County of Mono- Superior Court Grand Jury Michael R. Boucher Grand Jury Foreperson*

R1

- Staff within the office of the Registrar of Voters should receive conti- nuing training and education in the efficient use of new state voting soft- ware. Ongoing staff development should be conducted regarding election protocol and procedures. Mono County's internal election procedure ma- nuals should be updated and distributed to relevant staff as needed. The office should hire additional skilled personnel to help them conduct each election. Additional staff levels during election periods should be determi- ned by the nature and demands of each particular election. Action: Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters Timeframe: 6 months

R2

- Mono County should appoint an administrator to be Clerk/Recor- der/Registrar of Voters who has experience in conducting elections, and who also has a skill set with high levels of organization, delegation, and ca- reful attention to details. This individual should also strive to maintain long- term stability and morale within the department and to employ and train such skilled staff as are necessary to conduct the many diverse duties and functions of the Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters offices. Action: The initial action of appointing a new Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters was taken by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Mono County in early 2017. The Mono County CAO should monitor the offices of the Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters to verify that a reorganization and updating of files, and policy/procedure manuals has been undertaken, and that newly hired personal receive the training they need to be effective in their multi-departmental setting. Timeframe: 9 months

R3

- The Mono County Board of Supervisors and the Registrar of Voters should carefully research new state legislation and voting initiatives to de- termine whether Mono County might take advantage of more flexible regu- lations regarding the number of voters in an area who may cast their ballots via absentee ballot and/or create several general election centers which are open for extended days to maximize voting opportunities and reduce costs. Action: Mono County Board of Supervisors, Mono County Chief Administra- tive Officer, Registrar of Voters Timeframe: 6 months

R4

- After carefully researching and reviewing new voting legislation and initiatives, the Board of Supervisors of Mono County should budget suffi- cient funds to purchase new voting machines - consistent with projected fu- ture needs and election methods. Action: Mono County Board of Supervisors, Mono County Chief Administra- tive Officer Timeframe: 6 months

R5

- The Mono County Registrar of Voters needs to clearly communicate to Mono County voters information regarding State of California Voter Regis- tration requirements, online voter signature requirements, and prospective elected-official voter petition rules. All sample and absentee ballots, along with measure/initiative arguments, need to be accurate and accompanied by clear instructions. These documents should never be proofread by only one person. Mono County's online Elections Office website needs to be updated and have accurate information. Instructions on absentee and sample ballots should match the information provided on the Mono County Elections Office website and should be in accordance with state law. There should be clear and ongoing communication between satellite offices, such as the Town of Mammoth Lakes Town Clerk, and the Registrar of Voters office regarding timelines for the submission of candidate petitions, the veri- fication of voter signatures, and the precise number of candidates who can be voted for on a given election. . Action: Registrar of Voters Timeframe: 6 months Mono County Grand Jury for the Year 2016-2017 Investigation #2 Town of Mammoth Lakes Conflict of Interest Final Report by Grand Jury Investigative Committee Introduction: The Grand Jury had a concern about actual or perceived conflicts of inter- est among council members for the Town of Mammoth Lakes. The Grand Jury became aware of a citizen complaint which had been filed against a current Mammoth Lakes Town Council Member and a former Mammoth Lakes Town Council Member. The complainant was concerned about two issues. One issue was that the council members' Form 700's omitted busi- ness holdings, leases, and spousal information. These businesses are lo- cated within The Village area in Mammoth Lakes. The other issue was that the two Town Council members had a potential conflict of interest. Both Council members cited in the complaint had participated in discussions, and voted, to support a parking lot to help ease congestion in the area sur- rounding The Village. There is a concern that the vote for the parking lot constituted either an actual or perceived conflict of interest since increased parking around the Village could arguably bring additional customers into the businesses which were owned by the above-mentioned town council members, thus providing them with a financial gain. Background: The FPPC states: "If a decision may have a financial impact or effect on any of the foregoing interests, an official is disqualified from governmental decision if the following two conditions are met: The financial impact or effect is foreseeable, and