Tehama County Grand Jury
2019-2020
From the annual report
The consolidated year-end volume. The individual investigations it contains are listed separately below.
📑 Continuity Report
Continuity Committee
From the consolidated annual report · 25 pages
Individual reports (13)
Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.
Findings & Recommendations
3 findings
F1:
Corrective actions from the 2017/2018 Single Audit were effectively implemented.
F2:
Material Weakness 2019-001 and Significant Deficiency 2019-002 management corrections were adequately addressed by the Auditor-Controller.
F3:
The Tehama County budget preparation process is effective and complies with California’s County Budget Act.
Additional Recommendations
3
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Auditor Controller’s Office should be congratulated on its effective implementation of management 2017/2018 corrective actions.
R2:
The Auditor Controller’s Office should continue with 2018/2019 corrective actions. Permanent correction of Significant Deficiency 2019-002 would require a major 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 28 reorganization of the accounting staff management structure with significant disruption to all departments and it is beyond the scope of the Grand Jury to recommend such a major restructure of county administration.
R3:
The county should continue with its current budget preparation process ensuring effective input from elected officials, appointed executives, and allowing public input.
Findings & Recommendations
11 findings
F1:
ICC is housing 110 male inmates in open dormitories with a mobile dining vehicle and is at maximum capacity. Plans are currently being made to replace the kitchen facility. The numbers fluctuate as inmates cycle in and out of the program.
F2:
The inmates are selected for the program through a rigorous review process that excludes those who have committed any sex related offense, murder, escape, arson or have a history of violence.
F3:
CDCR is responsible for the selection, supervision, care and discipline of the inmates. CAL FIRE maintains the camp, supervises work of the inmate fire crews and is responsible for the custody of inmates on CAL FIRE project activities.
F4:
Fire Crew inmates receive extensive training and, if they do well, they can apply to enroll in further education in Southern California. They are provided resources needed to complete their General Education Diploma (GED) and to take college classes through Coastline College and Feather River College. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 51
F5:
ICC is currently made up of 3 fire crews with 15-17 inmates in each crew and others serving as cooks, clerks, landscapers, porters, camp maintenance workers and skilled shop workers.
F6:
ICC has the CAL FIRE Boxed Meal Program which produces Ready-2- Go meals for firefighting crews around the State.
F7:
ICC hosts the annual CAL FIRE Crew Preparedness Exercise which is the largest in the state. This exercise provides an opportunity for 31 fire crews and 4 California Conservation Corps crews to be evaluated on safety, performance, physical conditioning, Base Camp behaviour and firefighting knowledge. The fire crews will perform a “Tool Out”, deploy fire shelters under simulated emergency conditions, then hike four miles into the incident site with a time limit of between 60 to 70 minutes, then hike another half mile and construct a fire line 300 feet long by 8 feet wide within a one hour time limit. (Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Annual Preparedness Exercise was limited to ICC camp, to three Inmate Fire Crews and, in consideration of the health and safety of the inmate crews, with recognized social distancing.)
F8:
Inmates from ICC provided 44,000 hours of firefighting hours in 2019.
F9:
Inmates from ICC provided 71,000 hours of community service hours in 2019.
F10:
Inmates are provided extensive training, building their skills and resumes, making them more likely to be employed and less likely to reoffend upon release from the program.
F11:
Inmate Canteen is conducted within compliance of rules and regulations mandated by Title 15, Division 3. The inventories were clean, orderly, and accurate. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 52
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The 2017/2018 Grand Jury recommended that the TCPWD create a formal computerized plan to improve all road maintenance management, to track current road conditions and completed work. The new software has been purchased and installed but is not functional.
F2:
The 2017/2018 Grand Jury recommended the TCPWD create a tab on the TCPWD website where the General Public could register complaints and track response 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 17 times. Currently no page has been created. Reports are taken over the phone or in person and written on a paper form for distribution to the proper road division.
F3:
The 2017/2018 Grand Jury recommended the TCPWD fill the positions of Transportation Manager and Infrastructure Manager. The Transportation Manager position has been filled. The Infrastructure Manager position is not filled at this time.
F4:
Freshly chip sealed road surfaces have failed on multiple county roads. A. One failure in south Tehama County was due to poor application of road oils during the Chip Seal application (equipment failure, valve failure or low temperature oil). B. A second failure occurred on Jelly’s Ferry Road at the Jelly’s Ferry Bridge Project deemed a “Full Depth Reclamation Project”. The road oil did not adhere to the new surface and completely peeled off of the road surface. The problem was a road oil application failure found to be the wrong oil used for the road surface conditions. C. The Caltrans Maintenance Manual (Chapter 7) is the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Chip Seal application and baseline. TCPWD did not follow the Caltrans Guidelines to the letter. The application standards and parameters were adjusted to fit the existing circumstances which was not successful in this situation. D. The section of Jelly’s Ferry Road receiving the Full Depth: Reclamation applied chip seal is approximately 4.25 miles long and 18 feet wide at a cost of $2.50-$5.00 per square yard which equates to between $112,200.00 and $224,400.00 not including $14,020 hard costs of all heavy equipment and gravel used at the project site.
F5:
A road safety complaint concerning centerlines and fog lines not being visible on county roads after general and chip seal repair performed by TCPWD crews was 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 18 received. The TCPWD Director stated “We can’t fix the roads if no one calls in and tells us about a road hazard”.
