related to public transportation, and authorized by a memorandum of under- standing with the chief of police, permitting the exercise of that authority. For the purposes of this subdivision, “investigator” means an employee defined in Section 35075.61 of the Government Code authorized by local ordinance to enforce laws related to public transportation. Transportation investigators authorized by this section shall not be deemed “peace officers” for purposes of Sections 241 and 243. Exhibit 2 PC§ 832. POST Training (a) Every person described in this chapter as a peace officer shall satisfactorily complete an introductory course of training prescribed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. On or after July 1, 1989, satisfactory completion of the course shall be demonstrated by passage of an appropriate examination developed or approved by the commission. Training in the carrying and use of firearms shall not be required of any peace officer whose employing agency prohibits the use of firearms. (b) (1) Every peace officer described in this chapter, prior to the exercise of the powers of a peace officer, shall have satisfactorily completed the course of training described in subdivision (a). (2) Every peace officer described in Section 13510 or in subdivision (a) of Section 830.2 may satisfactorily complete the training required by this section as part of the training prescribed pursuant to Section 13510. (c) Persons described in this chapter as peace officers who have not satisfactorily completed the course described in subdivision (a), as specified in subdivision (b), shall not have the powers of a peace officer until they satisfactorily complete the course. (d) Any peace officer who, on March 4, 1972, possesses or is qualified to possess the basic certificate as awarded by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training shall be exempted from this section. (e) (1) Any person completing the training described in subdivision (a) who does not become employed as a peace officer within three years from the date of passing the examination described in subdivision (a), or who has a three-year or longer break in service as a peace officer, shall pass the examination described in subdivision (a) prior to the exercise of the powers of a peace officer, except for any person described in paragraph (2). (2) The requirement in paragraph (1) does not apply to any person who meets any of the following requirements: (A) Is returning to a management position that is at the second level of supervision or higher. (B) Has successfully requalified for a basic course through the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. (C) Has maintained proficiency through teaching the course described in subdivision (a). (D) During the break in California service, was continuously employed as a peace officer in another state or at the federal level. (f) The commission may charge appropriate fees for the examination required by subdivision (e), not to exceed actual costs. (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission may charge appropriate fees for the examination required by subdivision (a) to each applicant who is not sponsored by a local or other law enforcement agency, or is not a peace officer employed by, or under consideration for employment by, a state or local agency, department, or district, or is not a custodial officer as defined in Sections 831 and 831.5. The fees shall not exceed actual costs. DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BACKGROUND The County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) provides mental health and substance abuse treatment services to adults over 18 years of age. DBH oversees County programs, residential treatment services and contract services. The clinic is staffed by clinicians, nurses, social workers and outreach individuals. All personnel are hired through the County Human Resources Department. Most employees are equipped to communicate with diverse cultures and languages. All newly hired personnel go through Cultural Diversity classes. If a language barrier becomes apparent, an AT&T line is available to assist patients and staff with someone that has the required communicative skills. The Arrowhead Behavioral Health Center located at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) includes a specialized inpatient behavioral health facility. It houses four inpatient units that are completely independent of each other. County DBH serves the needs of clients through 25 walk-in clinics and outpatient programs located throughout the County. The Inpatient and Outpatient Departments of Behavioral Health separated five years ago. Funding and resources are handled separately. FINDINGS The County Administrative Office advocates close coordination between both the Inpatient and Outpatient Behavioral Health departments. There is no Outpatient clinic located with the Inpatient clinic at ARMC. The goal of DBH is to bring an Outpatient clinic to the grounds of ARMC. The department has indicated a desire to convert one of the four Inpatient units into an Outpatient clinic. This unit would be based on the Cedar House program, which is an alcohol and drug treatment facility located in Bloomington. The County has a contract for 50 beds at Cedar House and their program is considered a treatment model. Cedar House has a high recovery rate, with only a two percent (2%) recidivism rate. A coordinated effort by both Inpatient and Outpatient Behavioral Health Services is to develop the new unit as an Outpatient treatment program. The goal of this unit will be to treat patients and help them to function in their daily lives. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 patients would utilize this facility annually. The Arrowhead Behavioral Health Center is used for “… admission and detention of mentally disordered persons for evaluation and treatment …” under Welfare & Institutions Code Section 5150. Protocol with these patients begins with voluntary or involuntary admission to one of the four Inpatient units. Efforts are made to calm patients down from a crisis and evaluate their needs. When the crises have abated, patients are then assigned to an Outpatient clinical program. Usual length of stay in the Inpatient Unit is five (5) days. DBH stated that released patients from the Inpatient units in need of Outpatient treatment as advised by the psychiatrist, could obtain mental health, substance abuse and other services within the Arrowhead Behavioral Health Center. They would best be served in a new Outpatient clinic. According to the department, funding solutions for the establishment of an Outpatient Clinic within the existing Inpatient Units at ARMC can be found. RECOMMENDATION
R05-75

