Contra Costa County Grand Jury
• 2021-2022
• Agency Response
我们都没有感到不知，一种性心感激感到没有的。*
⚠️ 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.
Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F18, F19, F20, F22
Findings and Recommendations 11 findings
F4
The levees in the County's portion of the Delta have been built up or otherwise strengthened on a piecemeal basis over the century or more of their existence. Position: Agree
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
After identifying the necessary funding, reclamation districts should consider adding a "training module" for new and re-elected Board members to their required governance training (i.e. Brown Act and Ethics). This "module" or session should cover the district's levee regulations and protocols, the consequences of noncompliance with regulations and protocols, flood preparedness, and emergency response training - or at minimum a "back to basics" session with the consulting engineer to cover these concerns. Position: The Special Districts Association provides comprehensive training for Boards of public agencies which is available to the Trustees of Reclamation Districts. Furthermore, the Reclamation District will suggest that the Trustees undergo executive training for SEMS/NIMS compliance. . .
F5
Because the levees remain vulnerable to natural hazards and human activities, they require constant vigilance - i.e., frequent inspection coupled with timely maintenance and prompt repairs. Position: Agree
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Reclamation districts should formalize, or at a minimum document, all "Mutual Aid" agreements for future reference as reclamation district personnel change over time. Position: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. The County is participating in a State grant program to develop Emergency Operations Plans for each reclamation district in the county. The EOPs will document mutual aid agreements. The EOPs are scheduled to be complete Section 4 - Other comments related to findings and recommendations
F11
There is no formal or standardized educational or training resource available to the districts for levee inspection, maintenance, and repair, which can support new levee superintendents or managers while they acquire the experience to recognize problems early, learn how to appropriately respond, and learn how to balance environmental regulations with maintenance protocols. Position: Partially disagree. While resources are somewhat limited, the California Department of Water Resources offers flood fighting instruction courses free to government agencies and non-profit organizations. A flood fight methods manual is available in both hardcopy and electronic formats, as well as other publications. A pre-season flood coordination meeting is also conducted each fall.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
Levee management requires recognizing seasonal timeframes and juggling multiple deadlines, including preparing for storm season and the "no-mowing" period, when local bird populations nest, as well as timely application for the subvention and/or special projects funding programs. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F13
Unpermitted encroachments can hinder visual inspection of the levee surface and create new structural weaknesses or potential conduits for seepage. Position: Agree
Related Recommendations (1)
R13
After identifying the necessary funding, the Board of Supervisors should consider directing the County's Transportation, Water, and Infrastructure Committee to establish a task force to obtain interim funding, including but not limited to grants or low-interest loans, to cover the initial two-year lag-time to obtain reimbursement for essential levee maintenance work from the Subventions Program. Position: Reclamation Districts have limited legal authority to seek loans. Effectively, there are a few banks that will hold interest bearing warrants on behalf of a District. This recommendation is not necessarily practicable as Districts already have the ability to seek low interest lending; the problem lies with the Districts' ability to repay the debt once incurred.
F14
Education about the potential danger of unpermitted encroachments can be a highly effective management tool for mitigating this type of hazard because increased understanding of the potential consequences of such encroachments can support longer-term adherence to levee regulations and protocols. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F15
Since early recognition of potential trouble spots and prompt repair work are critical to maintaining levee integrity, while resources for levee patrols are limited, the presence of an educated and aware residential population can supply additional eyes to provide the constant vigilance that is crucial to safeguarding the levees. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F16
In addition to permitting procedures and intermittent newsletters, there are other opportunities to educate the public, and especially residents of reclamation districts, about the hazards that can damage or impair the levees. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F17
Explaining the hazards to levees by multiple means at appropriate times -- i.e., just before the start of storm season in the fall - can help to keep awareness at a heightened and effective level. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F21
Some reclamation districts that are unable to maintain the staff, equipment, and material stockpiles needed for emergency major repairs, rely on informal mutual aid arrangements. Position: Agree Section 3 - Required Responses - Recommendations (2-5)
No recommendations for this finding
F23
The feasibility of interagency cooperative ventures to accomplish levee improvements has been demonstrated by multi-agency coalition for to improve the levees in Reclamation District No. 2028, Bacon Island. Position: Multi-agency cooperative ventures only work when cooperating agencies have assets within the District that warrant the expenditure to protect it. There are only a few islands where this works and is therefore a limited resource.
No recommendations for this finding
* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.