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Findings 22 findings
F1
Placer County Sheriff’s Office denying access to real-time data from Automated License Plate Reader cameras to Auburn Police Department has led to an adverse impact on Auburn Police Department’s ability to carry out its law enforcement objectives.
F2
The fear of annexation and job loss has caused some Placer County Sheriff’s Office deputies to misinterpret and misapply command staff edicts that deputies be assigned to or assist with calls by Auburn Police Department when operating outside the City of Auburn, leading to unintended consequences.
F3
Placer County Sheriff’s Office deployment of deputies to Auburn Police Department calls, when not sought by Auburn Police Department and not providing actual support, or when Auburn Police Department officers are obtaining food or fuel outside of the City of Auburn, is a waste of county resources.
F4
Placer County Sheriff’s Office deployment of deputies to Auburn Police Department calls when not sought by Auburn Police Department does not further cooperative allied-agency interaction as proposed by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Field Operations Manual and General Orders.
F5
Auburn Police Department’s operation outside of the City of Auburn without advising Placer County Sheriff’s Office dispatch of its presence has resulted in the appearance of Auburn Police Department officers hiding their activities from Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and caused unnecessary management and control burdens on Placer County Sheriff’s Office in needing to coordinate additional law enforcement assets not expected nor desired by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office for such calls. 33
F6
The general manager effectively controls access to institutional bank records, transmittal of financial data to outside financial contractors, and preparation of the annual budget with minimal board analysis, modification, or independent review.
F7
Although written policies and procedures governing the Foresthill Public Utility District operations exist, some policies are followed inconsistently, conflict with state law, or are ignored.
F8
A lack of timely review from Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission, as required under its mandate, has resulted in a void of independent insights into efficient functioning and operations. 52
F9
The City of Rocklin’s website is generally easy to navigate, which provides access to city information and enhances the visitor experience. The City of Auburn
F10
While there are certain departmental areas on the City of Auburn’s website that list specific individuals with their phone and email contact information, this is not consistent across all departments, potentially increasing the time required to locate the correct individual.
F11
Staff indicated the City of Auburn does not have a policy to respond to public requests or complaints within a certain period, potentially creating uncertainty whether concerns will be addressed.
F12
Phone calls to the City of Auburn after hours or holidays do not automatically go to voicemail, often disconnecting the caller, and forcing a call back by the caller.
F13
The online complaint tracking tool used by the City of Auburn is innovative, demonstrates transparency, and inspires confidence by citizens that their complaint or concern has been addressed. The City of Lincoln
F14
The City of Lincoln is either non-responsive or slow to respond to citizen phone calls or emails, resulting in potential citizen frustration and lack of confidence that their city government is receptive to or will resolve citizen issues. 72
F15
The Placer County Grand Jury was unsuccessful in getting a response from City of Lincoln officials via emails and phone calls, requiring an onsite visit to get a response.
F16
The City of Lincoln lacks timeliness and consistency in their policies for communicating with the public.
F17
The phones at the City of Lincoln are frequently not answered by a live person and are forwarded to the utility billing department’s voicemail. This situation wastes time and leads to possible citizen frustration. The Town of Loomis
F18
The listing of the Town of Loomis contact information for departments and specific personnel on their website is not consistent, making it difficult to contact the appropriate person.
F19
The Town of Loomis’ website is not easily navigated, which impedes citizens’ access to information.
F20
The Town of Loomis’ complaint forms are not easily accessible on its web page, forcing citizens to call or email their concerns.
F21
The Town of Loomis responds to emails and phone calls in a timely manner, which does help citizens initiate a response to their issue. The City of Colfax
F22
The City of Colfax was investigated by the 2021-22 Placer County Grand Jury regarding its complaint system. The city updated its system, website, and contact information. No other findings were warranted by the 2025-26 grand jury. 73
Recommendations 15
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R1No later than October 1, 2026, Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Auburn Police Department should share information and location technology with one another, including real-time Automated License Plate Reader data, Automated Vehicle Locator data, and LawNet.
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R2No later than October 1, 2026, Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Auburn Police Department should create a joint task force for the purpose of establishing policies and procedures for inter-jurisdictional operations and cooperation among agencies.
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R3No later than February 1, 2027, Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Auburn Police Department should establish policies and procedures for inter-jurisdictional operations and cooperation among agencies, including information sharing.
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R4No later than April 1, 2027, all policies and procedures established by the joint task force should be reduced to a memorandum of understanding or similar document and adopted as part of each agency’s policies and procedures.
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R5The Foresthill Public Utility District board should exercise financial oversight to ensure segregation of duties and appropriate checks and balances, in alignment with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as directed by an in-house finance manager,
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R6The Foresthill Public Utility District board should direct the in-house finance manager to provide direct financial reporting on a monthly basis,
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R7The Foresthill Public Utility District board chair and general manager should follow policies regarding parliamentary procedures, remote participation, adherence to the Brown Act provisions, and decorum for public meetings, no later than the October 2026 board of directors meeting. 53
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R8Given the twenty-year gap from the last Placer Local Agency Formation Commission review, the Placer Local Agency Formation Commission should conduct a service review of the Foresthill Public Utility District as part of the “Placer LAFCO Final Workplan and Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26,” with the review scheduled no later than August 30, 2026, and exercise ongoing individual oversight as determined by that review.
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R9The City of Auburn should update the after-hours phone system, so callers are not disconnected, by October 1, 2026. The City of Lincoln
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R10The City of Lincoln should develop or review its formal response protocol to citizens’ concerns or complaints, by including a requirement for an email or a phone call response within 24 hours
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R11The City of Lincoln should update the city’s communication policy and provide training to management staff and city officials on communicating with the public
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R12The City of Lincoln should update its phone system, allowing the option of a live person to be contacted for all phone calls placed to the city by October 1, 2026. For calls answered by the auto attendant, the City of Lincoln should change the transfer feature from the utility billing department to a general mailbox by October 1, 2026. The Town of Loomis
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R13The Town of Loomis should provide a comprehensive list of phone numbers and email addresses for each department and key departmental personnel
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R14The Town of Loomis should update its website to be easily navigated
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R15The Town of Loomis’ general complaint form should be updated and made more accessible on its website
In the Press 1
Press coverage of this report, automatically tracked.
Placer County Grand Jury Releases 2025-26 Final Report on Local Government - Roseville Today
Roseville Today
· August 22, 2026