DEVELOP PLANS TO INTEGRATE AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC WITHIN THE INPATIENT UNITS OF THE ARROWHEAD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER. PERFORMANCE, EDUCATION AND RESOURCE CENTERS (PERC) BACKGROUND The Performance, Education and Resource Center (PERC) was formed in July of 1999 through the merger of the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) and Human Resources Department training units. The department offers a wide range of training and development services to public and private sector organizations. On an annual basis, 80 percent of PERC’s training schedule supports Human Services System (HSS) programs, with the Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) as the largest client. The other 20 percent of activities support countywide programs and services determined by the County Administrative Officer and the Human Resources Department. PERC offers more than 600 training classes annually. The classes are developed by the Training and Development supervisor or other training staff. If a County department has a specialized need not covered by PERC, a consultant may be brought in for expert instruction. The decision to use a consultant is made only after a cost benefit analysis is done. In June 2002 the Ethics Resource Office was established. The creation of this office was part of a comprehensive effort to change the ethical climate of the County, and as a direct response to ongoing political scandals. The purpose of the Ethics Resource Office is to provide clear articulation of the laws, rules, regulations and codes of conduct and ethics that govern County employees. The Ethics Resource Officer serves as consultant on ethical issues and dilemmas. The position offers oversight and gives recommendations on policies, procedures, practices and codes that promote or improve the County’s ethical climate. FINDINGS PERC utilizes several methods to check a student’s comprehension of course curriculum, which includes cumulative testing at the end. New employees can be terminated for not mastering required skills for their assigned positions. There is no formal evaluation of the students once they return to their job assignment. If an employee has a problem with job skills, the supervisor will refer them back to PERC for re-training. The Leadership Development Advisory Board, that provides feedback about employee performance, meets once a quarter. No survey or questionnaire is sent to the employees’ supervisors for feedback on performance and training effectiveness. Every new employee at orientation is asked to adopt and make a commitment to standards of behavior. The Code of Ethics (County Personnel Rule #1) is reviewed. There is no mandatory yearly review of the County’s Code of Ethics for current employees. No employee is required to sign the Code of Ethics as an acknowledgement of the review. Department supervisors have mandatory supervision and management classes that include the County Personnel Rules. The Gift Decision Reflection Process was created by the department to provide guidance to County employees in the acceptance of gifts from outside vendors, citizens or co-workers. This process is available to all County employees on the County’s intranet. The Ethics Resource Officer developed a list of 15 questions to guide an employee’s decision to accept a gift. This process is voluntary and the department agrees it is cumbersome. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-76

PROVIDE AN EVALUATION FORM FOR SUPERVISORS TO COMPLETE AFTER EMPLOYEES RETURN TO THEIR JOBS FROM TRAINING. UTILIZE EVALUATIONS TO TRACK JOB PERFORMANCE AND SKILL PROFICIENCY AFTER TRAINING.
R05-77

A MANDATORY YEARLY REVIEW OF THE CODE OF ETHICS BE CONDUCTED FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE BY THE EMPLOYEE’S SUPERVISOR. EACH EMPLOYEE SIGN AND DATE THE CODE OF ETHICS AT THE TIME OF REVIEW.
R05-78

