Shasta County Grand Jury • 2007-2008

Report submitted to the agency on: July 7, 2008 City and County Websites Citizen Access

Published: July 07, 2008 60 pages Consolidated Report

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⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 7 findings

The table below shows what is Response required available at present on the various websites. The Grand Jury recommends that the web content described in the following table be included on all civic websites within the County.

In November 2007 the City of No response required Redding’s “Surplus Property” webpage displayed 2004 data (out- of-date information.). The records on the webpage were brought current in 2008 with the date of the last update listed on the webpage.

In the November 2006 election the No response required present Auditor/Controller made campaign promises that she would establish an Auditor/Controller webpage. This webpage would make available to the public “… property tax [rate information] and financial information ….” As of the writing of this report (16 months later) the only thing that appears on the Auditor/Controller website is contact information. When queried, the Auditor/Controller stated that she was “working on it.

Shasta County’s Audited Annual No response required Financial Report and the Federal ‘Single Audit’ are not available on the Internet. When I.T. personnel were asked how much time it would take to post a 400-page PDF document to the website, they said it could be completed in one hour or less.

The County and City websites lack No response required RSS capabilities, which, if available, would make it easier for citizens to obtain copies of newly created government documents.

Not all of the counties departments’ No response required pages are consistent across the website. Although the county I.T. department is working toward a more consistent standard across the website, some department heads are resisting the change, according to the I.T. staff we interviewed.

All websites reviewed used “drop No response required down” list selections, which work well for many things but have one drawback for users. On some of the county and Redding department sites, clicking the “drop down” displays a list of items, but those items cannot be printed out. This drawback can be addressed with a good sitemap. Webpage designers should be aware the public relies on the ability to print desired information for future use and thus techniques which make printing difficult or impossible are to be avoided.

