Responses to the 2022-2023 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Reports Providing Continuity by Following Through on Previous*

Conclusions 1

• CL1
  The 2023-2024 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury concluded that the responses to the 2022-2023 Grand Jury Recommendations are in compliance with the Penal Code. In addition, the 2023-2024 Grand Jury has included its observations on those responses. A copy of the full 2022-2023 Grand Jury report and responses received can be located within the County of Sonoma, Superior Court of California website. Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 2022-2023 Grand Jury Response Summary Chart CITY OF SONOMA CEMETERIES: Don't Bury Your Problems RES: Respondent SCM: Sonoma City Manager SCC: Sonoma City Council

Observations 3

• OB1
  An examination of transactions from the R1 By July 31, 2023, The City The Grand Jury SCM, acknowledges that this of Sonoma contacts the Cemetery Enterprise was carried out. It SCC Recommendation has California Department of Tax was determined that tangible items were been implemented. and Fee Administration to not being sold directly to customers, but establish procedures to collect, rather were included in the internment report, and pay sales tax on packages sold and therefore not subject to tangible items sold at the a sales tax. In those situations, the cemeteries. Cemetery Enterprise is considered a consumer and they have arranged to pay sales tax when purchasing these items from their vendors. The CDTFA judged this to be an allowable practice. R2 By December 31, 2023, The City of Sonoma Cemeteries The Grand Jury SCM, The City of Sonoma conducts a Monument Services Fee was updated in acknowledges that this SCC Recommendation has thorough analysis of the July 2023 to reflect the actual costs been implemented. systems, processes, and incurred by the City for products and services. Based on the recommendations of procedures related to cemeteries, to include the a study by LF Sloane Consulting Group the city took several steps including using current software program used. general fund money to expand capacity The Grand Jury is aware that the City of Sonoma has cited and developing a user-friendly price list of their intention, in their fiscal services and products. With the help of LF Sloane, the city is drafting a 2024-25 year (2022-2023) goals, to complete a financial analysis of budget that will reorganize the staff and the Cemetery Fund and address operational shortfalls. develop a plan for resolution of the deficit in the Fund, and we encourage the City to include an operational analysis as well. (F1, F2, F3, F4, F7) R3 By December 31, 2023, the A draft of a comprehensive Policy and The Grand Jury SCM, acknowledges that this City of Sonoma will develop a Procedures manual for the City of Sonoma SCC policies and procedures manual Recommendation will Cemeteries is currently being reviewed by be implemented. for the operations of the staff. (2/13/24) Cemetery Program. (F1, F2, F4, F5, F7) Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 The Grand Jury R4 By December 31, 2023, the SCM, The Assistant City Manager is currently acknowledges that an City of Sonoma designates a responsible for the oversight of the SCC interim solution has manager to oversee the cemeteries and addressing operational been implemented. cemetery day-to-day issues. In December 2023, the City Finance Committee recommended a operations. (F2) The City of Sonoma manager position be included for funding anticipates approval of as part of the 2023-24 Mid-Year Budget a permanent adjustments. A job description has been managerial position by drafted and is scheduled for City Council April of 2024. approval in March to be formally included as part of the mid-year budget in April. R5 By December 31, 2023, the SCM, In September 2023, L.F. Sloane The Grand Jury acknowledges that this City of Sonoma conducts a Consulting Group presented a Cemetery SCC thorough review of the Action Update to the City Council. Based Recommendation has been implemented. Cemetery Endowment Fund. on the report, the City Council approved a 2023-2024 Cemetery Price Lists including The Grand Jury is aware that the City of Sonoma has cited Endowment Fund contributions that will their intention, in their fiscal bring Endowment Fees in line with current costs and market conditions. year (2022-2023) goals, to complete a financial analysis of the Cemetery Fund and The Finance Committee approved moving develop a plan for resolution of the Endowment Fund to the City Local the deficit in that fund and the Agency Investment Fund to increase Grand Jury recommends that returns. The plan is to first address the the Endowment fund is issue of operational losses, and then determine if the Cemetery Fund should be included in that analysis. (F3, absorbed into the General Fund and no F5) longer treated as an enterprise. Continuity Responses to 2022-2023 Report Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 OUTSOURCING PETALUMA PLANNING DEPARTMENT Is It Better or Is It Easier? RES: Respondent PCC: Petaluma City Council RES
• OB2
  R1 By December 31, 2023, the The City of Petaluma routinely performs a PCC The Grand Jury City completes a cost-benefit cost/benefit analysis with City contracts acknowledges that this Recommendation has analysis of using a private firm and recently completed a cost/benefit been implemented. versus employees to staff the study on M-Group which can be found in planning department. (F1, F2, Appendix A of the Fiscal Year 2023/24 budget preparation. F3, F4) Before the conclusion of the current R2 By no later than March 1, The Grand Jury PCC 2024, the City opens an RFP acknowledges that this contract with M-Group in July of 2026, the recommendation will for planning services and City will release a RFP to solicit proposals be implemented in the considers a combination of city from multiple private firms prior to future. employees and private initiating a new contract for planning contractors to staff the planning services. The City of Petaluma will department. (F1, F3) continue to consider the best combination of City employees and private contractors to provide the best, most cost-effective service delivery for the Petaluma community. The city has determined that an employee-only model would be more expensive and provide no higher level of service. R3 By September 30, 2023, the This recommendation was implemented The Grand Jury PCC City requires M-Group to before the publication of the Grand Jury acknowledges that this provide badges or logos to their report. All M-Group employees now have recommendation has been implemented. employees that identify them as an identification badge. M-Group employees. (F5) R4 By August 31, 2023, the An updated email signature is being used PCC The Grand Jury City requires M-Group to by all M-Group staff. acknowledges that this direct their employees to recommendation has include their firm's logo