STREAMLINE THE GIFT DECISION REFLECTION PROCESS. CONSIDER ADVISING THE COUNTY ON A “NO GIFT” POLICY. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND ANIMAL CARE ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL BACKGROUND San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control is a program within the Environmental Health Services Division of the Public Health Department. The mission of Animal Care and Control includes prevention of the occurrence of rabies in both humans and domesticated animals, to minimize animal nuisances and hazards, to enforce all State codes and County ordinances, and to enhance public awareness through education. The County operates three shelters: Big Bear, Devore and Rancho Cucamonga. The administrative office, located in San Bernardino, answers all calls from the public, sells dog licenses, rents nuisance animal traps, receives and sends out all mailings for spay and neuter vouchers, and relays all necessary calls to dispatch. The Devore Animal Shelter is a facility operated by the County for the care and boarding of animals. The facility is located on a dead-end roadway that is just west of Cajon Boulevard (Old Route 66) and north of Institution Road. Members of the Grand Jury visited the Animal Care and Control administrative offices and the Devore Animal Shelter. FINDINGS The Animal Care and Control administrative offices located at 606 East Mill Street in San Bernardino, serving the public as well as employees, are inadequate. The waiting area for the public can accommodate only 3-4 chairs. The offices are cluttered and small. The conference room attached to the Program Manager’s office also stores boxes. The outside sign to direct the public to the office is on a single letter-sized paper taped to the front window. This large office building is shared by other tenants. Spay and neutering programs are facilitated by Animal Care and Control. The Board of Supervisors approved $180,000 in the year 2000 to expand spay and neutering operations. Of this, $150,000 is used for vouchers for the public and $30,000 is earmarked for a contract with the Humane Society for mobile spay and neuter clinics. Public awareness for clinics and vouchers is provided through fliers, public service announcements, newspapers, radio, local cable networks and a billboard on Interstate 10. Euthanasia of animals is a high stress job. The employees are allowed flexible scheduling of hours for euthanasia work and are able to ask for relief at any time. An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available, but no on-site counseling is offered. Before any animal is euthanized, a double check for microchips, tattoos and physical description is done. Software is used by the County to track animals from field to adoption. In 2003 there were 12,341 animals euthanized at the three County operated shelters. In 2004 there were 12,126 animals euthanized in the same three shelters. Employees who are troubled by the euthanasia process have no stress assistance or counsel available and, therefore, must rely on other employees for help. Citizen complaints regarding Animal Care and Control employees are directed through the main dispatch number. Supervisors handle the complaints. A complaint form is completed and when the complaint has been resolved, the form is filed. No complaints log is maintained for further review with management or employees. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-79

REMOVE BOXES AND CLUTTER FROM THE ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE SPACE. CONSIDER RELOCATING TO LARGER OFFICE SPACE.
R05-80

PLACE PERMANENT AND OBVIOUS SIGNS FOR THE ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE TO FACILITATE PUBLIC ACCESS.
R05-81

