San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
2019-2020
From the annual report
The consolidated year-end volume. The individual investigations it contains are listed separately below.
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From the consolidated annual report · 18 pages
Individual reports (5)
Findings & Recommendations
8 findings
F1:
Budget forecasting errors and mismanaged spending by the administration, without adequate oversight by the board, were compounded over a minimum of three years, leading to a reduction of the district reserves below mandatory minimums.
F2:
The superintendent and his staff provided financial information to trustees that was neither accurate nor conducive to making sound financial decisions.
F3:
Based on state guidelines for allowable administrative budgets the 25.9 new positions added between 2015 and 2018 exceeded recommended levels and was a key contributor to the depletion of reserves.
F4:
Conflict of interest, nepotism, and cronyism, real or imagined, created distrust and suspicion. This also led to teacher morale issues as documented in two union sponsored surveys.
F5:
The superintendent was not eligible for a severance package when he resigned. However, the board extended a negotiated settlement without obligation to do so.
F6:
The majority of trustees failed to independently verify information provided to them prior to approving expenses.
F7:
Issues exist with the way trustees are prepared for their duties. Not all trustees take advantage of training opportunities to enhance their understanding of complex issues in school management and administration.
F8:
The County Office of Education’s ability to intervene in a timely manner is unduly limited. The County Superintendent’s inability to respond resulted in serious budgeting errors over the period of the 2016-2018. CHAPTER 2-THE DISTRICT RESERVES
Additional Recommendations
16
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
District policy should be amended to prevent a school district superintendent from acting simultaneously as CBO.
R2:
The District shall require comprehensive training for new hires who are responsible for financial accounting and business operations.
R3:
The structure for board meetings should be revamped to provide a more reasonable and focused agenda. Targeting the focus of each meeting would allow effective action and increased accountability by trustees.
R4:
In order to maintain institutional history and knowledge, the district should develop a succession plan to ensure timely replacements for essential positions and time for appropriate training.
R5:
Both the School District and the District Board of Trustees Procedure Manuals should be reviewed and updated annually and made readily available on the district website.
R6:
By-laws should be amended so that all trustees are encouraged to participate in comprehensive training with emphasis on financial oversight as provided by SLOCOE and other sources.
R7:
The County Office of Education should revisit its policies to provide further clarification on conflict of interest. All employees and board members shall be required to disclose any potential conflict issues.
R8:
The Chief Business Officer should have the authority to independently report on the fiscal health of the school district to the Board of Trustees and the County Board of Education.
R9:
The County Board of Education should provide tighter controls and transparency over authorizations for overriding a school district’s approved budgets.
R10:
Prior to an election, school districts should publicize the financial responsibility of the Board of Trustees to facilitate the complex scope of their fiduciary duties if elected.
R11:
Trustees must establish and document standard minimum qualifications for a superintendent, which reflect the needs of the district including financial management.
R12:
Standardized financial and performance metrics and monthly reporting should be developed to provide the board of trustees with the tools necessary for effective decision- making and greater accountability related to specific goals and financial objectives.
R13:
Under the conditions that exist today, the district trustees and administration should determine if the aquatic complex is viable.
R14:
The PRJUSD should consider the possibility of collaborating with the city of Paso Robles to use purchased equipment to upgrade current municipal swim facilities.
R15:
There should be a comprehensive audit and report made available to the public of 4A Foundation funds that were dedicated to the aquatic complex construction.
R16:
There should be a current audit of Measure M Funds by the Oversight Committee and it should be made available to the public.
Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The cities of Atascadero, Grover Beach, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo who operate their own PSAPs, could benefit financially and operationally by contracting their dispatch operation with Cal Fire and the County Sheriff.
F2:
The County Sheriff and Cal Fire have demonstrated that they can provide cost effective and operational dispatch service that is equal or better to the smaller agencies in San Luis Obispo county through contracting.
F3:
The portion of the EOC building now allocated to County Sheriff Dispatch operations is insufficient to provide dispatch service to all seven cities.
