Continuity Compliance Report

Recommendations 11

• R1
  The Board of The Board of Supervisors Supervisors ensures that all works to ensure that all future responses to Grand responses to Grand Jury Met Requirement Jury recommendations Requirements comply with comply with California Penal California Penal Code Code § 933.05. § 933.05.* Homelessness: A County-Wide Issue The 2024-2025 Grand Jury investigated the Care Response Unit (CRU) established in the City of Fort Bragg to address the growing problem of homelessness in Mendocino County. CRU was considered a state-of-the-art program based on the findings of Dr. Robert G. Marbut’s homelessness study commissioned by the BOS in 2019. *Responses are paraphrased and/or abbreviated The CRU program involves the integration of police outreach, mental health services, and temporary housing for unhoused individuals as they are located and identified within the Fort Bragg city limits. The CRU is law-enforcement driven and as such is unique in the county. The Grand Jury’s investigation included interviews with Fort Bragg and County officials, police and sheriff personnel and other advocates for the unhoused people in the area. In addition, the Grand Jury reviewed documentation, news reports, and studies on homelessness. See in greater detail the report and responses. Penal Code Recommendation Response* 933.05 Fort Bragg City Council
• R2
  The Mendocino County Civil The Recommendation has been Grand Jury recommends the implemented. The City of Fort Community Outreach Response and Bragg’s Care Response Unit Engagement program developers (CRU) has recently extended its continue to collaborate with the services geographically, and has Met County Behavioral Health, Social initiated further collaboration with Requirement Services, Sheriff’s Office and other County law enforcement, County departments and program behavioral health, and social managers to work with the Care services. * Response Unit. Mendocino County Sheriff
• R3
  The Grand Jury recommends This recommendation will not be the Board of Supervisors give implemented as it is not direction to the Chief Executive warranted. As explained in Officer to implement a plan to cease response to Finding 1 herein. * Did not meet issuance of Class K permits that are requirements not solely intended for habitable living space as prescribed by law,
• R4
  The Grand Jury recommends The recommendation will not be the Board of Supervisors give implemented as it is not direction to the Chief Executive warranted. PBS complies with Officer to create an oversight its responsibilities.* committee by January 1, 2026, to Did not meet ensure that Planning and Building requirements Services adheres to requirements outlined specifically in: • California Code of Regulations, Title 25, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1, Article 8 *Responses are paraphrased and/or abbreviated Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Penal Code Recommendation Response* 933.05 • California Code of Regulations, Title 25, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1, Article 8 • Health and Safety Code 17958.2 • Health and Safety Code 17958.2 • Mendocino County Code Chapter 18.23 • Mendocino County Code Chapter 18.23 • Public Resource Code 4290.
• R5
  The Grand Jury recommends These recommendations will not the Board of Supervisors give be implemented as they are not direction to the Chief Executive warranted. As noted in the Officer to have a working draft of response to Finding 5, PBS has Policies and Procedures for all clear policies and procedures divisions within Planning and that relate to the handling of Did not meet Building Services. The guidelines permits, inspections, and fees. * requirements should be comprehensive, standardized, and easily accessible to all staff members to ensure that the processes are consistently followed and comply with regulatory requirements,
• R6
  The Grand Jury recommends These recommendations will not the Board of Supervisors give be implemented as they are not direction to the Chief Executive warranted. As noted in the Did not meet Officer to instruct Planning and response to Finding 5, PBS has requirements Building Services to have a final clear policies and procedures version of Policy and Procedures for that relate to the handling of all divisions, by April 1, 2026. permits, inspections, and fees. *
• R7
  The Grand Jury recommends “This recommendation has not the Board of Supervisors instruct yet been implemented but will the Chief Executive Officer to be implemented in the future.” implement new software “However, implementation may applications for tracking all take up until November 1, Met processes in Planning and Building 2027.” * requirements Services, including but not limited to permits, inspections, fees, and Code Enforcement complaints,
• R8
  The Grand Jury recommends This recommendation will not be Did not meet the Board of Supervisors direct the implemented as it is not requirements Chief Executive Officer to warranted because it duplicates *Responses are paraphrased and/or abbreviated Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Penal Code Recommendation Response* 933.05 implement a monitoring process for a prior and ongoing Board of Planning and Building Services that Supervisors-approved Executive includes supervisory checks and Office initiative from 2023.* audits to ensure adherence to the established policies and procedures, and to identify areas for improvement,
• R9
  The Grand Jury recommends The recommendation will not be the Board of Supervisors give implemented as it is not direction to the Chief Executive warranted because it is already Officer to develop a structured sufficiently addressed through training program within Planning the current thorough PBS and Building Services based on all training program.* Did not meet laws, codes, ordinances and any requirements new policies and procedures. This program should include both initial training for new hires and ongoing refresher courses for existing staff,
• R10
  The Grand Jury recommends “This recommendation will not the Board of Supervisors give be implemented as it is not direction to the Chief Executive warranted because it duplicates Officer to establish and document a prior and ongoing Board of Did not meet clear roles and responsibilities for Supervisors-approved Executive requirements all Planning and Building Services Office initiative from 2023.” * staff involved in the permitting, inspection, and fee collection processes,
• R11
  The Grand Jury recommends The recommendation will not be the Board of Supervisors give implemented because it is direction to the Chief Executive already sufficiently addressed by Officer to create a communication the Department in their framework that establishes regular operations. * Did not meet meetings, addresses challenges, requirements and shares best practices to ensure all staff are aligned with the policies and procedures within Planning and Building Services, by July 1, 2025. Healing the Toxic Culture in the City of Willits Workplace The 2024-2025 Civil Grand Jury received a complaint detailing multiple irregularities including an intimidation and toxic workplace culture for the employees of the City of Willits. See the entire 2024-2025 Grand Jury report. *Responses are paraphrased and/or abbreviated The Grand Jury interviewed the parties in question as well as other witnesses. They also reviewed countless documents, including the written City of Willits’ Policy and Procedures Manual and the Willits City Council Manual of Procedures and Protocols currently in use. The Grand Jury made four recommendations to the City Council to improve the work environment for the employees and thus improve efficacy of the work they are empowered to perform. The Willits City Council met the response requirements of all four recommendations of the 2024-2025 Grand Jury. The response from the Willits City Council is summarized in the following table: Compliance with Recommendation Response* Penal Code 933.05