PROVIDE ON-SITE COUNSELING OR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (EAP) FOR STRESS, AS NEEDED.
R05-82

CREATE AND MAINTAIN A COMPLAINTS LOG FOR PERIODIC REVIEW WITH MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES. DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER This animal shelter is a very busy place, with as many as 200 animals to be cared for on premises, at any time. While some animals are treated by technicians, others require treatment by a veterinarian. There is no on-premises veterinarian, so animals are required to be transported for treatment. Sick animals are segregated from the rest of the animal population, and seriously ill animals are taken to a local contracted veterinarian. The animals were in clean cages, and plenty of food and water was observed. The shelter has a written policy for animal euthanasia and, while this procedure is done at the facility, it is done after hours. Dead animals are removed from the premises by a commercial disposal firm. Complaint forms, should the public need them, are kept at the facility, but are not on display and must be requested. The office spaces were clean, but somewhat cluttered. The work space was confined. The employees rate security at the Devore Shelter as “poor”. The facility has no security cameras, either where the animals are kept or where people work and equipment is stored. When the shelter is closed, all but the “cat” room and lunch room are locked. The shelter protects areas not open to the public with signage and simple spring- type key locks. There is little or no deterrence to a person with intent to attack. There are no intruder alarms on the premises. Several years ago, on the shelter’s first day of business, a man armed with a knife injured several employees. As a result of that attack, a “panic alarm” was installed that sounds an audible device outside the building. It is not connected to any phone line or to any law enforcement agency. The device can only be heard by someone who may be passing on the dead-end roadway. Relying on a passerby to hear the alarm and recognize its significance and then call police, is ineffective and dangerous. A chain-link perimeter fence is poorly maintained, with several large man-sized holes cut into it. It was stated that there is no razor wire, as the shelter doesn’t wish to make a bad impression to the public. There was a request for repairs to be made to the fence, but employees indicated the fence is breached over and over. The perimeter fence has many crates and boxes stacked against it, allowing for a make-shift step ladder to go over the fence. There is no plan to move these items as the staff feels they are cramped for room. Gates are secured with chains and padlocks. There are no key pads or electronic surveillance to any of the gates or outer doors. The drugs used to treat the animals are stored in a large heavy locked safe. The door to the room is not particularly secure, but the safe within the room is secure. Drugs must be signed for, not so much for drug abuse, but for inventory tracking. Employees do not wear conspicuous name tags, as “everybody knows each other.” The public cannot distinguish an employee from others at the shelter. Sheriff’s work release persons are used at the facility and they, too, are not required to be identified. Visitors’ passes or I.D. tags for visiting persons are not used. Employees park in the general public parking area. A 2004 Sheriff’s Security Assessment found that this is undesirable for employee safety. The public parking area is not adequately lit at night, but electricians were observed in the animal compound installing additional lighting. The parking lots are to be done after the animal areas are done. There are no plans to install protective bollards in front of the facility to deter physical intrusion by a vehicle. There is a protective film placed on the surface of the west facing windows (parking lot). While this protective film is useful in reducing the radiant heat admitted to the building during hot, summer days, it reflects the light back into the building at night, and the employees cannot see into the parking lot. An intruder, or someone wishing to do harm to a person in the parking lot, can see quite well into the building, but people within cannot see out, and are thus at a serious disadvantage. At present, there is no key card system to access the facility, as is being done at other County buildings, but is under consideration. There is one 8" x 11" piece of paper posted on a wall behind the front counter advising of an emergency escape route. There are none in other places within the facility, even though some people on site may not be regular visitors or employees knowing the physical layout of the campus. During a one week period in 2003, 200 animals, including 80 goats, were stolen. Following are the numbers of animals stolen from the shelter since July 1, 2003: 7/1/03 – 6/30/04 7/1/04 – 3/31/05 15 – Dogs 11 - Dogs 1 - Horse 1 – Pot Belly Pig 1 - Duck 1 - Pigeon 3 – Game cocks 1 - Goat Shelter personnel stated that people simply cut the fence and walk in. The only action taken by the shelter to deter these thefts has been to lock the kennel doors. While the building is not equipped with sprinklers for fire protection, the kennels are cooled with a water mist and heated with buried radiant heat coils. Only $200 is ever kept on premises. Any sum over that is dropped in a safe and an armored courier truck makes a pick-up. The shelter has one vehicle available for employee use. Work release persons are not permitted to drive the vehicle and the keys to the vehicle are secured. A fire hydrant is located on the premises next to the public parking lot. The size of the water main or the hydrant capacity is not known by the employees. There are no portable defibrillators on the premises. It is not a requirement to be Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) trained, although some of the employees are trained in CPR. The property to the south is County-owned property and staff would expand there if they were allowed to do so. The facility has no back-up generator system. If power fails, the facility is essentially shut down until the electricity is restored. There are no records kept on power outages but, historically, they occur during heavy winter storms. The facility is not serviced by natural gas, but instead has two large propane tanks to the rear of the property. The tanks are vulnerable to attack or product theft. In the room used by the veterinarian there were four hypodermic needles lying out and unattended. Some of the work release persons are in custody for drug or drug related paraphernalia charges. These unattended needles could have been picked up by anyone, especially the work release persons as they are unsupervised. RECOMMENDATIONS
R05-83

INSTALL GOOD QUALITY SECURITY CAMERAS TO DETER UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY AND TO ASSIST IN IDENTIFYING THOSE WHO DO COMMIT AN UNLAWFUL ACT AT THE DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER.
R05-84

INSTALL KEY-PAD OR KEY-CARD LOCKS, IN ADDITION TO THE SIGNAGE, TO ENSURE THAT UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS CANNOT GET TO THE STAFF OR OTHERS ON SITE.
R05-85

