Health, Education, and Social Services Committee Brad Aguilu Jody Carney Marc Cooter TOM Pasek

Comments 24

• CO1
  It is the Kern County Public Administrator’s duty to collect and manage assets, keep records, pay expenses and debts, ensure taxes are paid, and distribute estate assets according to a will or trust, if located, or acts under the laws of intestacy. The Public Administrator acts on behalf of the decedent, and has a fiduciary duty to protect the estate.
• CO2
  Probate proceeds are placed in an account at the Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector. These funds are held for up to five years while attempting to locate beneficiaries and/or claimants.
• CO3
  Once the Kern County Public Administrator has exhausted all likelihood in locating beneficiaries, the estate proceeds are transferred to the California State Controller Office. The proceeds are held in order to satisfy any potential future claims for an indeterminate amount of time. COMMENTS: The Committee would like to thank the Director and Staff of the Kern County Aging and Adult Services Department for their cooperation and professionalism. The Committee would also like to thank the Staff of Kern County Public Administrator’s Office for their courtesy and information provided.
• CO4
  The Holloway-Gonzales Branch is located 2.2 miles from the Beale Library. It is only open 2 days per week from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., thus eliminating an additional value beyond library services.
• CO5
  In FY 2015-2016, the KCL budget was $7,590,871, of that $5,579,002 (73.4%), is staff salaries and benefits. This does not include the $1,899,226 of Kern County General Services funds used to cover the cost of maintaining county-owned KCL branches.
• CO6
  The actual cost of KCL operating expenditures increases by 22% when the Kern County General Services maintenance expenditures for all library buildings are included.
• CO7
  The KCL delivery vehicle operational costs were $195,438 in FY 2015-2016, which includes $148,029 in payroll expenses.
• CO8
  All KCL’s Budget Letters of Justification, since 2012-2013, indicate in the first two sentences that 100% of the requested budget is only for eBooks and the self-check stations at Beale Memorial Library. This does not accurately reflect the total KCL budget. (See Appendix D) COMMENTS: The Grand Jury would like to thank the Interim Director and Staff of the Kern County Library, General Services Staff, County Administrative Office, and Kern County Supervisor - District One, for their assistance.
• CO9
  Director of Alternative Education, Kern County Superintendent of Schools
• CO10
  Principal of Blanton Academy
• CO11
  Vice Principal of Blanton Academy
• CO12
  Kern County Probation Supervisor
• CO13
  Kern County Probation Officer The Committee also reviewed internet and website information. BACKGROUND AND FACTS: The Kelly F. Blanton Student Education Center, located in the greater Bakersfield area, is the largest community school campus in Kern County, and is a year-round public school program operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. The Blanton Academy works closely with other school districts, the Probation Department and the Juvenile Court of Kern County. A. Blanton Academy is operated and administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools per Education Code §48645. B. There are students at Blanton Academy that are High-Risk First Time Offenders and High-Risk Transitioning Youth. C. Blanton Academy is co-ed and open to all genders. D. The curriculum is designated to meet all California High School graduation requirements. E. Blanton Academy offers childcare services for students with children up to three years of age, at the Child Development Center located on campus. Admission is based upon availability. F. Childcare and parenting skills are offered to eligible pregnant and parenting teens through the Cal Safe Program. FINDINGS: F1. Blanton Academy utilizes State level funding through the Local Control Funding Formula. F2. Students in the classroom were observed to be attentive, polite and verbally open to the instructor. F3. Student attire appeared to be clean, neat and appropriate. F4. Classrooms are managed by a dual team of educational professionals to ensure student success. F5. Blanton Academy utilizes security personnel throughout the campus to prevent altercations and resolve conflicts between students. F6. Blanton Academy is based on a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) model, where appropriate behavior is acknowledged and reinforced. F7. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools website link for Blanton Academy is difficult to locate, and is not informative. COMMENTS: The Committee thanks the Director of Alternative Education, the Principal and Vice Principal of Blanton Academy, the staff and Probation Officers on campus for the informative visit and dedicated services provided to Blanton Academy and its students.
