San Mateo County Grand Jury • 2013-2014

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Information: Investigating the Transparency of Independent Special Districts’ Websites

Published: June 30, 2015 110 pages Consolidated Report

View Original PDF

⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

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

Findings 8 findings

F1 Page 4

Some districts are misinformed about the relative affordability of professionally created websites.

F2 Page 4

Special districts lack trained in-house staff to regularly update website information.

F3 Page 4

Privacy concerns of Boards of Directors or Commissioners result in a lack of readily accessible contact information.

F4 Page 4

Not all special districts recognize the benefits of transparency delivered through district websites.

F5 Page 4

No County independent special district has completed the District of Distinction11 program offered by Special Districts Leadership Foundation (SDLF).

F6 Page 4

No independent special district in the County has yet earned the SDLF Transparency Certificate of Excellence.12

F7 Page 4

Only 2 of 23 independent special districts in the County have achieved SDLF Recognition in Special District Governance.13

F8 Page 4

No general manager or top management official of any County independent special district has received SDLF’s Special District Administrator Certification. 14

Recommendations 7

R1
Page 4

Each independent special district’s website will conform to the accepted criteria listed in the SDLF’s transparency checklist on or before May 15, 2015.
R2
Page 4

By December 31, 2014, independent special districts will consult with professional website developers if in-house staff is incapable of creating and/or managing their website as described above.
R3
Page 4

Each district will take the necessary steps to keep its website current.
R4
Page 4

Districts will complete the District of Distinction program offered by SDLF
R5
Page 4

Districts will seek to attain the SDLF Transparency Certificate of Excellence
R6
Page 4

Districts currently lacking staff or board members who have achieved the SDLF’s Recognition in Special District Governance will seek the training available under this program
R7
Page 4

District administrators will seek the SDLF Special District Administrator Certification. See Appendix C and http://sdlf.org/DODprog.htm 12 See Appendix D and http://sdlf.org/transparency.htm 13 See Appendix E and http://sdlf.org/SDGprog.htm 14 See Appendix F and http://sdlf.org/SDAprog.htm

No Responses Found 2

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Elected County Office

San Mateo County Harbor District Special District