CHANGE THE “PANIC”, AUDIBLE ONLY ALARM, TO ONE MONITORED BY A DISPATCH CENTER, EITHER PRIVATE OR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
R05-86

INSTALL INTRUDER ALARMS AT THE FENCE LINE SO THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD KNOW THAT THERE IS AN UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY ONTO THE PROPERTY.
R05-87

PLACE ALARMS ON THE CAGES, STALLS AND MAIN BUILDING SO THAT POLICE WILL KNOW WHERE THE INTRUDERS ARE WHEN THEY ARRIVE ON SCENE.
R05-88

INSTALL A MORE SECURE PERIMETER FENCE. CHAIN LINK CAN BE QUICKLY CUT, AND WITHOUT RAZOR WIRE IS EASILY BREACHED.
R05-89

EMPLOYEES WEAR CLEARLY VISIBLE IDENTIFYING OFFICIAL NAME TAGS AS IS DONE IN NEARLY ALL OTHER COUNTY BUILDINGS. 61
R05-90

IDENTIFICATION TAGS ARE TO BE WORN BY WORK RELEASE PERSONS, IDENTIFYING THEM AS SUCH.
R05-91

FOR ANY VISITOR WHO GOES PAST THE FRONT COUNTER, A VISITOR’S TAG IS TO BE WORN WHILE THE PERSON IS ON PREMISES AT THE DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER.
R05-92

SEGREGATE EMPLOYEE PARKING FROM THE PUBLIC PARKING.
R05-93

ENSURE THAT THE PARKING LOT(S) BE WELL LIGHTED, WITH NO PLACES FOR AN INTRUDER TO HIDE.
R05-94

RESOLVE THE VISION PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE PROTECTIVE FILM PLACED ON THE WINDOWS OF THE MAIN BUILDING.
R05-95

CLEARLY POST THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN WITH PERTINENT TELEPHONE NUMBERS SO THAT TRAPPED, INJURED OR ILL PERSONS CAN CALL FOR HELP.
R05-96

ALL EMPLOYEES BE CPR TRAINED AND POSSESS THE ADVANCED FIRST AID CARD AS ISSUED BY THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.
R05-97

ENLARGE THE SIZE OF THE DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER BY USING THE COUNTY-OWNED PROPERTY LYING TO THE SOUTH SO THAT THE FENCE LINE CAN BE CLEARED OF STACKED MATERIALS AND CAGES.
R05-98

PUT IN PLACE A BACK-UP ELECTRIC GENERATOR SO THAT EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS WOULD NOT BE LEFT TO TRY TO FIND THEIR WAY OUT OF THE BUILDING IN THE EVENT OF A POWER LOSS.
R05-99

