6 responses to findings and recommendations
F2
With its new expansion, Juvenile Hall has more space than it is likely to need.
Response: Disagree Partially
Score: 0
. "Major factors contributing to the increase in final cost/completion over original estimates include the passage of time between initial estimates and the execution of project contracts, changes in the cost of funds, late discovered need for changes of design, unavailability of necessary materials, unexpected construction/labor problems, and changes in relevant regulations." The County Department of Public Works partially disagrees with this finding. While the County has dealt with issues on contract changes and material availability/delays, the County has not seen work stoppage or delays du...
F3
It has been 10 years since the last Juvenile Hall needs analysis was prepared.
Response: Disagree Partially
Score: 0
. "The reporting of final project completion sometimes includes statements that give rise to speculation that projects are not well managed." The Board of Supervisors partially disagrees with this finding. Statements such as constructed "on time and within budget" are relative to a specific construction contract value and time. Projects involving state agencies frequently involve further time and approvals beyond just the construction contract which could lead to unclear project completion.
R3
Probation should separately report statistical data for Juvenile Hall’s treatment population versus its detention population for improved transparency. 14
Response: Will Not Implement
Scheduled: Fiscal Year 2019-20
Score: -1
. "The County should give itself the option to use Design-Build for any project valued above one million dollars (as opposed to the current five million dollar threshold.)" The recommendation will not be implemented at this time, as the County pursues its initial Design-Build process. Public Works recommended to the Board of Supervisors in April 2016 to use Design-Build on the Animal Shelter replacement and the new Co-Located Dispatch Center as "pilot" projects. Public Works is still in the early processing of Design-Build for those projects. In consultation with other counties, Public Works h...
F4
The treatment program’s repurposing of 15 beds is not expected to impact the County budget, but this depends on expected group home cost-savings or cuts in other budget areas to make the program cost-neutral. If the treatment program does not pay for itself, it adds to the expense of running a larger Juvenile Hall instead of staffing and using its infrastructure more cost-effectively.
Response: Agree
Score: +1
. "California law imposes detailed process requirements on all counties awarding building contracts for capital projects, with the clear intent of eliminating the possibility that anyone could allege bias, nepotism, or preferential treatment in the awarding of any public contract." The County Department of Public Works agrees with this finding. Additional contract regulations are created by the State Legislature annually which require on-going staff revision and review of County contract documents to ensure compliance. This is the case regardless of bidding mechanism.
F5
The treatment program is operating without a written operational manual.
Response: Disagree Partially
Score: 0
. "As the State authorizes it and as the County proposes to use it, the Design-Build project delivery method has generally proven in practice to expedite project completion and enable more cost-effective contracting with less financial and other risk to owner." The County Department of Public Works partially disagrees with this finding. While Public Works expects to see an expedited delivery system with a mechanism for cost control, we cannot assure that all risk will be removed from the County. Site development conditions, either geotechnical or environmental, are items the County will still ...
F6
A dual-purpose facility creates a statistical reporting dilemma. Occupancy trends may be harder to discern depending on how data is reported. Data such as average daily population and average length of stay are used by researchers and members of the public interested in understanding juvenile justice trends. If the numbers from both the treatment unit and the detention units are aggregated in developing this data, trends will become more difficult to discern. If the numbers are separated out, tr...
Response: Agree
Score: +1
. "While experts generally indicate that the Design Build method can be useful for all types and sizes of projects, under California law there is a limit: If County policy permits, the County may use Design- Build for any vertical project with a price tag that will exceed one million dollars." The County Department of Public Works agrees with this finding. However, all projects may not fit the Design-Build process. For instance, if the County seeks specific control of final design features of the project, staff may not want to rely on a Design-Build team to determine the outcome of that design...
