Trinity County Grand Jury • 2022-2023

2022 Trinity County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Committee Compliance Report (cor 2022-001)

11 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 3 findings

F1
of the 2022 Grand Jury: Although BOS did not implement the recommendation for a larger room for observation of ballot counting, the Clerk/Recorder/Assessor rearranged the current room (which is the election office in the Courthouse) to allow a better line of sight from a large window in a large hallway. Two grand jurors interviewed the County Clerk/Recorder/Assessor in the office where they count votes, and she explained the process as required by California Elections Code §15104(d)(1)(2)(3). Moving to a larger room would require transfer of all computer hardware and add another security issue for ballots. The Clerk/Recorder/Assessor noted there was rarely more than one observer at a time during the counting process in the past 2 years. The 2022 Grand Jury finds the response to be timely and appropriate. For the June 7, 2022, Primary, four jurors observed the counting process and found it to be professional, secure, and accessible. View of June 10, 2022, Vote Counting through Observation Window
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
“The 2019/2020 Grand Jury recommends that the Trinity County Board of Supervisors allocate a larger room or enough space to accommodate election observers.” Response 1 (from Clerk/Recorder/Assessor): “Partially Disagree. The Elections Office where the Vote-By-Mail (VBM) ballots are processed is approximately 21’ x 16’ with an observation window that is 6’ x 4’. This observation window allows observers sufficiently close access to enable them to observe whether the individuals handling the ballots are following procedures. I 2 have rearranged the office to offer a better line of sight to the desk where VBM ballots are processed.”
F2
of the 2022 Grand Jury: The Trinity County Elections Office complies with applicable California Elections Code which is satisfactory for local needs. The 2022 Grand Jury finds the response to be timely and appropriate; and determined there was no need for further investigation of this issue and commends the Elections Office for its work to maintain integrity of the Trinity County voting process. Road Maintenance Issues
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
“Trinity County Clerk/Recorder/Assessor shall develop a policy to accommodate vote-by-mail observers.” 3 Response 2 (from BOS): “Recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted as California Elections Code §15104(d)(1)(2)(3) defines the procedures for County Elections Officials.” (See Appendix C)
F3
of the 2022 Grand Jury: • The complaint process is in place for the five access points: online, www.trinitycounty.org/DOT-Problem-Report , by phone, email, in person, and written. Each complaint is sent to appropriate staff for action. A spreadsheet tracks each complaint and how it is resolved. When appropriate, the Trinity County Department of Transportation administrator of this process informs the person(s) who filed the complaint of its resolution. • The Department of Transportation advertised for the Assistant Director position in November 2019 but was unsuccessful in filling the position. In 2019 and 2021, TCDOT again attempted to fill the position on a temporary basis to handle some special issues but had no applicants. The new Director of Transportation will consider filling that position. The 2022 Grand Jury determined that responses were timely and appropriate; and commends Trinity County Department of Transportation for its proactive responsiveness and work to meet transportation needs in Trinity County. Cannabis Ordinance Development and Complaint Response
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
“The 2019/2020 Grand Jury recommended that the Trinity County Department of Transportation develop a comprehensive complaint procedure that provides for online, phone, email, in person and written complaints. This procedure shall include Trinity County Road Department’s responses to the complaint and an in-house tracking process for each complaint. This procedure shall be implemented and communicated to the public no later than December 2019.” Response 3 (from BOS): “Agree and disagree. Recommendation has not been implemented but will be in the future. Trinity County Department of Transportation (TCDOT) now accepts complaints by five access points. TCDOT has implemented a web page to report a problem and uses social media (Twitter) to deliver updates and conditions. The “Report a Problem” web page is an excellent start. Tracking and resolution is the next step in this process and the BOS will request CAO present the recommended strategy by March 2020. Per my interview with the Director of Transportation, the Director currently is the point of contact for communicating with the public, responsible for long-term planning, budgeting, and project implementation. This obligation needs to be shared; the BOS will give direction to the CAO to implement a TCDOT Assistant Director position.”

No Responses Found 2

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

Trinity County Assessor Elected County Office
Trinity County Board of Supervisors Elected County Office