MAKE THE PROPANE GAS SYSTEM LESS VULNERABLE TO ATTACK AND PRODUCT THEFT. 05-100 SUPERVISE WORK RELEASE PERSONNEL, AND KEEP HYPODERMIC SYRINGES LOCKED UNTIL THE ACTUAL TIME THEY ARE TO BE USED. 05-101 PUT INTO EFFECT A PLAN TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE THEFT OF ANIMALS FROM THE DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER. VECTOR CONTROL BACKGROUND West Nile Virus (WNV) has returned and it is early. The record rains and warm weather could accelerate the spread of the West Nile Virus throughout the County, even into areas that largely escaped the disease last year. The virus has already been detected in December 2004 along the Mojave Narrows in the high desert, and in Ontario in January 2005 in sentinel chickens. Environmental Management and Vector Control are functions under Environmental Health Services, a division of the Department of Public Health. Vector Control is responsible for all citizen complaints and requests regarding community control of vectors. Vector-borne diseases are consistently monitored for their presence, including encephalitis, Hantavirus, plague, Lyme disease and West Nile Virus, among others. Inspections and abatement programs are utilized to control vectors that are a nuisance or transmit disease. FINDINGS County Vector Control serves all unincorporated areas, cities with contracts, and cities with emergency contracts. The West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District that covers Chino, Chino Hills, Ontario, Montclair and Rancho Cucamonga is part of County Vector Control. It is also a member of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California. Those areas of the County not covered by Vector Control do not receive services. The County monitors the areas around the non-covered cities and may notify them when a problem is discovered. Emergency contracts have been offered by the County to non- contract cities. These are supported with a detailed Vector Control presentation only when requested by the city. Since the funding of Vector Control is derived from a property tax assessment, cities not currently covered would have to initiate a mail-out ballot for the city’s citizens to approve an assessment. In the event of a major vector borne disease outbreak, all County residents are covered by the Public Health Department. West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause illness and death in humans and horses. San Bernardino County Vector Control has been tracking the westward migration of the disease since 1999, through Arbonet, a program provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The virus was first identified in the County in the fall of 2003. According to the State of California’s website on the West Nile Virus, San Bernardino County was second in the State in 2004 in the number of human infections. There were a total of 197 cases, resulting in five deaths. As of January 2005, the West Nile Virus will enter the third year of a three-year cycle in the County. As of March 1, 2005, news reports indicate West Nile Virus is arriving two months early. Public service announcements (PSAs), newspapers, and the County website are the predominant methods used to alert the public about the transmittal and prevention of this and other vector-borne diseases. West Nile Virus information was added four years ago to the Environmental Health Services fifth grade education program. In September 2004, fliers were distributed to one grocery chain to be included in their shopping bags. There are limited mechanisms in place for the County Public Health Department to disseminate important and timely public health information directly to cities, hospitals, and physicians, including vector control problems. There is no uniform policy to inform contract cities of procedures to respond to reports of dead birds, the disposal of dead birds or precautions to avoid exposure to the virus. Formal exchange of information is lacking between the County and most non-contract cities. Information is provided only upon request. The key to West Nile Virus eradication is individual participation since there is no aerial spraying done in the County. Ninety percent (90%) of the breeding areas for carrying West Nile Virus is in backyard locations such as birdbaths, old tires, children’s toys, animal water dishes and other points of water accumulation. The most vulnerable persons to contract WNV are senior citizens and those with chronic medical conditions. There is no immunization for WNV, but there are behavior modifications that can decrease the exposure of risk. These may include the use of DEET, staying indoors at dusk, wearing long sleeves, and eliminating backyard water sources. RECOMMENDATIONS 05-102 MAKE AVAILABLE CURRENT LISTINGS OF COUNTY VECTOR CONTROL SERVICES TO NON-CONTRACT CITIES. 05-103 BETTER UTILIZE THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL’S ARBONET TRACKING SYSTEM AS A PRE-EMPTIVE TOOL TO CREATE A PLAN TO DIMINISH ANY EFFECTS OF A VECTOR-BORNE DISEASE BEFORE IT REACHES THE COUNTY. PROVIDE PREVENTION AND CONTROL INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, AND AGGRESSIVELY TREAT BREEDING AREAS. 05-104 CREATE A PUBLIC HEALTH E-MAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST TO BROADCAST CURRENT INFORMATION AND ALERTS TO VECTOR CONTROL PERSONNEL IN ALL CITIES. 64 05-105 IMMEDIATELY INFORM EVERY RESIDENT OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ERADICATION OF VECTOR PROBLEMS. 05-106 MAKE INFORMATIONAL FACT SHEETS CONCERNING WEST NILE VIRUS AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS OF ALL CITIES TO BE INCLUDED AS UTILITY BILL INSERTS. TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND The Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) is responsible for administering the financial support programs to persons in need of financial, nutritional and/or medical assistance. The department also provides welfare-to-work services to CalWORKS recipients. The department’s goal is to meet the basic needs of families and individuals, while working with them to attain self-sufficiency and to promote work and personal responsibility. FINDINGS In September of 2004 the Consortium IV (C-IV) automation system was installed to replace Legacy System, the antiquated computer system used by San Bernardino and other California counties. Several other County departments have access to the C-IV system, namely Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Behavioral Health, Children’s Services, Aging and Adult Services and Public Health. The departments primarily