Solano County Grand Jury

2017-2018

5 reports

Findings & Recommendations 5 findings
F1: – The Solano County In-Home Supportive Services program has failed to meet minimum state standards for quality assurance, quality improvement and anti-fraud efforts for four or more years. The root cause of this persistent failure of regulatory compliance results from a lack of effective program oversight and management by the Solano County Department of H&SS and the ODAS office in particular. There is a prevailing practice of regulatory non- compliance as an operational norm.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1: – The Solano County Board of Supervisors and County Administrative Officer hold Health and Social Services Department management personnel, particularly within the ODAS office, accountable for IHSS program compliance.
F2: –Solano County’s IHSS program management and compliance oversight functions have failed to achieve minimum objective measures of program integrity over the last five years due to the lack of effective use of H&SS departmental resources.
F3: – The Solano County Department of Health and Social Services’ welfare fraud investigative unit, the Special Investigations Bureau, has been precluded from participating in In- Home Supportive Services program fraud investigation and prosecution by H&SS departmental policy and budget decisions.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3a: – The Special Investigations Bureau be transferred to the District Attorney’s Office.
R3b: - The current ‘Purchase of Service Agreement for Investigation of Welfare Fraud’ between the Solano County H&SS Department and the D.A.’s Office be rewritten to specifically include investigation and prosecution of IHSS program fraud.
F4: – IHSS provider time cards continue to be a significant source of potential fraud. The electronic IHSS provider electronic time card has been adopted by Solano County but is not mandatory.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4: – The Solano County Public Authority require that the IHSS electronic time card is a condition of employment for all providers. Granting of the power of proxy second signatures to the IHSS electronic time card should be limited to instances that meet the legal standard requiring a notarized power of attorney for a financial transaction.
F5: – Health and Social Services Department management stated that its primary concern is IHSS Program sustainability and quality of services rather than program integrity and regulatory compliance. 12
Related Recommendations (1)
R5: – Program integrity and regulatory compliance be the primary focus of H&SS management to ensure IHSS program sustainability. COMMENTS The 2017-2018 Solano County Grand Jury shares the concerns of the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services management regarding IHSS program sustainability, but we feel strongly that the ultimate basis for community support is taxpayer confidence that the program is well managed and compliant with state requirements. H&SS Department efforts to combat fraud, waste and abuse within the program must be aggressive and transparent.
Findings & Recommendations 5 findings
F1: – Members of Solano Animal Control Authority (SACA) indicated concern with the contract and lack of cooperation from Humane Animal Services (HAS) in providing appropriate fiscal information.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1: - SACA, the contracting party, review, renegotiate and rethink the existing contract. SACA send out requests for proposals to find an agency that provides appropriate fiscal information.
F2: – Licensing is the law, not a choice. All interviewed enforcement agencies admitted that implementing licensing laws is a low priority.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2: – Law enforcement agencies review policies and ensure that pet owners are aware of and follow the state, county and city regulations.
F3: – Animal Care/Animal Control services in Solano County are not consistent or easily accessed.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3: – The cities in Solano County develop a communication system that connects all responding agencies and allows citizens to access needed assistance with a single call.
F4: – There is no effective program in Solano County to ensure animal license enforcement and compliance.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4: - The cities and the county collaborate on a plan to address license enforcement and compliance.
F5: - Veterinarians are the first line of defense in addressing the health and safety of family pets, yet there is no effort to create a collaborative program to ensure that pets in Solano County are licensed.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5: – Solano Animal Control Authority (SACA) work with the Napa Solano County Veterinary Medical Association to create a program to increase the number of licensed animals in Solano County. COMMENTS Depending on pet owners to voluntarily license their pets has proven to be ineffective. The county and the cities within the county need to: A. Create a method that allows for consistent licensing applications throughout the county. B. Develop public educational programs on the importance of pet licensing. C. Enforce existing laws. REQUIRED RESPONSES (ALL FINDINGS) Solano County Animal Control Authority (SACA) Solano County Sheriff’s Department Administrators Benicia Police Department Administrators City of Suisun City Police Department Administrators Dixon Police Department Administrators Fairfield Police Department Administrators Rio Vista Police Department Administrators Vacaville Police Department Administrators Vallejo City Administrators COURTESY COPIES Humane Animal Services (HAS) Administrator Napa Solano County Veterinary Medical Association Humane Society of the North Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Findings & Recommendations 4 findings
F1: – City Code Enforcement Departments generally seek voluntary code compliance.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1: – Cities continue instituting fines as a last resort to achieve compliance.
F2: – The majority of municipal code enforcement is reactive rather than proactive and relies on citizens to report suspected code violations.
Related Recommendations (2)
R2a: – Municipal Code Enforcement officers become more proactive in identifying and educating the public on code violations (i.e. Coffee with Code Enforcement).
R2b: – Work with refuse companies to inform the public of additional programs.
F3: – City of Benicia does not have a fine schedule for Municipal Code violations.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3: – City of Benicia adopt a fine schedule as an incentive for compliance.
F4: – City of Vallejo has a pamphlet, “Neighborhood Resource Brochure” detailing resources for citizens to refer to concerning code enforcement issues.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4: – City Code Enforcement officials of all cities consider developing a comprehensive brochure using Vallejo’s “Neighborhood Resource Brochure” as a prototype to better inform citizens of available resources. COMMENTS To understand the level of blight, in all manifestations within Solano County, the 2017-2018 Grand Jury toured its cities. Though the Grand Jury understands there are many different forms of blight, the cities establish basic standards through municipal codes and code enforcement; ordinances are developed periodically to meet new environmental concerns, urban sprawl, and ever-changing societal issues. During these tours, incidents of possible municipal code violations were discovered: sidewalk encroachments, garbage cans in view, abandoned vehicles/boats/motorhomes, debris (appliances, mattresses, furniture, shopping carts, etc.) unsightly entrances to cities, partially and/or abandoned buildings, human waste, needles in children’s parks and on and on. Code enforcement officers are limited by time and budget constraints. This is where citizens need to be vigilant in watching for/cleaning up and/or reporting possible code/ordinance violations. Pride in your neighborhood and city is fundamental as there is no doubt that disorder in public spaces is a visual sign of decay forcefully sending messages about neighborhoods. Cities can also ensure that street/alley/sidewalk markings for construction purposes be removed after completion. National Night Out, the community/police awareness raising event held annually across America on the first Tuesday of August, may be the one item that can help communities work toward the social issues of blight. Local police, fire departments, and code enforcement officers continually emphasize its importance and send representatives to attend National Night Out events. The following photographs are just a few examples of blight situations in our neighborhoods:

Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.

Findings & Recommendations 2 findings
F1: – Assessment Appeals Board - The Solano County Grand Jury finds a regular pattern and practice of repeated assessment appeals initiated by a few large commercial property owners that extends for many years. This pattern has resulted in the County incurring significant defense costs and ongoing fiscal opportunity losses amounting to millions of dollars.
Related Recommendations (3)
R1a: - Since the primary basis of the pattern of appeals is an annual claim that the value of their commercial property is but a fraction of the assessors’ current and previously mutually agreed to valuations, the problem is evidentiary. The AAB’s established rules and procedures be strictly applied to these cases in order to encourage a timely and rational resolution of valuation questions.
R1b: - The AAB take steps to expedite the assessment appeals process and limit the granting of waiver agreements under Rule 10 of the Local Rules. Similarly, written requests for postponements and continuances must show good cause for a postponement under Rule 25 of the Local Rules.
R1c: - The Board of Supervisors, County Counsel and Chair of the AAB take all available measures to obtain relief from the regular pattern of repeated, prolonged appeals that expose Solano County to unnecessary risk and potential financial loss.
F2: – Solano County Integrated Property System (SCIPS) Replacement Project - SCIPS is an aging application using unsupported, outdated software with limited technical resources. Platform updates are expensive and disruptive. A multiyear replacement project has been authorized and a $10 million reserve fund created. The vendor product currently recommended by the stakeholders is not fully in production in California. Delay in replacing the current system puts the County at operational and financial risk due to the dwindling viability of SCIPS.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2: – County project team in the SCIPS replacement program continue to monitor the installation in Southern California. Based on results of that installation, the County’s options be revised if necessary. Upon final system selection, it is imperative for the Solano County stakeholders to work together closely to implement the installation, testing, security and training on a new integrated property system for end users.