Page 2 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

County and City website information is sometimes missing, out-of-date, and inaccurate; links may be broken. Thus, many city and county departments aren't updating their websites often enough to keep citizens informed. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Because the website can only be as current as the data on hand, the County partially disagrees. Each County department maintains its own website content and staff try to maintain the sites with current information. Many County department websites link to State and other sites. If these entities change their web links, the links on the County site will break and this can be difficult to restore until the new link location is identified. The report also identifies some instances where the website had not been updated, but not all of this information is out of date. For example, the County Administrative Officer newsletter is current. County departments can run software that looks for broken links and steps will be taken to make content management staff aware of these tools. Sometimes, once a broken link is identified, the most challenging part of restoring the link is deciding what to do about the new information and how to link to it in a way the best serves the public. Response Required by September 14, 2020 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses The Tangled Web Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

County and City administrations lack a process to review content accuracy and currency and thereby assure timely correction and revision of content. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The County administration does not have a centralized process to review content accuracy and currency. The County website has a great deal of content, which changes with some regularity. County departments are expected to maintain their own website content because the departments possess the subject matter expertise necessary to determine which information needs to be updated. Response Required by September 14, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury The Tangled Web Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

County and City goals for website redesign or quality improvement are not sufficiently “SMART”: Specific + Measurable + Attainable + Relevant + Time- Bound. AGREE _ PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion X DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The County uses “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time- Bound. The objective cited in the report meets the SMART criteria used by County departments in creating the Operational Plan. Response Required by September 14, 2020 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses The Tangled Web Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

The County does not have a notification system by which users can be alerted to updated web content. The County's website would be enhanced by the addition of a site-wide notification system. X AGREE _ PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The County Information Services Department has developed a web feature by which users can be alerted to updated web content. The new functionality is under review for how to deploy it in a way that is most useful to the public. It is anticipated that the new feature will go live before the end of the calendar year. Response Required by September 14, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury The Tangled Web Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

County and City website content providers do not provide an explanation in content for incorrect or out-of-date information, even though they appear to know the reasons. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): County staff do not add explanations to the websites as to why information may be out of date or incorrect. When content managers identify out of date or incorrect content, the practice is to remove the incorrect content and replace it with correct and current information. Response Required by September 14, 2020 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses The Tangled Web Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

RISK ASSESSMENT: All SCC Cities do not fully identify, assess, track, and report key risk indicators that reflect the state of strategic, financial, operational, or hazard risk. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

RISK ASSESSMENT: All SCC Cities do not adequately evaluate the possible interactions between risks that may inhibit or enhance the objectives of each city. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Adequately is a subjective term. Could the City of Capitola do better, perhaps, but the City believes we are properly evaluating interactions between risks. Each year in the City’s budget there is a discussion of long-term risk to the City where various factors that could affect the City are highlighted for public review and discussion. In addition, the annually required Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) includes a mandated section that evaluates risk management as well as providing detailed information on defined benefit pension plans and other post-employment benefits. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses

RISK ASSESSMENT: All SCC Cities either do not maintain or do not publish a report card on the state of key infrastructure that can be used to set funding priorities and manage operational and hazard risk. AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion X DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The City of Capitola has completed extensive assessments of its infrastructure over many years, and is constantly evaluating and preparing for replacement of key infrastructure, including long-term capital improvement planning, financial planning for emergencies, and hazard assessment. While the City may not present these findings through a specific “report card,” we spend a significant amount of effort to inform the community about the state of our infrastructure, the projects that are being planned, and the projects that are in construction. We have received significant positive feedback from the community about our outreach and education efforts in this arena. Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). In addition, over the last year the City has completed a draft updated LHMP, including a very thorough risk assessment. This Risk Assessment includes (1) a description of the LHMP Planning Committee’s hazard selection process, (2) hazard descriptions of selected primary and secondary hazards, (3) hazard profiles for primary hazards, and (4) a vulnerability assessment that includes a summary of the risk primary hazards pose to the City’s built, social, and natural environment and a discussion of secondary hazards. These four sections address Element B requirements, which appear in the following Risk Assessment as headings B1–B3, described in the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) LHMP Review Guide. The LHMP process included extensive public outreach and participation, and the community has been kept well-informed about both the types of risks that could happen in our community, and the steps needed to reduce the impacts of those risks. Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Climate Action Plan (CAP). The City Council adopted Capitola's first Climate Action Plan (CAP) on October 22, 2015. The CAP identifies strategies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from City government operations and community activities to support the State of California’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. The CAP fulfills several General Plan goals and bring the City into conformance with Assembly Bill 32, Senate Bill 375, and Executive Order S-3- 05. The CAP includes an inventory of existing GHG emissions, a forecast of future GHG emissions, identification of GHG reduction targets, and a list of GHG reduction measures necessary to achieve identified reduction targets. The CAP includes actions and strategies to reduce GHG emissions generated by transportation and mobile sources, residential and non-residential energy consumption, water and wastewater treatment and conveyance, solid waste generation, and open space, parks, and agriculture. The proposed CAP establishes a 4.9% GHG reduction target from 2010 levels by 2020 and projects an 18% reduction through implementation of various reduction strategies. The CAP further sets a 42.9% reduction target from 2010 levels by 2035 and an 81% reduction by 2050. Transportation Infrastructure. The Department of Public Works inventories the quality of the roads each year and develops a Pavement Maintenance Index for each street. All streets are prioritized for improvements, and sealing, repair, or reconstruction projects are planned many years in advance, reducing the financial risk of having to suddenly fund major infrastructure projects. These projects reduce risk and increase safety of travelling in the community, and keep the community prepared for responding to natural disasters. Our residents are kept well-informed of these projects through newsletters and social media outreach. Our community is well-informed about the state of critical infrastructure, and the additional measures being suggested by this report seem both redundant, burdensome, and unnecessary. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Managers of Risk or Victims of Risk City Council of Capitola

RISK MANAGEMENT: Although all of the cities of SCC are preparing for increased pension costs due to current amortization schedules, they are not adequately preparing for risk associated with significant or sustained investment shortfalls in CALPERS due to economic shocks (e.g. caused by Coronavirus) or a recession. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The City of Capitola has spent several years deliberately building up reserves and making payments into the trust accounts for pension and OPEB Unfunded Actuarial Liabilities (UAL) to be better prepared for if / when we are impacted by CalPERS shock and / or other types of shocks. Our contingency reserve was established to provide a prudent level of financial resources to protect against temporary revenue shortfalls or unanticipated operating costs such as CalPERS, and/or to meet short- term cash flow needs. Furthermore, as stated above, the two-year delay in CalPERS returns and their impacts on City finances allows Cities time to plan and adjust in the case of a shock. Response Required by September 17, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

RISK MANAGEMENT: Except for the area of hazard (i.e. loss) risk management, in all SCC Cities, there is no formal method to define, track, manage, and communicate risks at the enterprise level of SCC city government. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The annual budget is adopted through a formal, open to the public process in which various risks are communicated and discussed. The largest financial risk to the City in the unfunded actuarial pension liability which has been one of the most discussed topics over the past 10 -15 years. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Managers of Risk or Victims of Risk City Council of Capitola

GOVERNANCE: All SCC Cities do not have a publicly articulated pension Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (UAAL) funding policy that recognizes potential pension cost risks and community expenditure/revenue priorities. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Response Required by September 17, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

TRANSPARENCY: All SCC Cities do not adequately meet key requirements for transparency as defined by the GFOA. AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion X DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Adequate is a subjective term. The City believes data and information is available and communicated to the public adequately. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Managers of Risk or Victims of Risk City Council of Capitola

TRANSPARENCY: All SCC Cities do not provide standard and understandable reporting with regard to: Pension Costs and Associated Impacts (past, current, and projected); Service Level Performance Metrics; State of Key Infrastructure; Risk Assessments and Mitigation Plans for Finance, Operational, and Hazard Risks. AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion X DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): All information and reports on the above topics are made available to the public and are reported on as required. Response Required by September 17, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

There is a lack of leadership from County and City officials to engage the business community in exploring potential solutions to homelessness. AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion X DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): County Homeless Services Coordination Office has engaged with Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Association, and Business Council of Santa Cruz County to discuss the issue of homelessness, understand impacts to businesses, and explore potential for collaboration. The Downtown Streets Team is an example of a successful government-business collaboration that has included City and County leadership. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Homelessness: Big Problem, Little Progress Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

