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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.

Yuba County Grand Jury • 2003-2004

Yuba County Public Guardian/Conservator

Published: June 28, 2004 49 pages

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⚠️ 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 4 findings

"The laundry room at the Yuba County Jail is in need of a fire exit. The inmates who work there are locked into the room. The only escape, in case of a fire is by traveling in the elevator." Response to Finding #1: The jail laundry is located in the courthouse basement in a room that measures approximately 19 feet by 23 feet. The room contains two commercial washers, two commercial dryers and a small folding area. This portion of the jail was constructed in 1962 and has concrete walls and ceiling. The one entrance to the laundry is through a steel jail security door that remains locked for security purposes. Immediately outside the laundry is an elevator which allows movement into and out of the jail. There are two secured exits in addition to the elevator immediately outside the laundry room door. The laundry workers have the ability to communicate with a control room that is manned seven days per week, 24 hours per day in the event there is an emergency and assistance is needed. All laundry workers receive safety training prior to going to work in the laundry. There is one fire extinguisher in the laundry.

The Sewage Disposal Ordinance is outdated and gives the Health Department arbitrary powers, with no input from the public. Response: The Board of Supervisors partially disagrees with this finding and concurs with the response provided by the Yuba County Environmental Health Department.

Posting of cemetery meetings: The Cemetery District has posted in newspapers the time and place of district meetings, but it needs to add the date of the meeting in each posting.

The committee found that clients' personal belongings were being stored in a closet with office supplies.

Recommendations 6

R1

Emphasis should be on tourist-type business (small shops), with historical theme. Only retail stores should be located on ground floors of downtown buildings. Large retail store buildings should not be sacrificed for government uses. Response: The City appreciates the Grand Jury's concerns for the well being of the City. However, another layer of regulations, as suggested by the report, may not be the answer to promoting economic revitalization of the community. The real estate market dictates business location behavior. The best thing the City could do would be to create tools, which would help business owner's plan for the future.
R2

Legislation may be necessary to give an incentive to bring buildings up to code. Examples include: tax incentives and a longer period of time to bring buildings up to code when buildings are sold. Punitive recourse should be sought, if no effort is made to preserve buildings. Response: City regulation is generally not an effective method to induce building revitalization. Tools, such as the Downtown Strategic Plan, can help energize the community and therefore, the real estate market, which will improve building renovation. However, the City is currently developing a revised nuisance abatement ordinance that will incorporate a financial penalty for building code violations. These fines accumulate and will provide owners with an incentive to renovate or sell. If not paid, the fines will become a lien on the property. The revised ordinance should help improve the City's code enforcement process.
R3

A historic theme needs to be developed and adhered to throughout the downtown area. City Administrators should have meetings with all segments of City employees to develop programs and ensure that City staff will work from the shared vision. The City is currently preparing a Downtown Strategic Plan with the assistance of a professional planning consultant. The plan is expected to be completed over the next six months. The purpose of the plan is to develop a vision of the needs of the downtown with emphasis on economic development and historical preservation/enhancement. The plan will include a visioning process, which will engage the public and the downtown merchant association in creating a plan for the economic prosperity of the town with a historical theme. The plan will incorporate an economic analysis that will provide direction as to what retail businesses the City should target for success and include a design element to assure future in-fill development is compatible and consistent with a historical theme. The plan will define what regulations should be established which might include emphasis on "tourist-type business (small shops)" and "government uses." The plan will include a detailed Implementation Plan with specific actions, time lines and funding measures to assure the downtown is developed in accordance with the community vision. While the City appreciates the Grand Jury's recommendations, the City finds that it is appropriate to research and develop a coordinated plan with the stakeholders and public before determining what is best for the community.
R4

Short-term solution of the downtown parking "shortage" is using vacant lots. Storeowners should be encouraged to use off-street parking. Businesses that have parking lots should be encouraged to allow their use after hours. Multi-level parking grants should be pursued in the long-term. Response: The City is currently preparing a Downtown Parking Study, which will consider the short-term and long-term solutions to downtown parking. The study will evaluate whether there is a parking shortage or perceived parking shortage and provide a plan for the ultimate development of parking over the eventual in-fill of development in the downtown. The study will include recommendations on methods to address parking conflicts between business employees, residents and shoppers. The study will include a detailed Implementation Plan with specific actions, time lines and funding measures to assure parking is developed according to a community vision. The study will be coordinated with the Downtown Strategic Plan, so that the two planning tools will assure consistent development with growth of the community. The City appreciates the Grand Jury's concerns for the well being of the City. Perhaps a "Multi-level Parking Grant" as noted in the report, will be one of many parking solutions for the downtown. However, multi-level parking is extremely expensive.
R5

Marysville should address the future by aggressively pursuing a plan to annex. Marysville should promote the building of taller buildings. If the City does not address and plan for the future of growth in the area, it may not be reasonable to keep the City as the County seat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Response: The City's General Plan identifies the community area expanding to the north to include additional urban development. The City's Downtown Strategic Plan will include strategies for more intense urbanization, which should include promoting construction of taller buildings. Although the City appreciates the Grand Jury's suggestion of pursuing aggressive annexation and more intensive urbanization, there may be a contradiction in seeking annexation that can often lead to urban sprawl, while also encouraging in-fill and redevelopment to enhance the City. On the other hand, the City perceives a lack of "big picture" planning by Yuba County with the large number of housing projects that have been approved and are being developed outside the City's boundaries which will result in tremendous impacts such as traffic and air pollution to the City. Perhaps Yuba County and the City should better coordinate future development in the region. SACOG has developed a "Blue Print" Workshop Series to consider regional growth consequences and is encouraging the City and the County to develop "Smart Growth" planning principals, with preference to in-fill development and greater urban development intensities over urban sprawl. SACOG has used the City of Marysville as a model city for Smart Growth due to the downtown pedestrian circulation features. The City is encouraging SACOG to assist the City and the County to develop a regional Smart Growth Plan. Perhaps the form it will eventually take is a combined General Plan Update for both jurisdictions, which would create a coordinated growth plan for the area.
R6

Marysville's Business Improvement District should market itself as competition to malls. Marysville businesses should be encouraged to stay open until 9:00 p.m. at least twice a week. Businesses should take an active part in festivals, as currently, many stay closed. Revitalization of Marysville will never be successful with government action alone! Response: As previously noted, the Downtown Strategic Plan and Downtown Parking Study will help focus a realistic vision of community development for the downtown. With the help of the two studies, the City and the Downtown Merchants Association will be able to develop a marketing plan, which may indeed improve competition to shopping malls. The City Council wishes to thank the Grand Jury for its recommendations. Sincerely, Sello Dirk Helder Mayor