use the system for Medi-Cal screening. The 1,400 Eligibility Workers (EW) with TAD use the C-IV system to input the information from the client during the interview to complete the application for various benefits offered by the County. The C-IV program has the ability to determine eligibility for one or more programs and calculates benefits for the clients. Every EW was given up to two weeks of classes to provide basic navigational instruction for the C-IV program. Because of the varied computer experiences of each EW, many of them are having a difficult time with the program. The Consortium C-IV is in a fine-tuning period. TAD expects the program should be totally trouble free from installation. Because of the different learning curve of individuals, the ones that were familiar with computers caught on without much difficulty. However, the ones without basic computer skills were slow in learning the system. They had to quickly learn computer basics and learn how to navigate the new computer system at the same time. During the two-week training period, the EW’s stated they were not given time for hands-on training. TAD provided instructional coaches in all the offices. It was apparent that the EW’s who did not have any basic computer skills before the installation of the C-IV had the most difficult time learning the new computer system. The Eligibility Worker series job requirements before the installation of C-IV suited the job, but with the new C-IV system, having basic computer skills enhances the EW’s proficiency stature. Nearly eight months after the installation of the C-IV, the EW’s who became proficient on the C-IV had some suggestions on how the system could be enhanced by revising the procedures. There is a system called Committee on Problem Evaluation (COPE) comprised of EW’s, to look at issues and suggestions of workers. Some EW’s were unaware that suggestions to modify or change the program could be submitted. In some TAD offices, some work stations were configured so that the client would be sitting near the EW who is inputting the answers on the computer monitor. The client can view the information on the monitor quite easily, and this could violate the confidentiality of the client. RECOMMENDATIONS 05-107 RE-EVALUATE THE ELIGIBILITY WORKER JOB REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BASIC COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE. 05-108 MAKE ALL ELIGIBILITY WORKERS AWARE OF THE COMMITTEE ON PROBLEM EVALUATION (COPE) SUGGESTION PROGRAM. 05-109 EVALUATE ELIGIBILITY WORKER WORK STATION LOCATIONS TO REDUCE VISIBILITY OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ON THE COMPUTER MONITOR WHILE PROCESSING THE CLIENTS’ APPLICATION. VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND The County Veterans Affairs Department serves as an advocate for former members of the U.S. Armed Services, their families and survivors residing in the County of San Bernardino. Established in 1926, the department is the oldest county veterans’ service office in the state. The agency works with veteran’s organizations, community groups, local, state and federal governments to identify and secure all eligible benefits for veterans. The staff of the department works as a liaison between the veteran and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. In fiscal year 2003/2004 the Department of Veterans Affairs was ranked fifth in the State in veteran population, third in the state for number of claims filed, and first in the State in the number of Medi-Cal Workload Units generated. Over 50 percent of the office workload is claims. The claims filed include survivor benefits, burial claims, appeals, and compensation. The Veterans Affairs staff served over 16,600 veterans during calendar year 2003. FINDINGS When a veteran comes to the department for a request, a full assessment is completed. On this initial visit the veteran is made aware of all eligible benefits and is given assistance in applying for these benefits. All veteran’s claim information is verified for accuracy and monitored as it is processed. A supervisory review of all open cases is done weekly. The State requires that Federal VA claims be processed within ten (10) calendar days. Processing of claims for County veterans has been reduced to less than a day, surpassing the department goal of three days. The New England Journal of Medicine (July 1, 2004) in a study, found that over 15 percent of returning veterans from Iraq suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The study also found there were “important barriers” to the veterans receiving treatment. The County Veterans Affairs refers veterans in need of treatment to the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda. At no County cost, there is a contract with the San Bernardino Vet-Center to provide individual and group counseling sessions in the County Department of Veterans Affairs Victorville office in exchange for office space. Counseling services have been proposed for the Chino office in a similar effort to reach more veterans. The Director of Veterans Affairs meets with all Human Services Systems department heads once a month. Currently there is no County database of veterans being served by the various County departments. Preliminary discussions have been held for the creation of a database to better serve veterans who require assistance from other 68 County departments. As the veteran population increases and ages, other County departments will be essential in the overall management of services provided to the veterans. County departments may include, but not be limited to the Department of Aging and Adult Services, Jobs and Employment Services Department, and Behavioral Health. The Director of Veterans Affairs indicated this database would facilitate the pursuit of benefits for veterans and reduce redundant action by other departments. The San Bernardino office has an informational bulletin board and a computer available for use by the veteran. Copies of any information posted on the bulletin board are only made by the office staff if requested by the public. RECOMMENDATIONS 05-110 CREATE A DATABASE OF THE CLIENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED ACROSS COUNTY AGENCIES. 05-111 EXPAND EFFORTS TO PROVIDE COUNTY VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE SPACE TO THE SAN BERNARDINO VET CENTER IN EXCHANGE FOR COUNSELING SESSIONS, TO REACH AS MANY COUNTY VETERANS AS POSSIBLE. 05-112 PROVIDE A RACK IN THE SAN BERNARDINO OFFICE WITH PERTINENT BROCHURES AND PAMPHLETS FOR INTERESTED VETERANS. 69