Recommendations 7

R2

Each government entity should Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors agrees with the implement the following items: recommendation that a comprehensive sitemap should be available for the website. The recommendation has been implemented. A  Each governmental entity’s sitemap was developed and is currently available on the website as portal (homepage) should part of the standard template. County staff will continue to monitor have a comprehensive the effectiveness of sitemaps as the use of the Internet continues to sitemap. evolve. While sitemaps were a necessity for navigation in the early  Minimum website content development of the Internet, their usefulness has diminished greatly should include all public in the past several years. Search engines, topical based web design, meeting notices, agendas, intuitive menu/navigation, and breadcrumbs are of much greater minutes, financial reports, importance in making a website easy to use and easy to navigate. budgets, etc. However, we can see some value in having a sitemap available on  Printable material should be the website for those who have difficulty finding their way using the in PDF format so it can be other tools available. printed on any platform. If The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The PDF is not available, the recommendation is in process of being implemented. Although user should be instructed Shasta County currently provides many public notices, agendas, how to print the item. minutes, and budgets on its website, we welcome the suggestion to add financial reports and other specifically requested documents.  Printable agendas, financial The County Administrative Officer will request that department data and budget documents heads and elected officials, with the assistance of our IT should be obtainable within Web/Graphic Designer, audit their web pages and post the two or three clicks of the suggested documents within the next two years. mouse. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The  Each item should have a recommendation is in the process of being implemented. Although print option, giving the user Shasta County currently provides many web documents in Portable the ability to print one page, Document Format (PDF), the County Administrative Officer will several pages, or all pages. request that the department heads and elected officials, with the Large PDF reports assistance of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, audit their web pages composed of several sections within the next two years to make any necessary changes. should have an option to The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The “print all” with one click. recommendation is in the process of being implemented. Although  Minimum department page Shasta County currently provides many agendas, financial data, and content should include the budget documents within two or three mouse clicks, the County name of the department Administrative Officer will request that the department heads and head, contact information, a elected officials, with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic list of department functions Designer, audit their web pages within the next two years to make and frequently requested ant necessary changes. public documents relevant to The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The those functions. recommendation is in the process of being implemented. Most print  The website should include drivers and Adobe Reader allow the user to print selected text, one common words instead of page, several pages, or all pages. The County Administrative industry buzzwords. Officer will request that department heads and elected officials,  Titles should be spelled out with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, audit their web the first time they are used, pages within the next two years to make sure there is an option for with acronyms defined in large PDF documents to be printed in their entirety without the user parentheses for subsequent having to print each section separately. use. For example: Portable The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The Document Format (PDF), recommendation is in the process of being implemented. Although Redding Electric Utility many Shasta County department pages contain the name of the (REU). department head and contact information, the County  Each government entity’s Administrative Officer will request that the department heads and homepage should have a elected officials, with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic current events calendar Designer, audit their web pages within the next two years to add a listing meetings of the list of department functions and frequently requested public councils, boards, documents relevant to those functions. commissions, supervisors, The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The trustees or any meeting for recommendation is in the process of being implemented. The which public notice is County Administrative Officer will request that the department required by law. heads and elected officials, with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, audit their web pages within the next two years to eliminate buzzwords. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The recommendation is in the process of being implemented. The County Administrative Officer will request that department heads and elected officials, with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, audit their web pages within the next two years to spell out titles the first time they are used, with acronyms defined in parentheses for subsequent use. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The recommendation can be implemented within the next two years. The County Administrative Officer will request that department heads and elected officials, with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, determine a calendar format to use that can contain the recommended information, then provide a link to the calendar on Shasta County’s homepage. City of Anderson: The City concurs with the recommendation, and has already begun implementing several of the items. City of Shasta Lake: A site map of the entire website will be available on the homepage of the City’s planned new website. The City’s existing website offers users access to agendas, both current and archived. Archived minutes of City Council and Redevelopment Agency meetings will be added to the current website. Financial reports are currently available on the City’s existing website, as are annual budgets, and audited reports. Information on federal “single audit” of grants is available on our current website in Year End Financial Statements. Most printable material and documents on the current website are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Documents not in PDF format are in HTML format and are printable. For the most part these items are accessible within three clicks on the existing website. The new proposed website will be designed to provide maximum accessibility to users. All PDF documents on the existing website are automatically opened in Adobe Reader. This program offers the user the ability to print one or more pages of the document. A “print all” button is located on the program toolbar. These items are offered on some of the Department pages of our existing websites. The proposed new website will contain detailed information regarding each department as well as downloadable documents, instructions, applications, and other data that will save the user a visit to City Hall. We believe our website is readable and does not contain an over abundance of industry buzz words. However, a review of the site will be made to ensure all buzzwords are replaced with common words and phrases. Again, we believe our existing website minimizes use of undefined acronyms, but a survey of the site will be conducted to correct any discrepancies. A meetings calendar for City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Commissions, and public hearings will be added to the proposed new website. City of Redding: The City Council agrees with this recommendation and intends to implement it. The City of Redding takes pride in providing a user-friendly interface, making navigation and access to desired information easy. However, it is true that some users may find a site map useful and one will be provided on the home page and on other pages where practical. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. Public meeting notices, agendas, staff reports, minutes, financial reports and other related documents are included on the City’s website. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. Such information is available with three clicks of the mouse. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. City staff in charge of content on the website endeavor to make it understandable to all members of the public. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and has implemented it wherever suitable. The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. The homepage has a clearly labeled section entitled Agendas/Staff Reports containing a listing of councils, boards, commissions and other bodies conducting meetings open to the public that contains meeting times, minutes, staff reports and other information. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer
R3

Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors concurs with the That all agendas posted pursuant to recommendation. The Board of Supervisors agenda is posted on our the Brown Act also be published website pursuant to the Brown Act 72-hour requirements; this is simultaneously on the entities done as soon as reasonably possible after the agenda is posted website. outside our Chambers. The County Administrative Officer will request that the department heads and elected officials who are responsible for posting agendas pursuant to the Brown Act, publish them simultaneously, or as soon as reasonably possible, on their web page.
R4

Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors concurs with the That the Shasta County recommendation. The Auditor-Controller, an elected official, has Auditor/Controller create and advised that the information will be on the website by September maintain a webpage with the current 2008. and, to start, the previous three years’ audited financial statements Shasta County Auditor/Controller: I agree with the and single audit reports in PDF recommendation. The webpage has been finalized and published. format for easy printing by the The previous three years’ audited financial statements and single public. audit reports are provided, as well as additional information. The current year reports will be posted in December, after the completion of the audit.
R5

Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors concurs with the That the Auditor/Controller include recommendation. The Auditor-Controller, an elected official, has on the department’s website property advised that the information will be on the website by September tax rate information. 2008. Shasta County Auditor/Controller: I agree with the recommendation. The webpage has been finalized and published. Property tax rate information is provided for public viewing.
R6

Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors concurs with the None That each county or city recommendation. The County Administrative Officer will request department review its webpages that the department heads and elected officials, with the assistance annually. If the data is not current of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, review their web pages on an and accurate, an explanatory note annual basis to determine that data is accurate and current or should be included on the webpage provide an explanation as to why the data is not up to date. as to why the data is not up to date. City of Anderson: The City concurs with the recommendation. City of Shasta Lake: Our current website is constantly reviewed and updated by each department having responsibility for content. There should be no out of date information on the site. City of Redding: The City Council agrees with the recommendation that it is important to keep data current and accurate and plans to implement it. Each department is directed to frequently review its web pages to ensure data is accurate and updated. This direction will be renewed and attention given to implementing additional methods of ensuring data is up to date. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer
R7

Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors agrees with the That each government homepage recommendation that a comprehensive sitemap should be available have a comprehensive sitemap to aid for the website. The recommendation has been implemented. A the user in finding information. sitemap was developed and is currently available on the website as Other cities and counties can serve as part of the standard template. We will continue to monitor the easy to modify examples. In effectiveness of sitemaps as the use of the Internet continues to particular, the County of Santa evolve. While sitemaps were a necessity for navigation in the early Clara’s site development of the Internet, their usefulness has diminished greatly www.sccgov.org/portal/site/scc can in the past several years. Search engines, topical based web designs, serve as a good example. intuitive menus/navigation, and breadcrumbs are of much greater importance in making a website easy to use and easy to navigate. However, we can see some value in having a sitemap available on the website for those who have difficulty finding their way using the other tools available. City of Anderson: The City concurs with the recommendation. City of Shasta Lake: There are no site maps on the existing website. Site maps will be included in the proposed new website. City of Redding: The City Council agrees with this recommendation and intends to implemented it. The City of Redding takes pride in providing a user-friendly interface, making navigation and access to desired information easy. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer
R8

Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors disagrees with this That the designers/programmers of recommendation because the testing described in the the webpages conduct periodic recommendation is something that has been in place for more than testing for usability for any major two years. Our Web/Graphic Designer regularly tests for usability changes or updates to their websites. for any major changes or updates to the website. Additionally, these changes are regularly reviewed by the Web Development Committee. The recommendation will not be implemented because it has been in place for more than two years. City of Anderson: The City concurs with the recommendation. City of Shasta Lake: The City of Shasta Lake does not have an IT department, nor does it employ web designers or programmers. Each department is responsible to ensure changes or updates are functional. City of Redding: The City Council agrees that it is important to periodically test the City’s web pages for continued usability. It implemented this recommendation prior to the Grand Jury’s report in that each department is directed to frequently review its web pages to ensure continued functionality and proper navigability. This direction will be renewed and attention given to implementing additional methods of ensuring usability. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer Recommendations: 9: Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors partially disagrees with That Shasta County and its cities the recommendation. In looking at all 58 California counties only move with all due speed to provide four currently have RSS feeds. In each of these four cases the RSS RSS capabilities. Make the sending feeds are quite limited. Yet, given the nature of RSS feeds (see the of meeting notices, agendas and Wikipedia excerpt below) and that they lend themselves well to minutes a first priority. relatively regular and frequent changes on a website, it is understandable why County RSS feeds might be useful to the public. Implementation of this recommendation may take place in the near future, as the IT Department is currently working with the County Administrative Office to determine the overall cost vs. the relative value of using RSS feeds. The following excerpt was taken from Wikipedia: “RSS is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a ‘feed’, ‘web feed’, or ‘channel’) contains either a summary of content from an associated website or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with websites in an automated manner that can be piped into special programs or filtered displays.” “The benefit of RSS is the aggregation of content from multiple Web sources in one place. RSS content can be read using software called an ‘RSS reader’, ‘feed reader’ or an ‘aggregator’, which can be web-based or desktop-based. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by many different programs. The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed’s link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader checks the user’s subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloads any updates that it finds, and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.” “The initials ‘RSS’ are used to refer to the following formats: • Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0) • RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.09) • Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91).” “RSS.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Jul 2008, 06:04 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Jul 2008 . City of Anderson: The City concurs with the recommendation and believes RSS can be a valuable tool for disseminating information. However, staffing and budget limitations may inhibit our ability to implement this recommendation immediately. We will implement this recommendation as soon as resources allow. City of Shasta Lake: Really Simple Syndication (RSS) capabilities will be made a part of the City’s proposed new website. City of Redding: The City Council agrees in part with this recommendation and plans to implement Really Simple Syndication (RSS) capabilities for selected content. The City Council agrees that RSS capabilities may be of benefit to the City and its citizens. It respectfully suggests that the most valuable use for RSS feeds would be for unscheduled information, such as job or bid announcements, entertainment information and timely news, rather than routine information that follows a set schedule such as agenda or minute postings. City staff is currently exploring the technology and intends to begin making RSS feeds available in selected circumstances. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer Recommendations 10: Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors does not agree with this That each department have its own recommendation. The effort needed to create and maintain a useful sitemap. The ability to print where sitemap at the department level would be prohibitive at this time. one has been and/or where one The recommendation will not be implemented because of the should go on the Internet is probably difficulty to maintain departmental sitemaps. However, the overall second in importance only to the website sitemap includes information from each department’s availability of information. website; the overall sitemap will be accessible from each department’s website. City of Anderson: The City agrees that site maps can provide valuable tools to assist site users quickly access the information they need. However, the City provides information on its site in a very simple, uncomplicated fashion and believes that the creation of individual site maps for each department would cause more confusion than it would prevent. We believe that a comprehensive site map, implemented pursuant to Recommendation 7, will he easily guide users throughout the entire City Web site. The City agrees with the recommendation on the ability to print individual Web site pages. City of Shasta Lake: There are no site maps on the existing website. Site maps, including one for each department, will be included in the proposed new website. City of Redding: The City Council does not intend to implement this recommendation at this time. Sitemaps can prove useful if a user has difficulty finding the information for which he or she is looking. The City of Redding takes pride in providing a user friendly interface making navigation and access to desired information easy. As such, the City Council believes that a sitemap on each of the departments’ websites at this time would be of marginal utility and would not be worth the cost of implementing and maintaining it. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer Recommendations 11: Shasta County: The Board of Supervisors agrees with the The Grand Jury recommends that all recommendation that a comprehensive sitemap should be available of the web content described in the for the website. The recommendation has been implemented. A table be included in the county and sitemap was developed and is currently available on the website as cities websites. part of the standard template. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of sitemaps as the use of the Internet continues to evolve. While sitemaps were a necessity for navigation in the early development of the Internet, their usefulness has diminished greatly in the past several years. Search engines, topical based web designs, intuitive menus/navigation, and breadcrumbs are of much greater importance in making a website easy to use and easy to navigate. However, we can see some value in having a sitemap available on the website for those who have difficulty finding their way using the other tools available. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The recommendation can be implemented within the next two years. The County Administrative Officer will request that the Chief Deputy Clerk of the Board, with the assistance of our IT Web/Graphic Designer, determine a calendar format to use that can contain the recommended information, then provide a link to the calendar on Shasta County’s homepage. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The Auditor-Controller, an elected official, has advised that the information will be on the website by September 2008. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The Auditor-Controller, an elected official, has advised that the information will be on the website by September 2008. The Board of Supervisors concurs with the recommendation. The Auditor-Controller, an elected official, has advised that the information will be on the website by September 2008. City of Anderson: The City concurs with the recommendation. City of Shasta Lake: The Web site Content table identifies one item as being absent from the City’s website that is currently available on the site. As required by law, information on federal “single audit” of grants is contained in “Other Supplemental Information” of the Year Ending Financial Statements, which are posted on our website. All other items in the table are either implemented in the City’s existing website (as noted in the table), or planned for the proposed new websites. City of Redding: The table lists the following three items as not currently included on the City of Redding website: Sitemap The City Council agrees with this recommendation and intends to implement it. The City of Redding takes pride in providing a user-friendly interface, making navigation and access to desired information easy. Federal “Single Audit” of Grants The City Council agrees with the recommendation to include the single audit reports, and will implement this recommendation in conjunction with the posting of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Calendar of City/County Events The City Council agrees with this recommendation and implemented it prior to the Grand Jury’s report. The City of Redding website contains an Events listing on its homepage and a link to VisitRedding.org, a website that contains an extensive calendar of regional events and activities. Responses invited from: Shasta County Administrative Officer Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer This table refers to Finding 2 above Website Content Description Shasta City of City of Shasta City of County Redding Lake Anderson General Items Sitemap No No No No Department Lists Yes Yes Yes Yes Finance Audited Reports (CAFR)* No Yes Yes Yes Annual Budgets Yes Yes Yes No Other Financial Data Note 2 No Yes Yes No Federal “Single Audit” of Grants No No No No City Council/County Supervisors Current Agenda Yes Yes Yes Yes Previous Agendas Yes Yes Yes No Minutes Yes Yes No No Archived Minutes Yes Yes No No Calendar of City/County Events No No No No * CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) Method of Inquiry: The Grand Jury interviewed:  Shasta County Auditor/Controller  Shasta County Chief Information Technology Officer  Shasta County Information Technology Supervisor  Shasta County Information Technology Web/Graphic Designer  The Grand Jury reviewed the following:  Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB): “GASB Issues Standards to Improve Post- Employment Benefit Plan Reporting.”  Government Finance Officers Association: “Recommended Practice: Establishing of an Internal Audit function (February 28, 2003, 1997 and 2006)  Government Finance Officers Association: Using Websites to Improve Access to Budget Documents and Financial Reports (2003).  Government Finance Officers Association: “The GASB’s New Financial Reporting Model: An Overview for Finance Officers July 1999”  www.usa.gov/webcontent/ Webcontent.gov Requirements and Best Practices  www.usa.gov/webcontent/ Webcontent.gov RSS Feeds 2007-2008 Shasta County Grand Jury Report Report submitted to the agency on: July 7, 2008 Stillwater Business Park City of Redding 777 Cypress Street All of our Eggs in one Basket Redding, CA 96007 Phone: 530 123-4567 Summary: From the Stillwater Business Park Marketing Plan and Budget, September 2007: “In 1998, the Redding City Council convened an ad hoc committee to study the potential for the development of a large parcel industrial park. The consensus of the committee was that existing industrial parks were well-suited for small- and medium-sized companies and that local developers were developing this kind of product. The committee also noted however that market conditions in Shasta County were such that it was unlikely that a private developer would take the risks associated with the development of a park specifically oriented toward large users. The committee saw the opportunity to create a new large parcel business park that would make Redding and Shasta County more competitive.” The