Major conflicts and dysfunctions were recognized by City Staff, City Council, and the public in February 2019, but there was a failure to seek remediation for those conflicts until October 2019. AGREE x PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): After recognizing conflicts in February, City Staff and members of the City Council participated in a communication workshop shortly after to help address communication issues amongst councilmembers. As conflicts and dysfunctions continued to arise, an independent investigation was conducted to determine the validity of the issues being reported and to ensure an appropriate remediation response. After the investigation concluded remediation efforts began immediately. At all times, when major conflicts and dysfunctions became evident, City Manager Martin Bernal held one-on-one conversations with involved individuals in an effort to immediately and directly address the issues. Staff and Council recognize that there is room to clarify and strengthen this process. Response Requested by September 23, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

Without a current, detailed strategic plan, the City Staff and City Council goals and objectives are unclear. x AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses A Failure to Communicate City of Santa Cruz City Council

Poor performance and antagonism at City Hall resulted in lost opportunities and could impair the City's ability to raise money. AGREE x PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Although the Gene Bregman & Associates public opinion poll showed that the percentage of residents who reported that City leadership was doing an “excellent job” was at an all-time low, the results also showed that the community continued to care about the services and quality of life provided by continuing to support increasing taxes at the time the poll was conducted. Response Requested by September 23, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

The City Council's inability to control disruptive behavior during meetings increases meeting length and inhibits a representative cross-section of the public from participating. AGREE x PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): There are several other factors can lead to an increase in meeting length and can inhibit a representative cross-section of the public from participating. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses A Failure to Communicate City of Santa Cruz City Council

Santa Cruz County lacks an organization that is accountable for tracking the cost of homelessness, allocating funding, and measuring the effectiveness of funding which results in the inability to make progress toward solving the homeless problem. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree) There is no single organization in Santa Cruz County that does all of this. There are systems in place for portions of it, i.e. a significant amount of State and Federal homelessness funding is allocated at the local level through the Homeless Action Partnership, however there are substantial other funds utilized by homeless services providers that do not originate with the HAP. Response Required by September 28, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

There are tools available, such as Santa Clara County’s “Silicon Valley Triage Tool," that could be applied to Santa Cruz County to allow the County to better understand the true cost of homelessness enabling the County to use public resources more efficiently. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Homelessness: Big Problem, Little Progress Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

If underutilized parcels of land throughout Santa Cruz County were identified, such as the area near Coral Street in Santa Cruz, and the parcel adjacent to the County Government Mental Health Building in Watsonville, these parcels could potentially be used to increase the number of beds and services to support the homeless. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Response Required by September 28, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

The information provided in the ADU section of the Santa Cruz County Planning Department’s website is not user friendly, and therefore not as encouraging as it could be to homeowners looking to build much needed housing for the County. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The County’s ADU website is continually being updated to enhance usefulness and ensure that the content provided on the website is accurate and reflective of current state law. This website was created in 2018 with the purpose of helping applicants learn about ADUs and navigate the ADU application process. Staff has received positive feedback from applicants on the usefulness of this website. In fact, the various resources on this website constitute an ADU toolkit that received a CSAC Challenge Award in 2019 in the category of “Housing, Land Use and Infrastructure” (https://www.counties.org/post/2019-challenge-award-recipients). During the first quarter of 2020, most links on this website were temporarily disabled while staff updated content to reflect the many changes to ADU state law that went into effect this year. Creation and update of this website has taken considerable staff time and resources, and while the Planning Department is committed to updating content on the website, a website redesign to match the format of another jurisdiction’s website is not planned. Regarding the Grand Jury’s concern, staff has identified two tasks that will be completed in the near term that will enhance the usefulness of this website: 1. The ADU Guides (Basics, Design, Finance) will be updated to reflect new state laws, and will be made available on the website once again (the links to these guides are currently broken, pending content update) 2. The ADU website will add a direct link to the County’s ePlan website to more clearly guide applicants to the building permit process once they are ready to proceed with construction. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Homelessness: Big Problem, Little Progress Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

