Gran Jurado del Condado de Sonoma

2014-2015

6 informes

Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 4 hallazgos
F1: The Home appears to be an appropriate temporary place for minors to stay while their permanent residential status is being assessed and determined.
F2: Although some minors‘ rights had been occasionally violated, the scope, severity and frequency of 3
F3: The Home is effectively regulated and documented in Licensing’s public file of the monitored by the Community Care facility. Licensing Division of the California The Grand Jury toured the Home and found Department of Social Services and it to be clean, bright, attractive and in good inspected by the Sonoma County repair. Areas of the facility are set up so that Juvenile Justice Commission. minors in similar age groups and of the same
F4: Administrative staff of the Sonoma gender reside together. The Home is unlike County Department of Human Services a single-family residence due to the nature and the Home are cooperative with of its congregate living. Meals, snacks and, and receptive to being evaluated by if needed, medications are provided. The outside agencies. minors have access to computers, books, games, televisions and outdoor recreational Recommendations areas. Housekeeping staff clean all areas of the facility daily. None Doors and gates are locked to prevent access to the Home from the outside rather Reports issued by the Civil Grand Jury do than to prevent minors from leaving the facility. not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Closed circuit television cameras allow staff Code Section 929 requires that reports of the to view outside areas of the Home; alarms will Civil Grand Jury not contain the names of any sound if outside gates are opened. Staff will person or facts leading to the identity of any not physically restrain a minor who chooses person who provides information to the Civil to leave. Instead, they will try to convince the Grand Jury. minor to return. If the minor refuses to return, and safety is an issue, staff will contact law enforcement. The staff person in charge of the minor’s living unit conducts a one-on-one exit interview with the minor just prior to discharge from the Home. Standardized questions are designed with the goal of providing the minor with opportunity to comment on his or her stay in the Home. The staff person completes the interview form for those younger minors who are unable to write. Older minors fill out their own forms. The Grand Jury reviewed forty-two exit interview forms, and found no comments or suggestions of material problems. Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 3 hallazgos
F1: PRMD is committed to creating a facts leading to the identity of any person who customer friendly service department provides information to the Grand Jury. and has made significant progress in achieving this goal.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1: PRMD design and implement a process to notify customers when their code violation complaints have been resolved or otherwise concluded.
F2: The PRMD code violation complaint process is unable to provide customers with notification of the status or the resolution of their complaints.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2: PRMD identify an employee to assist customers with their questions or concerns about the complaint process. 21
F3: Spanish speaking customers are not well served by PRMD’s information services, most of which, including the code violation complaint forms, are provided only in English.
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 5 hallazgos
F1: MADF and other detention facilities California Board of State and Community within the County are well managed and maintained. Corrections Jail Inspection Handbook.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R1: Use of a full-body scanning device and a trained K-9 sniffer dog be implemented at the earliest opportunity to reduce the flow of contraband into the jail.
F2: The current influx of drugs into adult Public Safety Realignment Act- Assembly detention facilities poses an increased Bill 109 (2011). risk of violent behavior, medical California Proposition 47 (2014). emergencies, and a burden on the correctional staff. California Board of State and Community Corrections–2012-2014 Biennial
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R2: Aggressive efforts to recruit new correctional officers be pursued in order to reduce mandatory overtime requirements and maximize the use of NCDF.
F3: The increased jail population resulting Inspection Report. from Realignment is placing a strain on MADF staff and has resulted in onerous California Building Code, Code of mandatory overtime requirements. Regulations- Titles 15 and 24.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3: The Department continue efforts to expand the booking/intake area at MADF. 18
F4: Inadequate space and staffing in the intake/booking area is resulting in long Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not delays in the admissions process. identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code
F5: Both the Juvenile Justice Center and Section 929 requires that reports of the Grand the Juvenile Probation Camp are Jury not contain the name of any person or currently underutilized. facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury.
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 5 hallazgos
F1: Recent changes in California water of Supervisors and Sonoma County Water law establish requirements for Agency: managing groundwater as a long-term R1. Establish goals that include sustainable resource, administered sustainability and recognize water by local Groundwater Sustainability sustainability as a specific goal. Agencies.