Commendations 12

CM1 Page 27

THE 2004-2005 GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE COOPERATION AND PROFESSIONALISM OF THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GRAND JURY WEBPAGE EXCEEDED THE GRAND JURY’S REQUESTS. 12
CM2 Page 11

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CM3 Page 30

AUDIT/FISCAL COMMITTEE The Audit/Fiscal Committee reviewed the operations and functions of the following County departments: Assessor Auditor/Controller-Recorder Treasurer-Tax Collector The Audit/Fiscal Committee appointed one subcommittee for the Assessor. The full committee was used on reviews and investigations of other departments. No contract audit was requested. There were no significant findings or recommendations for the office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Included in this report are the findings and recommendations of the Audit/Fiscal Committee. 13
CM4 Page 63

IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE DIFFICULTIES, PUBLICITY AND PRESSURES, THE 2004-2005 GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE INTERIM REGISTRAR OF VOTERS FOR HER ABILITY TO COUNT THE 44,888 PROVISIONAL BALLOTS BY HAND, REORGANIZE THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS, AND CERTIFY THE NOVEMBER 2004 ELECTION. 41
CM5 Page 12

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CM6 Page 68

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE The Health and Human Services Committee was given the responsibility of investigating all departments within the Human Services System, as well as the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and the Departments of Behavioral Health and Public Health. These various departments incorporate a large portion of the County’s services and employees. Due to the extent of the workload of some of these departments, the committee selected the following specific areas for its review and research: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Facility Security Assessment Department of Behavioral Health Department of Public Health Division of Environmental Health Services Animal Care and Control Vector Control Performance, Education and Resource Center (PERC) Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) Veterans Affairs While conducting investigations, the committee encountered department heads and staff who were professional and cooperative. The Health and Human Services Committee submits the following findings and recommendations. 43
CM7 Page 69

ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER Facility Security Assessment
CM8 Page 99

THE CURRENT DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING IS COMMENDED FOR REORGANIZING THE DEPARTMENT AND MODIFYING THE WORK PROCEDURES TO REDUCE THE BACKLOG OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS TO A MINIMUM. 72
CM9 Page 102

THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IS COMMENDED FOR ITS EFFORTS AT REDUCING COSTS TO THE TAXPAYER BY SOLICITING THEIR SERVICES TO NEIGHBORING CITIES, MUNICIPALITIES, FIRE DISTRICTS AND INDIAN RESERVATIONS. FLEET MANAGEMENT IS COMMENDED FOR ITS EFFORTS AT COST REDUCTIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION BY THE USE OF HYBRID VEHICLES. 75
CM10 Page 104

THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT IS COMMENDED FOR BEING HONORED FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITH THE “EXCELLENCE IN PROCUREMENT” AWARD BY THE NATIONAL PURCHASING INSTITUTE.
CM11 Page 106

THE REAL ESTATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS COMMENDED FOR ITS INITIATIVE IN ITS CROSS-TRAINING PROGRAM FOR PROPERTY AGENTS AND ALLOTMENT OF BUDGETED MONIES FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION.
CM12 Page 116

THE GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THEIR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SERIOUSNESS AND SUPPORT IN FIGHTING THE GANG PROBLEM IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY. THIS IS A POSITIVE STEP TOWARD REDUCING THE COUNTY’S NUMBER ONE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVING THE IMAGE OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY. 85

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