📋
Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
Tehama County Grand Jury
• 2020-2021
Ishi Conservation Camp #18 Criminal Justice Committee
⚠️ 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.
Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F6, F7, F8, F9
Findings 6 findings
F1
Available funds were not automatically awarded to rural counties/communities. Funding is distributed from the state as a reimbursement. The City of Red Bluff determined that any expenditures would be a financial risk and did not move to implement project plans until the State of California issued formal notice that reimbursements were guaranteed.
F2
The City of Red Bluff does not have a strategic or implementation plan that can be used to prioritize projects for funding allocations.
F3
The City of Red Bluff collaborated with other communities under a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Tehama to administer a small business loan program with the contracted assistance of long-standing, non-profit economic development and job training entities.
F4
The small business loan program did not begin reviewing applications until July, 2021; sixteen months after the Shelter in Place was declared.
F5
Administrators for the City of Red Bluff could not articulate the intentions or timelines for the small business loan program for which they had invested.
F10
County Counsel answered the citizen on July 19, 2021.
Recommendations 12
-
R1The Grand Jury recommends that the City of Red Bluff engage in a community needs assessment to determine the strengths, challenges and risks the city experiences, from which a strategic and implementation plan should be developed to guide city planning.
-
R1AThe Grand Jury recommends adding a category to the next annual budget that would allow for emergency repairs.
-
R1BThe Grand Jury recommends that jail administrators immediately compile a list of contractors for needed repairs.
-
R2The Grand Jury recommends that city administrators take an active role in the oversight of the small business loan program.
-
R3The Grand Jury recommends that the City of Red Bluff Administrator consider working collaboratively with other rural California communities to address rural equitability by advocating with local State Assembly and Senate Representatives. It is further recommended that city administrators work with the Tehama County Board of Supervisors to address these inequities.
-
R4The Grand Jury recommends that the 2022 Tehama County Grand Jury Continuity Committee and City Government Committee continue to review the use of public funds intended to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, as some projects will continue until 2024.
-
R5The Grand Jury recommends that by 3-1-2022, TCPWD implement LIDAR surveying technology within Tehama County. 2022 Grand Jury to follow up regarding implementation of this process.
-
R6Meetings should be rescheduled as soon as they can be done safely per County and Public Health guidance. ALLEGATION 7: “The MOU approved on 9/01/2020 is believed to be in violation of AB 1682. “Employees of the Public Authority shall not be employees of the county for any purpose.” The 9/01/2020 MOU has no end date and instead has the statement: “…shall commence upon July 1, 2020 and remain in full force and effect…” It is asserted that this MOU is flawed as any contractual agreement should have a reasonable end date (Most other Tehama County contracts are one to three years). This MOU also lacks a not to exceed spending amount for the contractual period. It is assumed that since a dollar amount was noted in the previous MOU that one could reasonably be expected here. It is believed that this MOU must be immediately redrawn and written to comply with the law. The MOU asserts “This MO shall not be amended, except in a writing that is executed by authorized representatives of both parties.” Both parties' consideration may not be appropriate.”
-
R7None ALLEGATION 8: “The IHSS PA board of directors have failed in their obligations and responsibilities as they have not held the Chief Administrator and IHSS PA Executive Director, and now the existing Executive Director accountable to the intent of the mandate. They have approved minutes of the PA with no activity reported and they have not performed their obligation of oversight responsibility for the program.”
-
R8None ALLEGATION 9: “It is asserted that a particular County employee … and other county employees have been working within the business of the IHSS PA, in spite of the AB 1682 language that intends for the IHSS PA to remain a separate entity.”
-
R9None ALLEGATION 10: “Finally, a citizen… through multiple Public Record Act requests has identified problems, yet documents have been written to cover up issues.”
-
R10None ALLEGATION 11: “When the Chief Administrator ceased being the PA Executive Director, it does not appear that his contract was adjusted to remove the additional compensation.”
Commendations 1
-
CM1 Page 31C1 CDCR, CAL FIRE, as well as the inmates of ICC are to be commended for their ongoing community service of 32,182 service hours and 57,600 firefighting hours in 2020-2021. C2 CDCR, CAL FIRE and the inmates of ICC are to be commended for their ongoing commitment to community projects that benefit Tehama County. 2021 Tehama Grand Jury Final Report