F2: Sonoma County is better served if the new water sustainability law. Groundwater Sustainability Agencies
F3: Water agencies within Sonoma issuing new groundwater sustainability County have yet to sufficiently plans for two of Sonoma County’s educate groundwater users about major water basins. their responsibilities for sharing water resources, potential limitations on R5. Continue funding as appropriate for water use, and the advantages of the Sonoma County Water Agency making sure, through sustainability, to support the formation of suitable that water will be available in the future groundwater sustainability agencies for their own use. and their early operations.
F4: Most governmental entities in Sonoma Required Responses County — departments, cities, and other agencies — have yet to adopt Pursuant to Penal Code section 933.05, the sustainability provisions in their mission Grand Jury requests responses as follows: statements, goals, and programs, or to 33 • R1, R3, R5 - Sonoma County Board of Suggested Reading Supervisors “Sustainable Development”, Water in • R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 - Sonoma County the West, Stanford Woods Institute for Water Agency the Environment, 2014. https://woods. stanford.edu/research/centers-programs/ Endnotes water-west “Sustainable Groundwater Management 1 “California’s groundwater problems Act,” Sonoma County Water Agency, 2015. and prospects,” UC Davis Center http://www.scwa.ca.gov/sgma/ for Watershed Sciences, January 2013. http://californiawaterblog. “Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in Sonoma County” http://www.scwa.ca.gov/ com/2013/01/30/californias- files/docs/water-resources/groundwater/ groundwater-problems-and-prospects/ sgma/SGMABOSBOD_3_17_15_FINAL_a. California Legislature finding in AB1739 pdf (2014). Kevin M. O’Brien, Alice in Groundwater 3 See http://www.scwa.ca.gov/ and Land: Water Supply Assessments and http://www.scwa.ca.gov/water- Subsurface Water Supplies, 4 Golden Gate system/ U. Envtl. L.J. (2010). pp.131-144 http:// digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/gguelj/vol4/ 4 “Water Resources Availability and iss1/7 Management in Sonoma County, CA” “Groundwater Law” 2014. Water Education U.S. Geological Survey / California Foundation, Sacramento: Aquapedia. http:// Water Science Center, 14 Jun 2011. www.watereducation.org/aquapedia- http://ca.water.usgs.gov/user_ background/groundwater-law projects/sonoma/index.html California 2014 water law revisions: SB 5 California Legislature finding in AB1739 1168, SB 1319, and AB 1739 (2014) “Sonoma County General Plan 2020: Water 6 California Legislature finding in AB1739 Resources Element”, September 2008. (2014) http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/ gp2020/wre.pdf Glossary “Groundwater sustainability agency”: One Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not or more local agencies that implement the identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code new sustainable groundwater management section 929 requires that reports of the Grand provisions of California’s water law. Jury not contain the name of any person or “Groundwater sustainability plan”: A plan facts leading to the identity of any person who established by a groundwater sustainability provides information to the Grand Jury. agency to achieve sustainable groundwater management. “Sustainable”: (1) meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; (2) improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the Earth’s supporting eco-systems. “Sustainable groundwater management”: Management and use of groundwater in a way that can continue for a very long time without causing undesirable results. 34
F5: The Sonoma County Water Agency picture. For purposes of water management, has participated significantly in carrying capacity includes available resources, preparations for sustainable water population, and per capita consumption. management, and can continue A carrying capacity study should consider to contribute in the transition to how an economic part, a social part, and an management through groundwater environmental part come together to make sustainability agencies. up community. Carrying capacity should be studied broadly across the entire county F6. Economic and environmental through an independent team representing sustainability are interdependent; resources, disciplines, stakeholders, and other economic sustainability can be interests. achieved only when critical resources such as water are also managed for Some of this may be difficult to accept after sustainability. years of unregulated groundwater use, but easier to accept than a well going dry when a F7. There has been no cross-discipline property owner is relying on it–or a whole water study of carrying capacity in Sonoma basin that is no longer available to anyone. County that projects what population Water is essential to life and our enjoyment of the water and other resources in life. Groundwater sustainability management Sonoma County are capable of is an essential step in making sure water is supporting. available to us and to those who follow us.
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R3: Conduct a county-wide study of are established in advance of state- carrying capacity. mandated deadlines, using criteria that assure broad participation. R4. Use the existing groundwater management plans as foundations for
Recomendaciones adicionales 1