ad hoc committee’s work led to the creation of the Stillwater Business Park by the City of Redding. “The Stillwater Business Park is a 700 +/- acre Business Park located within the City of Redding east of Interstate 5 and 2 miles south of Highway 44. There are approximately 321+/- acres available for development with parcels ranging from 5-100 acres. The balance of the site is dedicated to open space and public improvements.” (City of Redding Economic Development website.) The park, owned by the City of Redding, is designed to provide ready-to-go sites for manufacturers, distribution centers and corporate offices. However, at this time these parcels still lack infrastructure, i.e., roads, electricity, gas, water, sewer and fiber optic services. They are not “shovel ready,” according to industry standards. When the City of Redding decided to develop a business park, Stillwater was seen as the ideal location for new development sites for firms wanting to relocate to northern California. The city staff estimated that approximately 1,500 new jobs would be created at a higher-than-average wage. At the start of the process it was thought that Stillwater could be completed for approximately $11 million. However, current estimates of the costs for the completion of the park are as high as $70 million. In June 1999, the Economic Development Corporation (EDC)* initiated negotiations to purchase the 700 privately owned acres which became the Stillwater Business Park site. In March 2000, the Redding City Council approved initiation of annexation of the site into city. During the next three years city staff prepared the “Purpose and Need” proposal and other preliminary paperwork for review by the land development governing agencies. *The Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County (EDC) is the nucleus of economic development for Shasta County and the cities within Shasta County. The EDC is funded by a consortium of local governments and private businesses that share a common interest in growing the economic base of Shasta County. Shasta County and the cities of Redding, Anderson and Shasta Lake City contract with the EDC to identify and recruit new business prospects to this area. Additionally, they work to assist existing businesses with expansion. On November 6, 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter to the City of Redding in response to its “Purpose and Need” proposal pertaining to the need for a business park to help stimulate economic growth. In essence, the Environmental Protection Specialist criticized the city’s proposal, citing significant disagreement with the choice of location of the park. He stated, “… EPA considers the vernal wetland complexes of Stillwater Plains to be Aquatic Resources of National Importance (AARNI), a fact underscored by our past commitment of financial assistance to the California Department of Fish and Game for pursuit of their protection in perpetuity.” The Environmental Protection Specialist was adamant that the city explore other alternative sites for business development away from the aquatic wetlands. He also stated that the City had not made a strong enough case for the need for a business park. The Environmental Protection Specialist said that he saw no evidence of business prospects seriously looking at Redding as a site for business expansion. Several years went by as the city defended its choice of location. The wetland issue contributed to a five-year delay in the progress of building Stillwater. During that time the following actions occurred: Stillwater Project Timeline: Jun 99 - EDC Option with property owner Joe Sanders for 480 acres executed by EDC Mar 00 - Redding City Council approves initiation of annexation Apr 01 - Notice of Preparation of CEQA EIR Jul 03 - Re-Notice of EIR preparation due to changes to project. Wetlands issues and addressing of FAA surplus property to the South of Stillwater Park Apr 04 - Preliminary Draft EIS/EIR May 05 - EDC & COR agree to cooperate on the Sanders/EDC Option Sept 05 - Supplemental EIS/EIR Draft prepared Apr 06 - City Council approves Certified EIS/EIR Nov 06 - City closed the Sanders property sale Aug 07 - LAFCO approved annexation and U.S. Army Corps 404 Permit issued Nov 07 - Parcel Map and Planned Development Plan approved by the Planning Commission In Spring 2006, the city council authorized the Redding Economic Development director to hire development consultant Al Gianini to provide it with a Stillwater Business Park Competitive Analysis and Pricing Summary. In his report, submitted to the city council on September 20, 2007, he indicated that in the current market the city must compete aggressively with other demographically similar areas for job-producing industries. Locations in the counties of Madera, Stanislaus, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Placer, Nevada, Colusa, Tehama, Siskiyou, and the states of Nevada and Oregon are ahead of Shasta County in terms of established business parks and are competing against Shasta County for the same businesses. Mr. Gianini’s report offered pricing suggestions. “To help stimulate activity in the Park, the city’s initial tenant(s) should obtain a price reduction based upon the quality of the tenant; including name recognition, credit, capital investment and employment. Another option is for the city to carry the note for the initial tenant(s). This provides the buyer an incentive without changing your price structure.” The Grand Jury investigation revealed diverse opinions about the value of building the Stillwater Business Park. Some think that the escalating costs caused by delays have made the project no longer worth pursuing. Others think that the project is worthwhile because it will attract industry leading to better paying jobs. Although the project is controversial, at no time during its investigation did the Grand Jury find any evidence of Redding’s seeking widespread public input. Officials representing the cities of Anderson and Shasta Lake (neither of which has a financial stake in the building of the business park) said that the development of Stillwater would be beneficial for the county and smaller cities because it showcases the whole county area. They think that continuation of the project should result in opportunities for those areas to promote their communities as well to potential businesses.

