2013 - 2014 Final Report State of California Placer County Grand Jury

Conclusions 10

• CL1
  The Grand Jury found the JDF to be clean, well maintained, and well staffed with trained personnel.
• CL2
  The PCMJ is well managed and well maintained in spite of significant challenges presented by realignment. While the State has allocated some additional funds to the counties to help cover the cost of realignment, the impact of realignment highlights the degree to which services need to be increased. While the Sheriff is to be commended for managing this 37 2013-2014 Placer County Grand Jury situation in a proactive manner, the need to add staff to allow a broader and more rapid expansion of the SPACF is critical and should be a high County priority. Unless State law is changed, realignment will continue to broaden the gap between the need for services and funds available to provide those services.
• CL3
  The Department appears to be well run. The Grand Jury identifies in the Recommendations portion below certain physical conditions of the APD which should be remedied. In particular, the temperature controls of the soft interview room should be repaired as soon as possible. The minor scuff marks apparent throughout the facility should be dealt with on a near- term timetable (i.e., one to five years), as the budget allows. The Grand Jury fully supports efforts in funding associated with equipping and operating computers in Auburn Police Department vehicles for the purpose of access and coordination with other regional police/emergency agencies and dispatch centers.
• CL4
  Seventeen months have passed since the Sheriff’s Department’s request to sell the donated helicopter was denied, without the Sheriff’s Department adopting a course of action for the disposal of the surplus aircraft and presenting the plan to the Board of Supervisors.
• CL5
  The relationship between age and driving behavior has been studied for many years. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers across the United States, especially between ages 16 to 19. According to the California DMV, the risk of a crash by a driver aged 16-17 is 3.6 times higher when they are carrying passengers, and it increases as the number of peer-age passengers increases. It is for these reasons that VC Section 12814.6 was implemented. Schools share the job of raising our children to become responsible, clear-thinking citizens. They must also share the job of making students fully aware of the dangers associated with driving, especially carrying peers in their car, using an endless number of distracting devices, using drugs and alcohol, and ignoring seatbelts. It is our focus and intent that schools can increase the awareness of the provisional driving law by performing a few simple changes, such as reinstatement of driver education classes in the curriculum.
• CL6
  The Summary Section of the January 29, 2004 revision of the Placer County Animal Shelter Needs Assessment Report by George Miers & Associates states “The generic type of shelter which exists today in Placer County is no longer considered acceptable by the majority of public and private animal care organizations, not to mention the general public”. The Grand Jury found no evidence to support this position. In a “Perfect World” with unlimited resources, an animal facility of this size and magnitude could be justified, but as society competes for limited resources and must make difficult decisions on the allocation of funds for Seniors, as well as homeless and disabled persons, this Grand Jury recommends that the animal shelter be limited in size and features that meet current and near future needs rather than long term projections. If shelter capacity requirements grow in the future, Placer County can capitalize on the expandability features of the design.
• CL7
  During the past five years, Roseville has taken steps to contain the escalating costs of its pension programs. It has reduced the size of its workforce by 170 personnel and is implementing the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013, which establishes a less generous pension benefit for employees hired after January 1, 2013, and should help slow pension cost increases. Roseville employees have begun to contribute more toward the cost of their pensions, whereas before, the City had paid a greater share of the employee’s contribution. In spite of these actions, the City’s annual contributions and the unfunded liability continue to grow. The recent strong returns from the CalPERS investment portfolio should have a moderating impact on Roseville’s unfunded liability and will tend to offset the very poor investment years in 2008 and 2009. However, further growth to the City’s pension liability is likely, given the recent changes that CalPERS has made to the economic and demographic assumptions it uses to project how much local government pension plans will need to cover future benefits. In 2012, for example, CalPERS lowered the discount rate from 7.75% to 7.5%, which has increased the City’s pension contribution. Then, in April 2013, CalPERS changed the way it phases in gains or losses to the fund over time, a process called “smoothing.” This change will impact the long term funding of the pension plans. In February, 2014, CalPERS adopted another change that will raise employer contribution rates to cover the increasing life expectancies of retirees. To absorb the impact of these changes, the City must continue to find ways to contain costs and ensure the long-term fiscal health of the City’s pension program. 105 2013-2014 Placer County Grand Jury
• CL8
  During the past five years, Rocklin has taken steps to contain the escalating costs of its pension programs. In 2012, Rocklin adopted a new tier two pension plan for new miscellaneous and police safety employees, while over the past five years it reduced the size of its workforce by 74 employees. Furthermore, Rocklin employees have begun to contribute toward the cost of their pensions, whereas before, the City had picked up the entire annual pension payments. In spite of these actions, the City’s unfunded liability for just its miscellaneous employees has more than tripled. In looking ahead, the recent strong returns in the CalPERS investment portfolio should have a moderating impact on Rocklin’s unfunded liability. Also, the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013 and the new tier two program that Rocklin adopted should slow pension cost increases down the road. Adding to the City’s pension cost, however, are recent changes that CalPERS has made to the economic and demographic assumptions it uses to project how much local government pension plans will need to cover future benefits. In 2012, for example, CalPERS lowered the discount rate from 7.75 to 7.5%, which has increased the City’s pension contribution. Then, in April 2013, CalPERS changed the way it recognizes gains or losses to the fund which will impact the long-term funding of the pension plans. Finally, in February, 2014, CalPERS adopted another change that will raise employer contribution rates to cover increasing life expectancies of retirees. To absorb the impact of these changes, the City must continue to find ways to contain costs to ensure the long-term fiscal health of the City’s pension programs and to ensure that the rising cost of pensions do not jeopardize other City services.
• CL9
  The Grand Jury found that a breakdown in communication between the BOS and its appointees contributed to the chain of events documented in this report which caused a significant impact on the Placer County seniors being serviced by the MOW program. This change was from a daily hot meal to a single delivery of five frozen meals once a week and the reduction in personal contact and evaluation. 136 2013-2014 Placer County Grand Jury
• CL10
  Bullying among students remains a pervasive problem, and instances of cyberbullying are increasing. Victims of persistent bullying can suffer significant and long-term psychological, health, and performance problems. Placer County educators recognize the problem and have implemented anti-bullying policies and programs that are based on whole-school and multi-disciplinary approaches. However, comprehensive means to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs and gather feedback directly from students do not currently exist.