No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.

R2: Assign a high priority to implementing
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 1 hallazgos
F1: The required Sonoma County Law Enforcement Employee-Involved Fatal Incident Protocol was followed by all of the involved law enforcement agencies and their respective personnel in each of the seven fatal incidents reviewed.
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 6 hallazgos
F1: The information related to pensions is daunting and difficult for the lay person Suggested Reading to understand. The California Employees Retirement Law
F2: The County, its employees, and retirees of 1937 are well served by the Retirement The Public Employees Pension Reform Act Association. of 2013
F3: Sonoma County, with the assistance Sonoma County Board of Supervisors of new State laws and good-faith Ad Hoc Commission On Pension Reform bargaining with employees, has made Report, November 3, 2011 strides towards reducing unfunded pension liabilities. Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Pension Reform Update, December 2014
F4: Periodic comprehensive update reports on pension reform are valuable tools The 2014 Pension Reform Update for gauging the progress of reducing presented to the Board of Supervisors on the unfunded liability. January 27, 2015 at www.sonomaCounty. ca.gov/Board-of-Supervisors/Meeting-
F5: A standard method of measuring Agendas-Minutes-and-Videos performance would help citizens gauge the progress of County’s goal of Agendas, minutes, and resolutions of the pension reform and funding pension Sonoma County Board of Supervisors liabilities. Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Pension Reform Report 2014 - 2015 8 Agendas, minutes, and resolutions of the Retirement Board of the Sonoma County Employees Retirement Association County of Sonoma Citizen’s Report, Fiscal Year 2013-14 prepared by the County of Sonoma Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Comprehensive Annual Financial Report For the year ended December 31, 2013 prepared by the Sonoma County Employee’s Retirement Association, A Pension Trust Fund for the County of Sonoma Letters and actuarial studies from Segal Consulting (actuaries) to the Sonoma County Employees Retirement Association Letters and actuarial studies from Bartel Associates, Inc. (actuaries) to the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of the County of Sonoma for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 Reports and Articles by Ken Churchill at New Sonoma - www.newsonoma.org Reports and Articles by the Sonoma County Taxpayer’s Association - www. sonomacountytaxpayers.org Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Report, “Sonoma County Pension Increases in 2002 - Legal or Not?” dated June 28, 2012 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Report 2005-2006, “The Impact of Yesterday’s Promises” dated June 26, 2007 Grand Jury Chapter Quotations from Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Ad Hoc Commission On Pension Reform, November 3, 2011 A Full Bibliography is Available at: Sonoma. courts.ca.gov Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. Pension Reform Report 2014 - 2015 Consider Becoming a Grand Juror Grand jury service is a tremendously rewarding experience, providing a meaningful and independent say in local government. Sonoma County grand jurors play a distinct and vitally important role in government. They have broad oversight powers to investigate and influence positive change within the County, its cities, special districts and the many organizations that collectively constitute our local government. The Civil Grand Jury is made up of a diverse cross section of 19 County residents chosen for a one year term. They decide what to investigate and how to comment on their findings. They are self-starting and self-directed. They are bound by a common interest in promoting transparency and efficiency in government. Special training on grand jury investigative processes is provided to ensure that their work is conducted in a fair and objective manner, consistent with the provisions of the California penal code. The experience provides an enhanced understanding of local government and what it takes to make our community such a desirable place to live. Examples of past Sonoma County Grand Jury reports can be viewed on-line by clicking the link below. For further information and insight into the role that grand juries provide in California, please see the California Grand Jury Association’s web site at www.cgja.org Application forms to become a Sonoma County Civil Grand Juror are available online at Sonoma.courts.ca.gov (click on the Grand Jury tab at the top of the page). You may also obtain an application at the Administrative Office of the Sonoma County Courts, 600 Administration Drive, Room 106, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, phone 707-521-6501. By law, a Grand Juror must be a U.S. citizen 18 years of age or older; a resident of Sonoma County for at least one year; have sufficient knowledge of the English language to participate in meetings, take notes, and write reports; and have no convictions for malfeasance in office, any felony, or any other high crime. In addition to meeting the statutory requirements, a Grand Juror should be able to fulfill the time commitment required to be an effective Grand Juror, be in good health, have the ability to work with others and be tolerant of their views, have a genuine interest in community affairs, and have investigative and computer skills. Applications can be submitted throughout the year. Each spring, judges of the Superior Court interview prospective Grand Jurors from the applicant pool. Several members of the previous year’s Grand Jury may be selected to serve a second year in order to provide continuity. Sonoma.courts.ca.gov 10
F7: Actuarial predictions cannot anticipate to contain and reduce pension costs, rather extreme market volatility, which may than increasing costs to further unsustainable result in investment losses and levels. While the forecast is encouraging, increased unfunded liabilities. caution must be exercised until a trend is established. Recommendations The County’s major cost is employee salaries. The Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury While the County can reduce the number of recommends that: employees, it cannot reduce its contractual obligations such as pension obligations for R1. The Office of the County Administrator past services. Making significant reductions publish yearly a Pension Reform in pension costs over time can make more Update. funds available for County services, such as R2. The Office of the County Administrator maintaining roads, parks and recreation, health continue to include the annual payment and human services, or cultural activities. No toward pension obligation bonds in its matter what the measurement, it is clear that measurement of the County’s ability to pension contributions are projected annually meet its future pension obligations. by the Retirement Association, the County is paying 100 percent of their actuarially Request For Responses required contribution (ARC), and the County Pursuant to Penal Code section 933.05, the and the Retirement Association policies have Grand Jury requests responses as follows: a clear goal of reaching full funding of pension liabilities for current and future retirees. From the following governing bodies: • R1. and R2. - Sonoma County Board Findings of Supervisors
Recomendaciones adicionales 2

No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.

R1: R1. and R2. - Sonoma County Board
R2: R1. and R2. - Sonoma County Board