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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
⚠️ 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.
Findings 10 findings
F1
Page 102
With two exceptions, all the responses to the 2018-2019 Napa County Grand Jury reports were completed and returned within the required timeframe: 1. The due date for the report “Napa County Water Quality—It’s a Matter of Taste,” was September 14, 2019; however, the City of Napa did not respond until September 17, 2019. 2. City of American Canyon did not respond until October 17, 2019.
F2
Page 102
With two exceptions, all respondents complied with Sections 933 and933.05 of the Penal Code: 1. Ten responses to Recommendations in the report, “St. Helena—A Small Town with Big City Problems,” by the City of St. Helena did not comply with 933 and 933.05 of the Penal Code. Please refer to requirements on Summary on . 2. The response to Recommendation 3 in the report “City of Napa Traffic Signal Synchronization Study” indicates the recommendation will be 94 implemented in the future but does not specify a date, as required by Penal Code Section 933.05 (b), Item 2. V. REVIEW OF RESPONSES City of Napa Traffic Signal Synchronization Study The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Found (Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
F3
Page 103
The traffic signals at the on and City Response The City of Napa agrees with this off ramps of Highway 29 and finding. Redwood Road/Trancas Avenue (sic) are under the control of Caltrans making it difficult for the City of Napa to efficiently control the traffic along the Trancas corridor.
F4
Page 103
The Department of Public City Response The City of Napa partially Works does not have a Master Plan disagrees with this finding. for the systemic repair, maintenance and replacement of its traffic lights. The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Recommendations Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
F5
Page 105
STVR owners are aware of the City Response The City of Napa partially agrees resource limitations faced by City with this finding. and County enforcement teams and 97 are thus adept at avoiding detection Director Planning, The Director disagrees partially and/or prosecution. Building, and with the finding. Environmental Services Board of The BOS agrees with the Director. Supervisors (BOS)
F6
Page 106
The County CC officer is a City Response Not required. potentially dangerous occupation. Officers are issued bullet proof Director Planning, Director disagrees partially with the vests but are not supplied the Building, and finding. appropriate tools, such as pepper Environmental spray, to defend themselves. Services Board of The BOS agrees with the Director. Supervisors (BOS) The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Recommendations Respondent For full responses see http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
F7
Page 110
There are large disparities in City of Napa The respondent agrees. household drinking water and wastewater rates between City of American The respondent agrees. municipalities, with smaller, up- Canyon valley cities in Napa County paying much higher costs for the same City of St. Helena The respondent agrees. City of Calistoga The respondent agrees. 102 amount of residential drinking water Town of The respondent agrees. and wastewater. Yountville
F8
Page 111
Residents of mobile home parks, City of Napa The respondent agrees. gated communities and apartment buildings do not always receive City of American The respondent does not agree. communication about water quality Canyon or taste and odor issues—rather the City of St. Helena The respondent partially disagrees. owner/operator/manager of the site receives required water notifications and is not required to pass the City of Calistoga The respondent agrees. notification on to the individual residents. Town of The respondent partially disagrees. Yountville The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Recommendations Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018- 2019
F9
Page 117
There is no budgeted or written City of St. The respondent disagrees method for dealing with the City’s Helena with this finding. unfunded pension liabilities as reported to the City in the Bartel and Associates Report.
F10
Page 117
The City’s residents are not City of St. The respondent disagrees adequately informed of the financial Helena with this finding. impact of decisions made by the City Council and City Staff. The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Respondent For full responses go to
Recommendations 12
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R1Page 103The Director of Public Works City Response This recommendation has been fill the vacant Senior Engineering implemented. Aide position at the TOC as soon as possible. 95
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R2Page 104When the 2019-2020 fiscal City Response This recommendation has been budget becomes effective on July 1, implemented. the Department of Public Works finalize the selection of a traffic management software package and initiate the purchasing process for the installation commencing
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R3Page 104The City Council and PWD City Response This recommendation has not been resume negotiations with Caltrans implemented but will be for the release of control of the implemented in the future. (See traffic signals located on Redwood brief discussion in original report.) Road/Trancas Street at the intersection of Highway 29,
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R4Page 104The Grand Jury recommends City Response This recommendation has not been that the PWD develop a implemented but will be by comprehensive Master Plan for the December 31, 2020. systemic repair, maintenance and replacement of the traffic signals in their jurisdiction by December 31, 2020. Enforcing Short-Term Vacation Rental Codes in Napa Valley The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Found Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
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R5Page 107The County authorize and train Director of The recommendation has not yet CC officers to be armed with pepper Planning, Building, been implemented. spray by June 30, 2020. and Environmental Services Board of The BOS agrees with the Director. Supervisors (BOS) The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Commendations: Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019 The Napa Valley Register has City Response recently reported that the City and Director Planning, N/A County CC/CE teams have taken Building, and legal action against several non- Environmental permitted STVRs and the Grand Services Jury strongly support those actions Board of The BOS appreciates the Grand and the accompanying public show Supervisors (BOS) Jury commending enforcement of enforcement. staff’s efforts. Mental Health Services in the Napa County Juvenile Hall The 2018-2019 Napa County Required/Invited Responses Grand Jury Found; Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