Conclusions 1

CL1

The Grand Jury commends the election staff of the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Office for the overall operation and efficiency of the February 5, 2008 election. No voting irregularities were observed. 46

Commendations 7

CM1

Over half of the districts (20/31) would like additional training. They requested training on (in order of frequency): the Brown Act, ethics, raising money and budgeting, board member responsibilities, and Robert’s Rules of Order. Several requested training be done locally.
CM2

Although most districts (24/31) say that board members know where to get training on the laws governing districts, out of the approximately 150 board members whose boards responded to our survey, 54 board members have not been trained on the Brown Act and 46 have not received state mandated ethics training. This is the situation despite the fact that any person who becomes an elected or appointed member of a governing board, is obligated to inform himself or herself of the legal obligations attendant to that public office.
CM3

Most districts (22/31) have not joined the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) nor have they attended the training it provides. One district stated that joining the association is too expensive.
CM4

A majority of boards (19/31) say they do not have trouble getting people to run for the board, despite many constituents’ lack of time and interest.
CM5

Members of most boards (20/31) have contacts with members of other boards, though often only because of the small size of the towns in which they live. Water district board members have most contacts because of conferences conducted by associations like the Association of California Water Agencies.
CM6

Many (22/31) districts will need increased revenue in the near future, most to “replace aging equipment and infrastructure.” Sixteen of these districts are concerned about how they will raise the needed money.
CM7

