Score: +1 (3/7/2)

Humboldt County Grand Jury • 2022-2023

Efficiency, Oversight & Trust Advisory Committees and Boards

Published: July 10, 2023 13 pages

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⚠️ 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.

Findings and Recommendations 9 findings

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F1: The clerks assigned to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors are competent, dedicated, and hardworking individuals.

Related Recommendations (1)

Air Quality Management District (See North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District (NCUAQMD))

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F2: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors share an insufficient number of clerks making it difficult for them to keep up with the intricacies of government, leading to poor direction, poor oversight and missed deadlines.

Related Recommendations (1)

Area 1 Agency on Aging (A1AA) Advisory Council

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F3: Some of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors’ advisory boards, commissions, and committees have met sporadically, if at all, leading to a breakdown in communication.

Related Recommendations (1)

Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) 4 https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory/federally-recognized-tribes

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F4: Local tribal governments and other underrepresented community members are not represented in many of the 2023 Board of Supervisors committees. This leads to a lack of representation for a sizable community population.

Related Recommendations (1)

Audit Committee, Humboldt County

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F5: The relationship and responsibilities of the Audit Committee to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is uncertain and could lead to budgetary problems.

Related Recommendations (1)

Aviation Advisory Committee (Airline Recruitment Subcommittee)

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F6: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has limited ability to hold various committees accountable for missing mandated reports. Thus, key agenda items may be delayed or missed altogether, with resident services impacted.

Related Recommendations (1)

Behavioral Health Board

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F7: Missed mandated committee reports and meetings cause disruption to employees working in a process already understaffed and overworked.

Related Recommendations (1)

California Cannabis Authority

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F8: The lack of a permanent, full-time grant writing position leads to Humboldt County missing out on potential funding.

Related Recommendations (1)

California State Association of Counties (CSAC) – Board of Directors

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F9: We could find no evidence that the Disaster Council has met since the adoption of the Humboldt County Emergency Operation Plan in 2015, leading to no guidance for updating emergency planning, coordination, or response.

Related Recommendations (1)

Cal-Trans North District External Advisory Liaison

Additional Recommendations 28

These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.

R10

Convention and Visitors Bureau
R11

Court/County Facilities Group
R12

McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee
R13

Eel Russian River Commission
R14

Eureka City and County Round Table Committee
R15

Fire Services Ad Hoc
R16

First 5 (Children and Families Commission of Humboldt County)
R17

Great Redwood Trail Authority
R18

Hazardous Materials Response Authority
R19

Headwaters Fund Board
R20

Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA)
R21

Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council
R22

Klamath Basin Coordinating Committee
R23

Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
R24

National Association of Counties
R25

North Coast Emergency Medical Services Governing Board
R26

North Coast Resource Partnership
R27

North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District (NCUAQMD)
R28

Northwest California Resource Conservation and Development Council
R29

Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA)
R30

Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC)
R31

Redwood Region Economic Development Commission
R32

Sempervirens Joint Conference Committee
R33

St. Joseph Hospital Advocacy Committee
R34

Transient Occupancy Tax Ad Hoc Working Group
R35

Trinity River Basin Fish and Wildlife Subcommittee
R36

Waste Management Authority (Humboldt)
R37

Workforce Development Board TWENTY-ONE (21) COMMITTEES WITHOUT SUPERVISOR MEMBERSHIP:

Agency Responses 2

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

Auditor-Controller Office

September 06, 2023 • 2 pages • 2 responses • Score: +1 (+1, 0, 0) View Details ▾

PDF

2 responses to findings and recommendations

Area 1 Agency on Aging (A1AA) Advisory Council

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

R2 is in the process of being implemented.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The Auditor-Controller pa1iially agrees with the finding numbered F5.