F4:
A state-of-the-art dispatch center could be a benefit to the County Sheriff’s aging building inventory, but the real benefit for taxpayers and residents countywide is the financial and operational efficiencies of a joint agency dispatch service.
F6:
It is the observation of the Grand Jury that the space is inadequate and insufficient and needs to be addressed.
Additional Recommendations
10
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Cities of Atascadero, Grover Beach, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo, should each request a proposal from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff and Cal Fire to provide contract dispatch services and present it as an option in future budgets.
R2:
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff and Cal Fire should modify their contingency plans for dispatch to all seven cities into a viable alternative to the proposed co-dispatch center.
R3:
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors should require the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff to provide a clear, long-term pricing for dispatch service with and without the proposed co-dispatch center.
R4:
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors should include the reallocation of space in the EOC building for expanded dispatch operations in their current negotiations with PG&E regarding the closing of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in 2025.
R5:
Health services a) How delivered b) Common medical problems c) Public health concerns
R6:
Injuries a) Injuries to inmates due to aggression/agitation b) Accidental injuries to inmates requiring medical attention greater than first aid 2019-2020 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report 68 Inspection Report for San Luis Obispo County Law Enforcement and Detention Facilities c) Injuries to staff by inmates due to assault or managing inmate aggression/agitation
R7:
Suicide a) Suicide attempts/deaths b) Serious self-injury incidents requiring medical attention beyond first aid
R8:
Drugs a) Drug overdoses b) Drug deaths by overdose
R9:
Deaths a) Other deaths
R10:
Training (title, hours, and instructor credentials for each type) a) Managing inmate violence b) Handling mental health behaviors c) Responding to drug/alcohol related problems 2019-2020 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report 69 JOINT AGENCY DISPATCH: BETTER TOGETHER?
Findings & Recommendations
7 findings
F1:
There is no evidence of an increase in response time by Cal Fire, the Sheriff’s Department or San Luis Ambulance to the emergency needs of south county residents when incidents occur at the Oceano Dunes.
F2:
The primary reason for steady response times by Cal Fire Paramedics and San Luis Ambulance is their strategic repositioning and move–up strategies. These approaches effectively place resources in positions that minimize response times.
F3:
Although the Sheriff’s department plays a minor role in the day-to-day law enforcement at the Oceano Dunes, they play a vital role when major crimes occur.
F4:
The Oceano Dunes District State Park Rangers attribute the main cause of accidents at the SVRA to inexperience, inattentiveness and speed.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The County of San Luis Obispo should actively promote public safety announcements encouraging safety at the Oceano Dunes: a. Be educated to your surroundings and vehicle b. Be attentive c. Be mindful of your speed
F5:
The County Jail, which is part of the Sheriff’s department, incurs expense for booking and housing individuals arrested at the Oceano Dunes. The County of San Luis Obispo bears the cost of prosecuting and defending individuals arrested at the Oceano Dunes.
F6:
Of those requiring ambulance transport service at the Oceano Dunes, 92.8% are from locations outside of San Luis Obispo County.
F7:
The county and the state receive financial benefit from camping, sales tax and registration fees. The direct safety support services provided by the County of San Luis Obispo to the Park Rangers for services rendered at the Oceano Dunes are not reimbursed by the State.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
The County of San Luis Obispo should explore cost recovery for county services. The nature of off-road activities on the Oceano Dunes/SVRA require a unique level of county support.
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Findings & Recommendations
2 findings
F13:
The PHF has made minor upgrades to its small, antiquated facility. Response: We disagree partially with the finding. The County has invested significant work and funding into updating the Psychiatric Health Facility over the past year. Updates include painting, updated lighting, updated security camera system and a secure sally-port entry to allow safe entry to the facility.
F14:
According to the Sheriff's office, placing a deputy at the PHF is not an option because of existing county policies and procedures. Response: We disagree partially with this finding. Placing a deputy in the PHF is not an option due to state rules and condition of our licensure. The Health Agency is in the process of securing unarmed security guards for the facility to increase the safety of both patients and staff.
* 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.