Sonoma County Grand Jury • 2011-2012 • Agency Response
Response to: The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District- Under The Microscope

Marin/sono Aug 2 1 2012*

Published: August 14, 2012 8 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 3 findings

F3 Page 5
MSMVCD puts minimal emphasis on vectors other than mosquitoes and yellowjackets in its educational outreach. Response: The current Manager began employment with the District at the end of 2011. The prior Manager retired on December 31, 2011. Based on staff testimony, the current Manager agrees that at the time of the Grand Jury's investigation, the main emphases of the educational program were mosquitoes and yellowjackets. Since the curriculum is science-based and time in the classroom is limited by various factors, there are sound educational reasons for teaching the mosquito life-cycle. It is relatively straightforward and illustrative of the principles of insect reproduction, development and metamorphosis while clearly demonstrating the potential for transmission of diseases to humans and animals. The educational program has been revised and now includes age-appropriate information on ticks and rodents as well as mosquitoes and yellowjackets. A tick education packet for use by parents and teachers is currently under development. The packet will help the organizers of field and camping trips protect children from tick-borne diseases.
No recommendations for this finding
F4 Page 5
Although MSMVCD appears financially sound, at times transparency is lacking. Response: The current Manager entered employment with the District at the end of 2011 and therefore does not have direct knowledge concerning this issue. However, based on discussions with the prior Manager, Board Members, staff and a review of the Board minutes and press articles it is reasonable to conclude that during the time of the Grand Jury's investigation, there were isolated instances where the transparency of financial information could have been improved. For fiscal year 2012/13, a new budget narrative presents an overview, explanation and analysis of the approved budget, including a review of the District's income, operational expenditures, capital projects, reserves and balances. The approved budget now depicts three years of income and expenditure for comparison purposes. To enhance the clarity and transparency of the annual budget, staff extensively revised the budget format and provided simpler and clearer nomenclature for many of the categories. This format will be continued and expanded upon in future budget years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <b>F5.</b> There is at times a lack of professionalism in dealing with the public. Response: The current Manager began employment with the District at the end of 2011 and therefore does not have the first-hand knowledge necessary to form a judgment concerning this issue. See response to
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Page 7
Provide copies of budgets to anyone who requests them. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. The Manager agrees that transparency with respect to the District’s financial documents is imperative. District staff has been instructed to provide a printed or electronic copy of the Budget upon request to anyone. The Approved Budget for FY 2012/13 is posted on the District’s enhanced web site and was provided to Board members and the public at meetings of the Board of Trustees. A new, explanatory Budget Narrative section provides a detailed discussion of the overall budget, including a retrospective look at the accomplishments and spending patterns of the prior Fiscal Year. At the Board President’s request, side by side comparisons showing three years of income and expenditure patterns are now provided.
F5 Page 6
There is at times a lack of professionalism in dealing with the public. Response: The current Manager began employment with the District at the end of 2011 and therefore does not have the first-hand knowledge necessary to form a judgment concerning this issue. See response to
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Page 7
Educate the MSMVCD Board on the way the various taxes are assessed This Recommendation has been partially implemented and further measures will be taken. Missing from the Grand Jury's report was any mention of the two Engineer's reports that are prepared and presented to the Board each year prior to the Board's ordering of the levy for the coming fiscal year. These reports contain detailed information concerning the assessment of benefits accruing to property owners as a result of the District's provision of vector control services. These reports form a key part of the District's annual budget and also refer to the District's yearly share of the ad valorem property taxes. The Assessment Engineer and his staff made several visits to the Board of Trustees meetings during 2012. A presentation summarized the District's income from property taxes and invited questions from Board members. The Manager is working with the Board's Vice-President to prepare a Policy Manual for the Board of Trustees that will include detailed information on how the District receives its income. Supplementing this document is a recently-released and informative Trustee Reference Manual prepared by the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California. During 2012, the Board President and a member of the Budget Committee attended specialized training entitled "The Board's Role in Finance and Fiscal Accountability." This training module will be offered again in 2012 in Northern California by the California Special Districts Association.

* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.