and or been implemented. name in their email signature. (F6) R5 By August 31, 2023, the The staff directory now identifies M- The Grand Jury PCC acknowledges that this Group staff as M-Group Consulting City includes an M-Group designation on each staff listing recommendation has Planners. been implemented. under the planning staff directory on the website. (F7) Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 R6 By December 31, 2023, the The City Council states that they and other The Grand Jury PCC local leaders are "attuned to the acknowledges that this City conducts a formal survey recommendation will of the citizens of Petaluma to community's values and all of its needs". be partially better understand their To that end, they will "continue to ensure implemented. that all City services are delivered to the awareness and understanding of the outsourcing of the public in the best, most cost-effective way possible. This applies to all City services, planning department and their experiences interacting with M- not just to one type of City service, such as Group employees. (F5, F6, F7) planning services." A survey focusing on "the full range of existing City services" will be conducted by December 31, 2024. Continuity Responses to 2022-2023 Report Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 WARMING CENTERS: County Action Needed Now BOS: Board of Supervisors SPI: Sonoma Public Infrastructure RES: Respondent RES
• OB3
  R1 By September 30, 2023, the The Sonoma County BOS did not issue The Grand Jury Board of Supervisors will develop a formal response to the Grand Jury's acknowledges that this Recommendation has and implement formal policies and Recommendations. However, in June procedures for protecting unhoused of 2023, the BOS unanimously been implemented. people in the County of Sonoma approved a plan, known as the Extreme during cold weather emergencies. In June, 2023, the Temperature Response Plan. This plan Department of Emergency (F1 through F13) contains policies and procedures for Management supported protecting unhoused people during cold this initiative for both and hot weather emergencies. Warming and Cooling Centers and established criteria for activation. Details of this plan can be found on the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management's website (socoemergency.org) R2 By September 30, 2023, the Parameters for declaring a cold weather The Grand Jury Board of Supervisors defines the acknowledges that this emergency and a hot weather parameters to be used to declare a Recommendation has emergency can be found in the Extreme been implemented. cold weather emergency in the Temperature Response Plan, located on County, including assignment of the Sonoma County Department of responsibilities for declaring and Emergency Management's website. communicating a cold weather emergency to the responsible departments. (F3, F11, F12) R3 By September 30, 2023, the The BOS intends to designate a county The Grand Jury Board of Supervisors designates the employee to use the criteria outlined in acknowledges that this County employee (as defined by the the Extreme Temperature Response Recommendation has policy recommended in R1) who Plan to declare cold and hot weather been implemented. has the authority to declare a cold emergencies. weather emergency that would Responsibility for initiate the opening of warming declaring a temperature centers. (F1, F5, F11) emergency is shared between the Sonoma County Health Officer and the Director, Emergency Management Department. Continuity Responses to 2022-2023 Report Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 The Grand Jury R4 In order for the Board of DHS will coordinate with County acknowledges that this Supervisors to make informed providers on capacity, expansion, Recommendation has unmet needs and center information. decisions regarding the need for warming centers, by September 30, been implemented. DHS will coordinate with the Coroner 2023, the Board will direct staff (as and EMS patient data to monitor and defined by the policy recommended report on increased temperature related in R1) to collect data, including but deaths or injuries. not limited to: the number of individuals accessing warming centers throughout the county; the cost per day of operating warming centers throughout the county; the number of individuals denied access to warming centers because of a lack of capacity; the number of unhoused individuals who died from exposure to severe cold. (F3, F4, F8) The Grand Jury R5 Beginning April 1, 2024, and Using data collected identified in acknowledges that this every year thereafter on or about Recommendation 4, the CAO will Recommendation will be April 1, the Board of Supervisors present a report to the BOS that implemented in the will direct the County identifies successes and areas that need future. Administrative Officer (CAO) to improvement. present an after-action report to the Board regarding the effectiveness of County staff in supporting warming centers during episodes of severe cold over the previous winter. sing data identified in R4, collected over the past winter, the CAO will identify both successful efforts to support warming centers and areas that need improvement. (F3, F4, F8) R6 By December 31, 2023, the The Grand Jury SPI Warming centers are available in acknowledges that this Board of Supervisors will direct Guerneville, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Recommendation has staff to identify facilities within the Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Sonoma. unincorporated areas of the County been implemented. that can be used as warming centers, and sign MOUs with the management of such facilities as necessary. (F4, F6) Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2023-24 The Grand Jury R7 By September 30, 2023, the SPI Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI) has acknowledges that this Board of Supervisors will direct the responded that The Department of Recommendation has responsible department (as defined Human Services will identify potential in the policy recommended in R1) warming/cooling center locations. SPI been implemented. to identify County facilities, will support this effort by also including unused or underutilized identifying County facilities, including facilities, that will be available to be unused or under-utilized facilities to be used as warming centers for used as warming/cooling centers. unhoused people in extreme cold weather. (F6) R8 By September 30, 2023, the Sufficient funding has been provided to The Grand Jury Board of Supervisors, in accordance acknowledges that this support the warming centers listed in Recommendation has with its adopted policy, will provide response to R6, above. been implemented. sufficient funding to support opening and maintaining warming centers during episodes of extreme cold weather emergencies. (F6, F8)

Agency Responses 1

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