• CO14
  Inspected both Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat) vehicles and interviewed Haz-Mat response personnel BACKGROUND AND FACTS: A. The Board of Supervisors approved the consolidation of Public Health Department, Environmental Health Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and California Children Services (CCS) Department in October 2009. Shortly thereafter, the Kern County Public Health Services Department was created and became the umbrella Department. B. The Public Health Clinic Locations:  Bakersfield, 1800 Mount Vernon Avenue (main Clinic and office)  Arvin, 204 South Hill Street  Delano, 455 Lexington Street  Mojave, 1775 Highway 58  Ridgecrest, 250 West Ridgecrest Boulevard  Shafter, 329 Central Valley Highway  Taft, 915 North 10th Street C. Public Health Clinic Services:  Immunizations  Testing Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) o Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) o Rabies o Valley Fever o  Pre-natal care  Well child physicals  Smoking prevention/cessation  Head lice/scabies elimination  Family planning D. The Environmental Health Department is located at 1800 M Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301. E. On September 1, 2015, The Board of Supervisors adopted Chapter 9.44, Title 9, of the County Ordinance Code prohibits the sale of Psychoactive Bath Salts, Psychoactive Herbal Incense (Spice) and other synthetic drugs. The Health Department is the enforcing agency of this code. Its purpose is to allow the Health Department to suspend or revoke any Health Department licenses issued to retailers who sell those prohibited products. It also provides for an agreement between the Health Department and any incorporated city within the County of Kern. This allows the Health Department to provide enforcement and remedies regarding the sale and/or manufacture of those products at no cost to the cities. F. The Health Department bills responsible parties, for services rendered, to the greatest extent allowed by law. In the vast majority of these cases, the “responsible party” is an insurance company. In 2016, insurance billings resulted in payments to the County of Kern in excess of one million dollars. G. The Health Department operates a Call Center 24/7 which is always staffed with two operators. The Center can field any type of call that may be received ranging from a simple appointment, to a referral for testing, to STD prevention. In rare instances, when the Call Center operator is unable to answer the inquiry, the call is relayed or referred to the appropriate entity. H. In 2013, in response to excessive calls into EMS, Kern Get Connected was formed. They obtain and utilize ambulance data from EMS regarding individuals who call 911 frequently (some patients call more than 80 times per year). This information is then relayed to a Public Health Nurse to provide in- home medical assistance to the patient. The pilot program resulted in a 74% reduction in ambulance calls. I. All public outreach information from the Health Department is provided in both English and Spanish. J. The Health Department utilizes an under-age employee as a decoy to check for illegal cigarette sales. A recent series of undercover operations revealed a 21.3% county-wide violation rate by retailers. K. A new app for smart-phones has been released by the Environmental Health Division, enabling the public to easily access licensed food establishment ratings, review detailed reports and submit complaints. FINDINGS: F1. Kern County Public Health Services has experienced a decrease of 9% in operating costs between 2011 and 2016. F2. Kern County Public Health Services has experienced a decrease of 18% in funded positions between 2011 and 2016. F3. A summary of the 2016-2017 Budget provided insight into the current revenues and expenditures of the Kern County Public Health Services. (Appendix A) F4. The Kern Get Connected program is improving health outcomes and reducing expenditures by connecting citizens with home healthcare nurses. F5. The Health Department has been aggressive in their response to, and enforcement of, Kern County Ordinance Chapter 9.44, Title 9, the synthetic drug ordinance. As of this date, Bakersfield, California City, and Ridgecrest have not implemented this ordinance. The City of Bakersfield is currently developing procedures to work with the Health Department to implement the ordinance. The cities of California City and Ridgecrest are reluctant to do so. F6. The Haz-Mat team is highly professional and an extremely well trained team. In 2016, they responded to over 200 calls for service. The majority of highway clean-ups are a result of diesel spills. The cost of the majority of Haz-Mat clean-ups is reimbursed by insurance companies or property owners. To decrease response time, the Haz-Mat team members take the emergency vehicles home as they are on call 24/7. The team has the tools and expertise to determine the exact type of hazard that may be present at an incident, subsequently the Haz-Mat team works jointly with the Kern County Fire Department. F7. The Health Department is in the process of purchasing a mobile clinic vehicle for $300,000 to service rural areas. It will be staffed by a licensed healthcare professional. F8. All calls received by the Call Center are answered promptly, achieving a zero wait time target. The Call Center is able to answer virtually all questions ranging from personal health questions to making appointments for medical visits. F9. The Committee reviewed the Health Department website for information. The Call Center number is 661-321-3000, and is not listed prominently throughout the website. The Director’s goal is for the public to become more aware and use this phone number. F10. A review of the Health Department website found the site contained pertinent information, such as services offered and Public Service Announcements. The site is difficult for the public to navigate; some links are non-functional, including the West Nile Virus page. COMMENTS: The Grand Jury would like to thank the Director of Public Health Services and staff for their courtesy, professionalism, and cooperation extended during the site inspection.
• CO15
  Director of Public Health Services
• CO16
  Assistant Director of Public Health Services
• CO17
  Other Department Staff On January 26, 2017, a follow-up inspection was made. The Committee met and interviewed:
• CO18
  Inspected the Call Center and interviewed Call Center Staff
• CO19
  Inspected the on-site clinic and interviewed staff
• CO20
  The Kern County Board of Supervisor, Kern County Counsel, Kern County Public Health Services Department, City of Bakersfield, City of Ridgecrest and the City of California City should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review.
• CO21
  Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury.