No single organization in the County is assuming a leadership role in Fire Hazard Mitigation. It is not clear whose responsibility it is to minimize this County wide risk. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Due to jurisdictional responsibility, it may be difficult to narrow the leadership role down to one agency. Fire agencies in general can take a more proactive approach in their respective jurisdictions to gain greater buy-in from the communities. The Santa Cruz Fire Safe Council has taken some role in the effort but funding is the single most difficult obstacles to overcome. The second obstacle is obtaining property owner permissions or buy-in on fuel reduction can be difficult. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Ready? Aim? Fire! Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

The annual report to the County Board of Supervisors and the County Administrative Office by County Fire/CAL FIRE does not provide data or analysis of resources, response times, code enforcement, inspection, or education. This information is necessary to show what gaps exist between current performance and community needs in order for informed budget decisions to be made. Without adequate background information, the Board of Supervisors is unable to hold CAL FIRE accountable for the specific responsibilities specified in their contract. AGREE _ PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion X DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The County Fire/CAL FIRE Chief gave a State of the State presentation to the Board during Budget Hearings, which provided both data and analysis of resources, response times, code enforcement, inspection, and education. This is aligned with the budget process. This presentation is also given to the Fire Dept Advisory commission (FDAC), holds responsibility to provide oversite of these. Response Required by October 1, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

The four fire protection districts in the San Lorenzo Valley would benefit by further aligning their policies and procedures in anticipation of future consolidation. AGREE ​ PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion ​ ​ X DISAGREE – explain why ​ ​ Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): ​ ​ ​ The four fire districts already align their policies and procedures. Consolidation of districts would be harmful and costly. Two of the districts are not involved with Cal Pers. Consolidation could cause those districts to have to be involved and would cost an exurbanite amount of unnecessary revenue to be paid out. Response Required by October 1, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Ready? Aim? Fire! Ben Lomond Fire Protection District Board of Directors

Reporting data, statistics, and formats utilized by fire agencies throughout the County are highly inconsistent, uncoordinated, and therefore not readily evaluated and compared. The standard Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating system would be useful to adopt. Response time data are not well described or consistently reported by the jurisdictions, making accurate assessment difficult, especially by other agencies or by the public. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Ready? Aim? Fire! Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

The 2015 County of Santa Cruz Emergency Operations Management plan does not adequately address evacuation, and references data too outdated to be useful, such as a population density map from the 2000 census. X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Response Required by October 1, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

The 2016 LAFCO Municipal Service Review of Fire Districts report and its 2006 predecessor do not adequately address district performance in the areas of Fire Risk Reduction (specifically: inspections, vegetation management, and education). X AGREE PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Ready? Aim? Fire! Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

The Grand Jury finds that formally specified baseline and target performance statements, in alignment with the Center for Public Safety Excellence Assessment Process, neither currently exist nor are they reported by fire departments in the County as required by best practice standards. There are no goals set or measures made of progress for review by the Board of Supervisors regarding County Fire/CAL FIRE performance. Other fire districts in the County are similarly remiss in reporting to their governing bodies. Appropriate goals would include progress on response times, vegetation management, and code inspection progress, all of which are necessary to properly quantify the budget and resources required for full-time, volunteer, and prison inmate workforces, in appropriate, affordable proportions. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The prison inmate workforce is a State level program administered by the California Department of Corrections. The incarcerated inmates are not a budgetary item for the County to measure since it is a state level program. Any reference to the analysis of the program should be included as part of the CAL FIRE report. Response Required by October 1, 2020 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury

Due to the inconsistent reporting of response times provided by CAL FIRE in Proposition 218, conflict with information supplied by document request to the Grand Jury, and due to lack of performance standards for response times, voters may have been ill-informed when voting on the proposition. AGREE X PARTIALLY DISAGREE – explain the disputed portion DISAGREE – explain why Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): Not having the specific details of the finding or having the opportunity to address any conflicts, it is difficult to provide a response to the finding. The area County Fire provides services to is approximately 266 square miles and has remote area that the public frequently visit and have emergencies that take longer to responded to. County Fire is working to clarify the data to ensure it is accurate. 2019-2020 Consolidated Report Responses Ready? Aim? Fire! Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors