\mathbf{OF} Praej

Recommendations 8

• R1

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  LADOC should produce an annual report detailing the status of Assessment District revenues and expenditures. (LADOC: Lompico Assessment District Oversight Committee) Response We are committed to developing a process and format for a LADOC annual report. The revised Charter and/or new Bylaws for LADOC (see response to R3) will describe the timeframe and process for producing an annual report. The contents of the annual report should be defined jointly by the District and LADOC… Actions Taken LADOC completed its first annual report for 2019, covering the period from June 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019. A copy was posted to the district’s website.[21] This includes detailed financial information, a letter from the LADOC chairperson, an update on projects, and a timeline of events. However, they are behind schedule to produce subsequent annual reports in a timely fashion. This was attributed by the board to be a time-consuming process to write the report, include citations, and proofread.[22] In addition, they stated in response to the GJ document request that the pandemic has delayed further report production.
• R2

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  The District should schedule annual public study sessions or workshops to review the LADOC annual report and discuss the administration of the Assessment District (AD), in order to provide in depth information to the public about the timing, funding, and execution of AD projects. Response We are committed to scheduling annual workshop-style meetings to review the LADOC annual reports, which will include discussion of current information about the timing, funding, and execution of AD-16 projects...We will go further than the Grand Jury’s recommendation by creating high-level project summaries for each discrete AD-16 project. Our goal is to post these summaries on the LADOC web page within the next year...We will also look into creating a role for designated Board and/or staff members to serve as a liaison with LADOC and its chairperson Actions Taken LADOC conducted several annual report public workshops while designing and researching its first annual report.[23] [24] Public attendance was minimal. Therefore, due to limited public interest, an informational mailer was sent to all AD customers with the link to the online report.[25]
• R3

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  The Board and LADOC should work in concert to create a charter for LADOC that describes in detail the committee’s responsibilities and its authority to fulfill its oversight role. Response We are committed to creating a revised Charter that describes in more detail LADOC’s responsibilities and its authority to fulfill its oversight role... A draft will be presented to LADOC for its review and comment and to the Board for approval...We will go further than the Grand Jury’s recommendation by including information in the Charter about LADOC membership, meetings, procedures and functions if such information is not provided by other documents such as the Board Manual or new LADOC Bylaws. Actions Taken The LADOC Charter was written and adopted by LADOC and approved by the Board on 3/21/2019.[26] A copy of the charter is available on the SLVWD website.
• R4

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  The Board should ensure that LADOC receives adequate professional, technical, and administrative support from the District, as well as the authority to carry out its oversight responsibilities. Response ...We are committed to making adequate professional, technical and administrative support available to LADOC from the District... We believe the District has professional expertise up to the task of locating appropriate resources, adapting existing resources, or creating new materials as necessary. Actions Taken The District provided hours of staff support time as requested and the annual report is the result of that support.[27]
• R5

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  The District should provide formal training for all LADOC citizen committee members in governance, meeting management, and the Brown Act. Response ...we will make governance, meeting management, and Brown Act training available to all members of the Board and the District’s public committee members. Within a year, we will evaluate and select a means of making such training available on a recurring or ongoing basis... We will go further than the Grand Jury’s recommendation by including government ethics training for public members of committees as part of the training regimen… Actions Taken Training was provided to the LADOC on 1/23/2019 including Brown Act and ethics, presented by the Chief Risk Officer of the Special District Risk Management Authority.[28] Training on Ethics and the Brown Act was attended by past committee members. Brown Act training was also provided on 1/7/2021; the training package was entitled “The Brown Act and Social Media”.[29] The presentation was done by District Counsel. New member training is planned for the first meeting of 2021.
• R6

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  The District should provide formal training about assessment districts to LADOC members and all others involved in the administration of the Assessment District. Response ...For Board and LADOC members, we will have additional training about assessment districts... We will go further than the Grand Jury’s recommendation by coming up with a mechanism for posing questions about, e.g., the implications of changes to AD-16 projects, and addressing them. Actions Taken The LADOC Charter confirmed commitment for training. Discussion on training implementation was put on hold due to COVID-19 and CZU Complex Fire emergencies. The County identified an expert resource who retired and is no longer available; the District Manager has contacted a consulting firm to develop training. This option will be considered during the first meeting of 2021.[30]
• R7

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  The District should record all Board and committee meetings, and post the recordings online for public access. Response ...we are committed to going above and beyond open meeting requirements by recording all Board and committee meetings and posting the recordings online to maximize public access. Actions Taken The District works with Community Television (CTV) to make Board meetings accessible to the public. Since April 2020, CTV has been hosting District meetings via the Zoom platform and broadcasting regular meetings on local television with video of past meetings available on their website.[31]
• R8

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  The District should provide formal training to all Board and committee members and senior staff on how to communicate with the public on contentious issues. Response ...we will add training on how to communicate with the public on contentious issues...Ideally the training would be provided by someone familiar with the local community. Actions Taken The District contracted with Municipal Resource Group to conduct this training as an all-day public meeting, hosted by video conferencing, on 7/22/2020.[32] The District held a follow-up discussion at a regular meeting on 11/5/2020. Follow-up questions include annual discussion of the Code of Conduct, manual for new board members, best practices documentation, etc.[33] Conclusion and Commendation The 2018 GJ report summary recommended: “Better communication on difficult matters, an informed and effective Assessment District oversight committee, and an unwavering commitment to public access…” The grand jury recommendations have been met with strong commitment and positive improvement in leadership, process, and transparency. The Grand Jury commends the SLVWD and LADOC for their ongoing commitment and positive stewardship of their responsibilities. Investigation 2: Data-Driven Budgeting – New Ways To Get Better Results The 2017-18 Report Abstract: The incremental process the County is currently using communicates minimal program information and limits public insight into the budgeting process. Moving to a data-driven, performance-based budgeting process will enable the County to better communicate, and the public to better understand, how and why spending decisions are made.[34] This 2017-2018 Grand Jury report looked at the County´s intent to move from an annual incremental budget process to a system that is driven by data and measurable outcomes.[4] It made a number of