📋
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.

Lake County Grand Jury • 2006-2007

County Counsel Special Districts Handbook

Published: April 17, 2007 11 pages
View PDF View Full Original

Findings 11 findings

F1 Page 13
The “Special Districts Handbook” is a classic example of an office, in this instance the Office of County Counsel, which saw a problem of new directors of special districts who required formal training on how they should, and/or could carry out there responsibilities. To facilitate that training, the Office of County Counsel developed the “Special Districts Handbook.”
F2 Page 13
The Office of County Counsel could have easily fulfilled its responsibility to special districts far short of the development of the” Special Districts Handbook,” and the formal training it conducts for special district directors. The Office of County Counsel went more than the extra mile in performing this extremely valuable service.
F3 Page 16
Prospective home-buyers in the sphere-of-influence appear to be inadequately informed about fire- protection.
F4 Page 16
Another issue facing homeowners who sustain fire damage or loss is lack of clarity as to which is the “responsible” responding agency required to prepare an official report for insurance companies, without which no money is paid. (A specific problem of this type was noted in the Kelseyville Fire Protection District Sphere-of-Influence.)
F5 Page 16
If SLCFPD is responding to calls for emergency care or fire protection in remote areas such as Jerusalem Valley, it may not have sufficient resources to respond concurrently to calls within its designated home territory, where property owners pay taxes for such services and expect that they will be delivered.
F6 Page 16
Despite the passage of a parcel tax in 2002 that was intended to allow continued provision of adequate staffing for emergency care, SLCFPD reported that it is again facing a budgetary crisis due to increased contractual fees for CDF services and decreased revenues from property taxes.
F7 Page 16
With the exception of the parcel tax, property tax rates paid by citizens are the same whether they live in a Fire Protection District “sphere-of-influence” or in an undesignated area.
F8 Page 21
The Board sometimes takes action, including decisions regarding the budget, in the absence of a quorum of its members.
F9 Page 21
Communications between County administration and the Glenbrook Board are dysfunctional.
F10 Page 21
Citizens of the Glenbrook Cemetery District can vote to recall Board members whom the voters believe are serving them poorly.
F11 Page 21
The Lake County Board of Supervisors has the authority to assume governance of the Glenbrook Cemetery District.

Recommendations 10