San Joaquin County Grand Jury
• 2010-2011
• Agency Response
Report re Woodbridge Sanitary District
⚠️ 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.
Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F3, F4
Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
1 A check in the amount of $1,260 was issued to an employee for 36 hours he did not work, with the understanding that the money would be turned over to another employee so that his eligibility and disability benefits would not be impacted.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
1 The Board develop written policies and procedures to strengthen and assure financial accountability.
F2
Original readings taken on water quality were revised when the reading were not within the legal limit.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Board create a policy for review of water readings assuring they are reported to the SWRCB accurately and that public safety is not compromised.
F5
There is no training manual to guide employees in performing their daily duties.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Board develop a training manual for District employees.
F6
The Board has received numerous complaints from citizens and employees without taking effective action to resolve the complaints. This lack of written policies and procedures and the non-responsiveness of the board have led to serious concerns by the public.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
The Board develop written policies and procedures for the operation of WSD and to address the auditors and SWRCB recommendations.
F7
The Board has not adequately reviewed operations or visited WSD site to ensure compliance with current Board policies.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The Board initiate monthly review of all activities at WSD including onsite visits.
Conclusions 1
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CL1The District serves an important function in health and safety for residents of Woodbridge. The poor management and Board oversight does not merit the public trust. The Board is doing a disservice to constituents by the lack of policy and procedures which limits transparency of policy, and fiscal decisions. Board Members are poorly informed, or do not take seriously, their policy and fiduciary responsibilities, prudent fiscal stewardship and accountability, planning responsibilities, or oversight of effective management. It is vitally important for the continued and safe operation of WSD and the community, for citizens to become more involved in the decisions made on their behalf by their elected officials. During the initiation of the Grand Jury Investigation, the Board has corrected the following issues: Employees no longer accumulate compensatory time Approval of a time clock Development of credit card policies Development of job descriptions Development of Personnel Manual Disclaimer One grand Jury member recused themselves from the investigation and all preparation of this report. Grand Jury reports are based in documentary evidence and the testimony of sworn and admonished witnesses, not on conjecture or opinion. However, the Grand Jury is precluded by law from disclosing such evidence except upon the specific approval of the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, or another judge appointed by the Presiding Judge (Penal Coder Section 911, 924.1 and 929). Similarly, the Grand Jury is precluded by law from disclosing the identity of witnesses except upon an order of the court for narrowly defined purposes (Penal Code Sections 924.2 and 929). Response Requirements California Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05 require that specific responses to all findings and recommendations contained in this report is submitted to the Presiding Judge of the San Joaquin County Superior Court from Woodbridge Sanitary District Board of Directors by September 20, 2011. Mail or hand-deliver a hard copy of the response to: Hon. Robin Appel, Presiding Judge San Joaquin County Superior Court 222 E. Weber Av., Room 303 Stockton, CA 95202 Also, please email the response to Trisa Martinez, Staff Secretary to the Grand Jury, at grandjury@courts.san-joaquin.ca.us