• CO22
  Present and past Kern County Grand Jury Final Reports and Responses can be accessed on the Kern County Grand Jury website: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury. RESPONSE REQUIRED WITHIN 90 DAYS: PRESIDING JUDGE KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 212 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 CC: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 DISCLAIMER: This report was issued by the Grand Jury with the exception of a juror(s) pursuant to PC §916.2(a). The juror(s) was excluded from all parts of the inquiry/investigation, including interviews, deliberations, and the writing and approval of this report. APPENDEX: A Kern County Public Health Services Department 2016-2017 Budget SALARIES & EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH $ 2 3,061,780.00 62% NET TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 30,532,490.00 Environmental Health Services $ 6 ,374,267.00 17% TOTAL PROGRAM REVENUE $ 23,786,349.00 78% EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES $ 8 04,232.00 2% NET GENERAL FUND COST $ 6,746,141.00 22% CALIFORNIA CHILDREN SERVICES $ 7 ,153,573.00 19% $ 3 7,393,852.00 100% SERVICES & SUPPLIES ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH $ 5 ,609,311.00 58% NET TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 8,213,802.00 Environmental Health Services $ 1 ,430,938.00 15% TOTAL PROGRAM REVENUE $ 8,468,112.00 103% EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES $ 7 34,543.00 8% NET GENERAL FUND COST $ (254,310.00) -3% CALIFORNIA CHILDREN SERVICES $ 1 ,893,841.00 20% $ 9 ,668,633.00 100% TOTAL PROGRAM REVENUE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH $ 2 3,786,349.00 56% NET TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 1,507,595.00 Environmental Health Services $ 8 ,468,112.00 20% TOTAL PROGRAM REVENUE $ 1,338,229.00 89% EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES $ 1 ,338,229.00 3% NET GENERAL FUND COST $ 169,366.00 11% CALIFORNIA CHILDREN SERVICES $ 8 ,564,746.00 20% $ 4 2,157,436.00 100% NET GENERAL FUND COST CALIFORNIA CHILDREN SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH $ 6 ,746,141.00 95% NET TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 9,005,289.00 Environmental Health Services $ (254,310.00) -4% TOTAL PROGRAM REVENUE $ 8,564,746.00 95% EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES $ 1 69,366.00 2% NET GENERAL FUND COST $ 440,543.00 5% CALIFORNIA CHILDREN SERVICES $ 4 40,543.00 6% $ 7 ,101,740.00 100% Kern Valley High School “A Path to Success” PURPOSE OF INQUIRY: The Health, Education, and Social Services Committee (Committee) of the 2016-2017 Kern County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) inquired into the management, operations, and safety of Kern Valley High School (KVHS), pursuant to California Penal Code §925. PROCESS: The Committee reviewed the KVHS website and performed a site inspection on May 16, 2017. The Committee met with the Principal and other staff at the Administrative Office located at 3340 Erskine Creek Road, Lake Isabella, California 93240. BACKGROUND: Kern Valley High School is located in the rural, Southern Sierra mountain community of Lake Isabella, California, 45 miles east of Bakersfield. It is the smallest and most remote of Kern High School District’s 18 comprehensive high schools. The school serves an attendance area of over 660 square miles, and has approximately 460 students. Over 64% of the student body is on the federal free or reduced price lunch program. Kern Valley High School has an active booster club, and enjoys tremendous support from the community. FACTS: A. KVHS has students enrolled in grades 9-12, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. B. KVHS has been named a California Distinguished School three times. C. KVHS has available 20 sports teams, 2 cheer squads and over 20 academic or interest-based clubs. D. The School Safety Committee, led by the Assistant Principal, meets quarterly to discuss and address site level safety issues. Safety procedures and staff training are held in the fall. Lockdown and evacuation drills are held to ascertain readiness for emergency situations. E. During the 2015-2016 school year, KVHS began the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program to provide student support and advance the college-bound culture of the school. FINDINGS: F1 The KVHS campus was clean, well maintained, and absent of trash and graffiti. F2 A grant was obtained from the State of California, which provided a parking lot solar power installation, significantly reducing electricity costs. F3 KVHS administration stated that a wide range of education paths are required to prepare students for post high school life. F4 The KVHS Library is in the process of digitizing its book inventory, and updating online access to enhance peer review resources. This provides in- house student collaboration on research assignments. F5 Advanced Placement math classes utilize Texas Instrument graphic calculators equipped with Bluetooth. This provides a live connection for classroom collaboration and instruction. F6 The school emphasizes agricultural sciences by providing courses in horticulture, animal husbandry, and farm mechanics. F7 Agricultural instructors are currently obtaining certification to provide students with a “Certificate in Welding.” F8 A full-time officer is assigned to KVHS by the Kern High School District Police Department. F9 Emergency evacuation plans are in place for the campus. Students and staff are instructed to meet at a widely-known rally point, “Tank Park,” located on Lake Isabella Boulevard. F10 The possible presence of asbestos was a safety concern. The Principal made inquiries with Kern High School District staff; emails were received by the Grand Jury (See Appendix A) with information and copies of the latest inspection results (See Appendix B). COMMENTS: The Committee would like to thank the Principal and Staff of the Kern Valley High School for their cooperation and professionalism.
• CO23
  The Kern County High School District and Kern Valley High School should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review.
• CO24
  Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury.