Section II Fresno County Committee

Recommendations 12

• R35

  Page 44
  Construction of a new Coroner’s Office, morgue, and autopsy suite be given top priority by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #35: Fresno County agrees with the findings relating to the inadequacy of the existing Coroner facility. The recommendation has been implemented. On March 11, 2003, the Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of a capital project for a new Coroner- Public Administrator/Public Guardian facility. In addition, on May 20, 2003, the Board of Supervisors approved the selection of Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz to prepare the needs assessment, space program, and schematic design for the new facility. Completion of the needs assessment, space program, and conceptual design is scheduled for presentation to the Board of Supervisors in December 2003. The County has also selected a Real Estate firm to conduct a search for potential sites for the new facility upon completion of the space program. To date, a total of $1,300,000 has been appropriated for the project.
• R36

  Page 44
  Violations cited by CAL/OSHA be promptly corrected. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #36: Fresno County partially disagrees with the finding that a CAL/OSHA inspection resulted in a finding of multiple violations. Only one condition noted by CAL/OSHA was considered a violation of health and safety standards. In response, a Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Policy was written and approved by CAL/OSHA. The recommendation has been implemented.
• R37

  Page 44
  The Offices of Coroner and Public Administrator/Public Guardian be separated. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #37: The County of Fresno agrees with the findings related to the duties of the Public Administrator and Public Guardian (PA/PG). The recommendation will not be implemented, as a separation of the Coroner-PA/PG offices may negatively impact service delivery and is fiscally unjustified. The relationship between the office of the Coroner and the PA/PG is common throughout the State of California. The offices were established as separate elective offices under the Fresno County Charter, but were later combined through resolutions by the County Board of Supervisors as being in the County’s best interest. The combination of these functional areas provides direct benefits to consumers and taxpayers. Common staffing provides a continuity of related services and allows for a redistribution of resources within the offices as workload fluctuations occur, helping to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. These staffing efficiencies may be lost if the offices are separated or combined with other County departments. Taxpayers benefit from reduced costs of having one elected official managing both offices, thereby minimizing overhead and administrative costs. The current Coroner-Public Administrator/Public Guardian assumed the office in January 2003 and began an internal review of processes to maximize efficiencies within both offices. Any viable alternative methods of organizing the offices of the Coroner or PA/PG, resulting from this internal review, will be presented to the Board of Supervisors.
• R38

  Page 45
  The Fresno County Charter be amended to eliminate the office of Coroner, and an office of Medical Examiner be created and filled. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #38: The County of Fresno disagrees with the finding that many counties in California have eliminated the office of Coroner and have substituted a system requiring the appointment of a licensed Medical Examiner in place of the Coroner. The recommendation will not be implemented. Only four counties in California have Medical Examiner systems, all of which have been in place for many years. At this time, the Fresno County office of Coroner is adequately staffed with two full-time licensed Forensic Pathologists conducting all medical examinations and identifying the cause of death. The Coroner then reviews these findings and upon certifying the manner of death, signs the death certificate. There is insufficient evidence to support an action to amend the Fresno County Charter.
• R39

  Page 45
  The Coroner-Public Administrator/Public Guardian provide a technically advanced system for control of all inventoried properties. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #39: Fresno County agrees with the finding that property storage rooms are now more organized than in the past. The recommendation requires further analysis to determine if inventory control capability can be provided within the framework of the current case management program. A determination will be made
• R40

  Page 45
  The Coroner-Public Administrator/Public Guardian provide a technically advanced system for control of all files and autopsy specimens. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #40: Fresno County agrees with the findings regarding the need for additional space and controls for files and specimens. The recommendation has been implemented with the installation of a new computer system in the Coroner Division.
• R41

  Page 45
  The Coroner-Public Administrator/Public Guardian dispose of all files and autopsy specimens not required by law to be maintained. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #41: Fresno County agrees with the finding that old files and specimens are still being stored. The recommendation requires further investigation of legal and evidence matters related to retention. Until the investigation is complete, no items will be disposed of. Office clean-up measures have been implemented to organize record and material storage, and the proper disposal of tissue specimens is being explored through contracted services. 37
• R42

  Page 45
  The Coroner-Public Administrator/Public Guardian dispose of all unclaimed bodies in the morgue without delay. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #42: Fresno County agrees with the findings regarding the disposition of unclaimed bodies. The recommendation has been implemented. Court-ordered delayed death certificates have been obtained for all individuals deceased longer than one year enabling proper disposition. New policies and procedures have been implemented to prevent any recurrence of past practices. Fresno County Coroner-Public Administrator/Public Guardian’s Response to Recommendations #35 - #42: See . FRESNO IRRIGATION DISTRICT Recommendations The 2002-2003 Fresno County Grand Jury recommends that:
• R43

  Page 46
  No assignments of certificates of sale of delinquent properties be made by the Fresno Irrigation District.
• R44

  Page 46
  See . FRESNO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT Recommendations The 2002-2003 Fresno County Grand Jury recommends that: 45. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors support the special fire districts in the County. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #45: Fresno County agrees with the findings that the Fresno County Fire Protection District is the largest fire district in Fresno County; that the district provides fire protection to most residents of the unincorporated areas of Fresno County and to some incorporated cities; that district fire stations are approximately 12 miles apart with 8 to 12 minute response times; and, that the Fresno County Fire Protection District is one of five special districts that provide fire protection for County residents. The recommendation has been implemented in that the Board of Supervisors continues to be supportive of the special fire districts, as well as all fire protection service providers, in Fresno County. In addition to the Board-sponsored Countywide fire protection study completed earlier this year, the County's legislative platform includes support for legislation to establish an adequate revenue base for fire protection districts, including a return of property taxes that were transferred to the State through the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF), while not harming those fire protection districts receiving funds through this program. The Fresno County Fire Protection District, in particular, loses a significant portion of its property tax allocation as a result of ERAF. 46. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors implement a plan to qualify Fresno County Fire Protection District and other fire districts within the County to receive Proposition 172 funds, as approved by California voters in 1993. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #46: Fresno County agrees with the finding that the County has not provided Proposition 172 funds to the Fresno County Fire Protection District. The recommendation will not be implemented. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors does not have the legal authority to distribute Proposition 172 funds to the Fresno County Fire Protection District or any of the other fire protection districts in Fresno County. This conclusion is based on a legal opinion by County Counsel, provided in a Board Legal Report dated January 22, 2003, and released as a public document, concluding that the Fresno County Fire Protection District ('District') "does not qualify for Prop. 172 funds under the Local Public Safety Protection & Improvement Act of 1993" and that the Board of Supervisors "does not have discretionary authority to allocate Prop. 172 funds to the District". While this legal opinion was for the specific case of the Fresno County Fire Protection District, its conclusions extend to the other four fire protection districts within Fresno County. 39
• R45

  Page 46
  The Fresno County Board of Supervisors support the special fire districts in the County. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #45: Fresno County agrees with the findings that the Fresno County Fire Protection District is the largest fire district in Fresno County; that the district provides fire protection to most residents of the unincorporated areas of Fresno County and to some incorporated cities; that district fire stations are approximately 12 miles apart with 8 to 12 minute response times; and, that the Fresno County Fire Protection District is one of five special districts that provide fire protection for County residents. The recommendation has been implemented in that the Board of Supervisors continues to be supportive of the special fire districts, as well as all fire protection service providers, in Fresno County. In addition to the Board-sponsored Countywide fire protection study completed earlier this year, the County's legislative platform includes support for legislation to establish an adequate revenue base for fire protection districts, including a return of property taxes that were transferred to the State through the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF), while not harming those fire protection districts receiving funds through this program. The Fresno County Fire Protection District, in particular, loses a significant portion of its property tax allocation as a result of ERAF.
• R46

  Page 47
  The Fresno County Board of Supervisors implement a plan to qualify Fresno County Fire Protection District and other fire districts within the County to receive Proposition 172 funds, as approved by California voters in 1993. Fresno County’s Response to Recommendation #46: Fresno County agrees with the finding that the County has not provided Proposition 172 funds to the Fresno County Fire Protection District. The recommendation will not be implemented. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors does not have the legal authority to distribute Proposition 172 funds to the Fresno County Fire Protection District or any of the other fire protection districts in Fresno County. This conclusion is based on a legal opinion by County Counsel, provided in a Board Legal Report dated January 22, 2003, and released as a public document, concluding that the Fresno County Fire Protection District ('District') "does not qualify for Prop. 172 funds under the Local Public Safety Protection & Improvement Act of 1993" and that the Board of Supervisors "does not have discretionary authority to allocate Prop. 172 funds to the District". While this legal opinion was for the specific case of the Fresno County Fire Protection District, its conclusions extend to the other four fire protection districts within Fresno County. 39