Most (18/31) of the districts are satisfied with public attendance at board meetings. However, as a rule, few people attend meetings. An interesting comment made was that “attendance is lowest when things are going smoothly.” All say they post agendas, although past Grand Jury reports show that in the past some districts have not posted them in a timely manner. Few of the districts publish newsletters (9/31). One district volunteered that information about meetings is available on its website. 42 Summary Some districts with large budgets and some with small budgets need increased revenues to “replace aging equipment and infrastructure.” It appears that these districts need help with learning about various options for raising these revenues. Collaborating, banding together to find and fund a training source for these options would be both possible and desirable. As expected, districts with large operating budgets meet their training needs better than do districts with smaller budgets. Most district governing board members’ training needs can be met with information that is available to them on the Internet from the California Attorney General’s website, www.ag.ca.gov. The sidebar in this site titled “Government,” lists “Conflict of Interest,” “Open Meetings” (Brown Act), and “Public Records” and “Ethics Training Course, AB1234.” Shasta County Sheriff’s Work Release Facility The Shasta County Grand Jury toured the Shasta County Sheriff’s Work Release site at 4560 Veterans Lane, Redding on January 7, 2008, and discovered a money-saving program. Work Release is open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed on holidays. The program operates in conjunction with the Shasta County Probation Department Community Service Unit and the Sheriff’s Home Electronic Confinement program. Work Release allows qualified offenders to complete their sentences while living at home, thus freeing up beds in the county jail. Some participants continue in their current employment. They all report to the Work Release facility or other work sites where they perform various public service jobs. In addition to saving the citizens the cost of providing in-custody housing for these offenders, the program provides for minimal fees (based on ability to pay) to be collected from offenders. One staff member said that the amount of money saved is significant if one were to multiply by the minimum wage the number of hours served. This savings helps support services that otherwise would be reduced by the county due to financial constraints. At the same time, the offenders repay the community by doing public service work. Some of the services provided are road and cemetery cleanup, assisting the Redding Rodeo and growing fruits and vegetables in the seven-acre garden at the Work Release facility. The produce is used in the jail, and the surplus is donated to various nonprofit organizations for distribution to the needy. Among the other successful projects in the Work Release program are its bike repair program, which provided 408 bikes to needy members of the community during 2007, and the fabrication and placement of wreaths at the veterans’ cemetery in Igo. For some of the participants in the program, this is the first time they have seen a positive result from their efforts. Our Visit to Sugar Pine Conservation Camp No. 9 On January 22, 2008, the Shasta County Grand Jury toured the Sugar Pine Conservation Camp No. 9, located 25 miles east of Redding off State Highway 299 East. The facility is a joint venture between 43 the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The camp opened June 24, 1988. Its primary mission is to provide inmate fire crews for fire suppression in the Shasta County area; however, crews from the camp are often called to assist fire suppression operations throughout the state, as they were last October and November in Southern California. In addition to fire suppression, the inmate crews provide a work force in case of floods and for conservation projects and community services. While performing jobs for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Forest Service, Cal-Trans, Redding Fire Department, Shasta Lake City, local schools, volunteer fire companies and other community organizations, the crews logged in 45,824 work hours in 2007. The camp is designed to house under minimum security 120 male inmates. Most are serving the last of their sentences for alcohol- or drug-related offenses. There are six 17-member fire crews utilized for firefighting and other emergency activities under the supervision of a Cal Fire captain. Five of these crews are assigned daily to community services work projects around the county. The remaining fire crew is responsible primarily for project work performed at the camp as mechanics, welders, carpenters, maintenance workers and engravers. These inmates are given the opportunity to acquire job skills. Inmates not assigned to fire crews support the facility as clerks, cooks, porters, or utility workers but may be called to fire duty in an extreme emergency. Inmates are selected by prison personnel for the camp, trained at a correctional center near Susanville, and then assigned to the camp. On average, inmates eligible for the camp serve the last nine months of their sentence at Sugar Pine. Selected inmates must have records free of charges for sex-related offenses, escapes, arson, or violent crimes or behaviors. When asked about the long hours and hard work, one inmate crew member responded, “…we work hard to get here, and we work hard to stay here.” Many expressed appreciation for being selected for the camp. Some commented on how often they are called upon to help, as they were for the Southern California fires. The result is a feeling of satisfaction when receiving the heartfelt thanks of the people they have helped. The majority of the inmates receive $1.45 per day. Skilled inmates, such as mechanics, clerks, cooks, plumbers, welders, carpenters and electricians, may earn up to $2.56 per day. While fighting fires, inmates may earn an additional $1 per hour. Often a portion of inmate earnings goes toward a state fund for restitution to victims of crime. When we consider the fire prevention, fire suppression, land conservation, and special community services that they provide, the inmates contribute a cost- avoidance to the taxpayers of California of about $1.5 million per year. During off-work hours inmates enjoy hobbies, crafts and other leisure time activities. Family members are welcome to visit during the weekends. Community volunteers provide religious services and recovery programs. One of the highlights of the year is the annual Sugar Pine Car, Bike and Truck Show. Inmates quickly learn that life in a conservation camp is preferable to life behind the walls of a prison and therefore conduct themselves accordingly. Inmates at camp live in open dormitories with a dining hall staffed by inmate cooks and supervised by CDCR staff. The camp is sufficiently staffed by CDCR to provide around-the-clock supervision of the inmates. In addition, Cal Fire has assigned to the camp 12 crew captains, a heavy equipment 44 mechanic, water and sewer plant operator, an office technician, one battalion chief and one assistant chief (division chief). The Grand Jury was impressed by the mutual respect between staff and inmates and by the operations and efficiency of Sugar Pine Conservation Camp. Your Vote Counts! Four Grand Jury members participated in the February 5, 2008 primary election in Shasta County. Three members served as poll workers, and one served as the Grand Jury Observer. An interview with the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters supported our observations: Pre-Election • We were taken on a tour of two floors at the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Office, completely filled with voting machines, ballot boxes, ballots, and other related voting equipment and materials. • We participated in the poll workers’ training, which included polling procedures, assembling voting booths and machines, and inspecting the seals on ballot boxes and machines. Poll workers learned procedures for reporting, repacking and returning voting materials after the election. • We observed vote-by-mail ballot processing and counting, which begins one week prior to the election. • We observed signature checking of mail ballots. Election Day • Members of the Grand Jury either worked at or visited six polling places that covered eight precincts. • We spoke with polling staff including poll workers, inspectors and rovers. • We reviewed precinct voter lists and voter processing procedures. The Grand Jury observers noted the following: • Three locations had icy and slippery conditions at entrance approaches to the polling places. • Polling places were organized, clean and well run. • Electronic voting machines were available upon request and provided adaptive features to allow the visually impaired to vote. • Electronic voting machines kept a paper record of each vote. • Poll workers instructed voters on the proper use of paper ballots when they signed in on the registered voter precinct lists. • Provisional ballots were available for any voter who requested a ballot and was not on the precinct list. These ballots were placed in individual pink envelopes for later validation. • County employees designated as rovers were assigned to precincts within a certain area to resolve problems. Potential problems might include broken security seals, malfunctioning machines, or missing materials. If necessary, rovers could communicate with, or go to, the County Clerk’s office. Post Election Two days after the election the official canvas of the vote began. The Grand Jury participants: 45 • Visited the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters Office and observed county workers continuing to count vote-by-mail ballots. • Reviewed with the assistant Registrar of Voters the ballot sampling procedures and data matrices. • Watched the processing of remaining ballots, researching the authenticity of provisional ballots, auditing of the polls and manual sampling of one percent of all paper ballots.

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Shasta County County