Board of Supervisors

July 10, 2023 • 8 pages • 12 responses • Score: 0 (+2, 7, -2) View Details ▾

PDF

12 responses to findings and recommendations

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Partially Agree The Clerk of the Board's team operates under the direct supervision of the Board of Supervisors. The Clerk of the Board's team is dedicated to meeting statutory deadlines for meeting agenda postings and Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) filings. These are the most critical tasks and priorities for staff in addition to 2 managing a workload for the Board of Supervisors in addition to meeting all mandated responsibilities of the Clerk of the Board's Office.

Area 1 Agency on Aging (A1AA) Advisory Council

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

Recommendation 2 is in the process of being implemented.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Partially Agree The Clerk of the Board's staff communicates and works with Humboldt County's advisory boards and commissions to provide Brown Act training and onboarding services for newly appointed members. Additionally, staff collects all annual FPPC Form 700 filings from every member of each advisory board, commission and committee as required. Staff works with each advisory board and commission to keep updated rosters. It is required that advisory boards and commissions notify the Clerk of the Board when changes occur to their membership roster, and the Clerk of the Board acknowledges that...

Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) 4 https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory/federally-recognized-tribes

Response: Will Implement

Scheduled: Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Score: +1

: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors establish a dedicated liaison position for Tribal affairs to address Tribal issues and systems interactions. This is to be implemented by December 31, 2024. (F4) Response: This recommendation has not been implemented but will be implemented in the future. This recommendation has merit, especially considering the Tribal government presence in Humboldt County. This recommendation will not be implemented as written as the county is currently in the process of evaluating potential funding opportunities for this position and exploring what this position co...

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Partially Agree The county acknowledges that when inequitable access to opportunities exists, communities experience disparate outcomes. That being said, the County of Humboldt always encourages any qualified individual to apply for an open seat on a county advisory board, committee or commission. It is not uncommon for counties across the state to have challenges finding qualified applicants to apply for volunteer positions on advisory boards, committees and commissions. This includes applicants from all populations including members of local Tribes and historically underrepresented communiti...

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Partially Agree The primary function of the Humboldt County Audit and Finance Committee is certain. The committee has the 3 responsibility to assist the Board of Supervisors in its oversight of the integrity of the county's financial statements, the systems of internal controls, the qualifications and independence of the county's external auditor and the performance of the county's corrective action plans. Voting members of this committee include two members of the Board of Supervisors, one representative of Humboldt County special districts or schools and two Humboldt County residents all of...

Aviation Advisory Committee (Airline Recruitment Subcommittee)

Response: Implemented

Score: 0

Recommendation 5 has been implemented.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Partially Agree Excluding boards or committees created and mandated by state law, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has the authority to review advisory board, committee and commission charters and make recommendations and/or relative changes to ensure compliance with locally mandated and annual reporting requirements, including disbandment of the advisory body if warranted. Additionally, each year the Clerk of the Board brings an agenda item to the Board of Supervisors with the current list of boards, commissions and committees to which the Board members makes appointments. At this tim...

Behavioral Health Board

Response: Will Not Implement

Score: -1

: The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors fully staff the Disaster Council and schedule meetings no later than December 31, 2023 for the purpose of reviewing, rewriting, and updating the county's Emergency Operation Plan. (F9) • Funding Recommendation: The Grand Jury recommends that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors fund the expenses listed in R1, R2, R3, and R4 with existing appropriations in the current fiscal year. If current appropriations are not sufficient, the Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors, at its next earliest opportunity, pursue additional funding from an...

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F7: Missed mandated committee reports and meetings cause disruption to employees working in a process already understaffed and overworked.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Partially Agree The county agrees that missed mandated reports may cause disruptions to staff. As previously mentioned, excluding boards or committees created and mandated by state law, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has the authority to review advisory board, committee and commission charters and make recommendations and/or relative changes to ensure compliance with mandated reporting requirements.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury finds that: F8: The lack of a permanent, full-time grant writing position leads to Humboldt County missing out on potential funding.

Response: Agree Score: +1

The county agrees with Finding 8.

Response: Disagree Score: -1

The county disagrees with Finding 9.

No Responses Found 1

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

Humboldt County Sheriff Elected County Office