Mendocino County Grand Jury
• 2000-2001
• Agency Response
Review of Responses and Implementation of Recommendations to Previous Grand Jury Reports The Grand Jury reviewed
⚠️ Aviso de traducción: Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
A review of current “Policy and Procedures Letters” and “Child Welfare Services Information Bulletins” show that Social Services wrote letters and bulletins regarding policies the Grand Jury identified as lacking. Response (Social Services): The Department agrees with this finding. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
In Social Service notebooks, finding procedures for specific topics is cumbersome. Social Services has placed letters and bulletins chronologically in notebooks with section tabs for years 1995-2000 and “Currently under revision” in the back. Each notebook has a key-word index, but Social Services staff indicated that a subject-based policy and procedures manual would be an asset to social workers. 2000-2001 Mendocino County Grand Jury Final Report 141 Response (Social Services): The Department agrees with this finding. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
On November 7, 2000, the Grand Jury asked for copies of the Foster Parent Handbook and Health and Education Passport by December 1, 2000. a. Social Services furnished a copy of the Foster Parent Handbook developed in Spring 1999, updated for November 29, 2000. Each page has date of revision noted. b. Social Services furnished a copy of Health & Education Passport notebook with instructions dated November 2, 2000. Social Services reports the notebooks are in use. There is no corroborating evidence to support this.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
In a letter dated February 22, 2001, the Department of Planning and Building stated that the Planning and Building “will schedule this issue for discussion and direction by the Board of Supervisors with 90 days.” As of May 23, 2001, (the end of the 90 days) the issue had been scheduled for the June 6, 2001 Board of Supervisors meeting. Response (Planning and Building): The Department agrees with this finding with a minor clarification. The item was officially scheduled for, and heard by, the Board of Supervisors on June 12, 2001. Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board agrees with this finding with the date of correction noted by the Department.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
Large businesses consider the current penalties no more than cost of doing business. Response (Planning and Building): Without additional information, we can neither agree nor disagree. While the Department previously agreed with this statement the Department no longer sees wholesale avoidance of the permit process. We believe this to be due to changes in the business and permit processing “climate”. 2000-2001 Mendocino County Grand Jury Final Report 145 Response (Board of Supervisors): The Board agrees with the departmental response. The Board believes the development of the streamlined permitting process has been a contributing factor in positive change towards business perception of a “user friendly” department and process.
No recommendations for this finding
Comments 1
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CO1Mandatory dog licensing with required rabies vaccination helps to prevent the spread of rabies among pets and humans. The Grand Jury commends the Animal Control Director for pursuing an amnesty period and hopes that the County publicized the amnesty with information stating why, how, and where to obtain dog licenses. Response Required None “Transient Occupancy Tax,” 1998-99 The Treasurer-Tax Collector stated: “The 1999-2000 Grand Jury Report, as a hold over from the 1998-99 report, recommended that the Board of Supervisors review with the Treasurer the current procedures for identifying facilities required to pay the TOT, for collecting taxes from the identified facilities and for enforcing compliance. At the time of the issuance of the Grand Jury report the procedures for enforcement of the TOT Ordinance were unwritten procedures which had evolved over time within the office and were primarily handled by one particular staff member at any given time, but were also known by all other members of the office due to cross training procedures in existence within the office. In compliance with the Grand Jury recommendation the following written procedures were compiled using the many years of experience dealing with TOT collections by staff within the Treasurer-Tax Collectors Office. I am sure that these procedures will change with time and as new sources of advertising the availability of short term rental facilities evolve.” (To the Board of Supervisors for the March 13, 2001 Board Meeting) 2000-2001 Mendocino County Grand Jury Final Report 143