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R6Page 114Each Napa County City of Napa This recommendation has been municipality’s Department of Public implemented, in part. Additional Works establish a formal written portions of this recommendation will communication policy identifying not be implemented because it is not how to better communicate to and reasonable for the City to attempt to interact with customers in mobile directly communicate with end users home parks, gated communities, and of City water services that are not the apartment residents that are beyond City’s customers. the water meter. Each of Napa City of American This recommendation has been County’s Department of Public Canyon partially implemented and full Works should implement these implementation is expected by June actions no later than June 30, 2020. 30, 2020. City of St. Helena The recommendation has been partially implemented and full implementation is expected by June 30, 2020. City of Calistoga This recommendation will not be implemented. Town of This recommendation has been Yountville partially implemented and full implementation is expected by June 30, 2020. 106
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R7Page 115The LAFCO Municipal Service City of Napa The recommendation has not yet Review of drinking water and been implemented but will be once wastewater countywide resources the LAFCO Municipal Service recommendations are due in Review has been finalized. February 2020. Each Napa County municipality’s senior municipal elected officials should review, evaluate, respond to, and where appropriate, incorporate the LAFCO MSR recommendations into each Napa County municipality’s operating and long-range plans. Each of Napa County’s senior elected municipal officials should implement these actions by no later than June 30, 2020. City of American The recommendation requires further Canyon analysis of a discretionary action of LAFCO when the report is finally released. As with other recommendations and reports from LAFCO, the City is committed to a thorough review and analysis of this report once it is published. However, before the City can commit to implement a course of yet unknown recommendations, it would be appropriate for the City to review, evaluate, and fully understand the scope and implications of the recommendations contained in the LAFCO MSR. City of St. Helena The recommendation requires further analysis as the referenced report has yet to be completed. City of Calistoga This recommendation has not yet been implemented but will be once the LAFCO Service Review has been finalized. Town of The recommendation requires further Yountville analysis as the referenced report has yet to be completed. LAFCO The respondent agrees with the recommendation. The LAFCO MSR is scheduled to be completed in February 2020. Any recommendations contained in the MSR will be more likely to be acted upon if they are reviewed, evaluated and responded to by each Napa County municipality as recommended by the Grand Jury. St. Helena: A Small Town with Big City Problems The 2018-19 Grand Jury Found: Required/ Responses Invited For full responses go to Respondent http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
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R8Page 119The City should reconsider the City of St. The City’s response does not comply proposed City Hall Project on or Helena with Penal Code §933.05.6 before June 30, 2020. The estimated costs and sources for funding the proposed City Hall project should be included on the most current Capital Improvements Plan docket and Long-range Financial Forecast. Emphasis should be placed on the City’s existing real property assets as “City Hall” offices.
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R9Page 119Beginning in the 2020-2021 City of St. The City’s response does not comply Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2020, Helena with Penal Code §933.05.6 and continuing thereafter, the City 6 See Summary on for response requirements 111 should allocate a designated percentage of the General Fund each year for additional payments toward its unfunded liabilities to CalPERS as well as deferred maintenance costs for City real property assets.
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R10Page 120Beginning with the fiscal year City of St. The City’s response does not comply commencing on July 1, 2020, as the Helena with Penal Code §933.05.7 City hires additional full-time personnel, such as new full-time firefighters, the City should recalculate the effect of such hires on unfunded pension liabilities to CalPERS and include those new liabilities in the allocated budget.
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R11Page 120No later than December 31, City of St. The City agrees 2019, the City should conduct an Helena analysis of its legal expenditures and associated results in order to determine whether any changes need to be made to the City’s current legal support and strategy. The results of this analysis and any accompanying recommendations should be shared with the public.
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R12Page 120The City should develop and City of St. The City’s response does not comply enhance its system of community- Helena with Penal Code §933.05.7 based communications to highlight important financial issues affecting City residents. The communications could be published in the weekly St. Helena Star or by e-mail or both. Re-advertise the City email communications system and how City residents can access these communications on a regular basis. See Summary on for response requirements 112 DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (NCDC) ANNUAL REVIEW: UNDER A MICROSCOPE: NAPA COUNTY JAIL HEATHCARE SERVICE The 2018-2019 Napa County Grand Required/Invited Responses Jury Found; Respondent For full responses go to http://www.napacourt.com/grand- jury/reports-response%202018-2019
Conclusions 1
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CL1From the registration process to the posting of election results on election day, the Napa County Election Department exercises electoral transparency on voter registration and in providing a clear chain of custody for paper ballots. According to County Election Officials, in the last 20 years, there has only been one case of voter fraud involving duplicate ballots. Napa voters should be confident that their votes are being counted fairly and accurately while maintaining secret ballot confidentiality. 47
Commendations 1
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CM1C1. The Jury commends the City of Napa’s Utilities Department staff and the City’s Community Relationships Officer for their efforts in exceeding the minimum Proposition 218 guidelines that require notification to ratepayers of any proposed rate increase.