Additional Recommendations
6
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends the TCPWD utilize the current Roads Management Computer Program, with cross-training of multiple staff, to track current road conditions, to improve road maintenance management and road work completed.
R2:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends a Safety/Hazardous Road Condition Repair Form be added to the TCPWD website allowing for the General Public to submit repair requests and track progress online.
R3:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends the TCPWD fill the current vacant Infrastructure Manager position.
R4:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends TCPWD implement a Quality Control/ Quality Assurance Program, with staff cross-training, which includes project and process-wide checklists to include temperatures, pressures and product application verification for all road projects, especially chip seal oil applications.
R5:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends the use of Caltrans approved subgrade and roadway construction processes. Policy 5-11, Section V, Operations, Subject: Pavement Markings, states: “Centerliners shall be applied on all paved roads 18 feet wide or greater in width. Edge lines (fog lines) shall be where the pavement width is 20 feet or more to be installed at the time the project is completed.”
R6:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends a bumper sticker be created with the TCPWD’s 24-hour recorded phone number, to be placed on the back of all TCPWD vehicles and giving easy access for the General Public to report needed road repairs. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 19 REQUEST FOR RESPONSES: Pursuant to Penal Code section 933 and 933.05, the Grand Jury requests responses as follows: The Grand Jury requires a response within 90 days from the Director of Public Works, Mr. Tim McSorley, 9380 San Benito Avenue, Gerber, California, 96035-9701 on F1-F5 and R1 - R6.
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The camp is housing 80 inmates with a maximum capacity of 120.
F2:
The camp has 4 Fire Crews, each with 15-17 inmates.
F3:
The inmates are eligible for camp based on their classification and level of security which excludes any sex-related offense, murder, escape, arson or history of violent crimes.
F4:
Camp inmates provided 66,956 community service project work hours in 2019.
F5:
Camp inmates provided 36,112 firefighting work hours in 2019. COMMENDATIONS 1. Salt Creek inmates and staff are to be commended for providing 66,597 community service hours through project and conservation work in 2019. 2. Salt Creek inmates and staff are to be commended for providing 36,112 firefighting hours in 2019. The Salt Creek Conservation Camp lies 29 miles west of Corning outside the town of Paskenta. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 56 CORNING CEMETERY DISTRICT SPECIAL DISTRICTS COMMITTEE SUMMARY Members of the Grand Jury conducted an interview of Corning Cemetery District (CCD). The interview was not complaint based but the CCD had not been investigated in the past ten years. During the interview it was learned that the Corning Cemetery District had a loss of revenue putting it in peril of being unable to continue. Included here is the report of the Tehama County Auditor. METHODOLOGY Members of the 2019-2020 Grand Jury Special Districts Committee met at the office of the CCD, at 4470 Oren Avenue, Corning, CA 96021, on March 3, 2020, to conduct the interview with two members of the CCD. DISCUSSION The Sunset Hills Cemetery was established in 1905. They are now a Tehama County Special District and have a website: https://corningcemetery.specialdistrict.org The CCD comprises 14 acres, seven which are currently in use. CCD is funded by property taxes, burial fees, and interest from the reserved endowment fees. A portion of all burial fees go to an endowment fund which will be used to maintain the grounds when no more burial plots are available. This is not likely to occur soon. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 57 The District currently has a full-time manager hired on January 16, 2020, one part-time office employee, two grounds keepers, and another office worker employed through Cal Works at no cost to the District. The CCD was near financial collapse in 2017. The bookkeeping system now uses checks and balances for recording purchases. Purchases are made with a Warrant Request to the County. An inventory system has been put in place. Funds are balanced monthly or more often. The CCD Board of Trustees oversee and approve all expenditures at monthly meetings. In addition to the County Auditor, an independent certified special district auditor reviews the income and expenditures yearly. Although now financially stable, CCD is currently at 52% of projected monies needed for the fiscal year. The increase in cremations, in lieu of full plot burials, has resulted in a reduction of revenue. Some adjustments have been made to the fees to put them in alignment with other local districts. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 58 Capital expenditures needed for a tractor, golf cart, small truck and a trailer have been put on hold. It has been necessary to rent a trailer when needing to move dirt. FINDINGS
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Findings & Recommendations
4 findings
F1:
Funding is needed to fill vacant staff positions and to bring the department into safe operational levels.
F2:
Wages are not comparable to surrounding county law enforcement positions. An employee can move out of the county, qualify to do the same job with less hours worked and receive higher wages. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 43
F3:
Updated communication equipment is needed to meet the new communication guidelines, to adequately communicate internally in first-responder or crisis issues and to more efficiently respond in the out-lying areas of the county.
F4:
The driveway and parking lot are in need of repair.
Additional Recommendations
4
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Grand Jury recommends that the TCSO review and implement salary position re-alignments to include reclassification of top-level positions to fill lower pay scale classifications. Review and release frozen positions to fill vacant positions to help alleviate overtime hours and to help begin to realign salaries with surrounding counties.
R2:
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors implement binding arbitration for contract negotiations before a contract is set to expire.
R3:
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors review and plan for the purchase of needed new digital communication equipment. Review and plan for communication towers and/or repeater stations to create and ensure regular and consistent communication in all corners of the county. This will also facilitate better communication with other agencies assisting in an emergency situation.
R4:
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors have the TCSO driveway and vehicle storage area repaired to meet safety standards.
Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The costs of running the CWD exceed the revenue and must be supplemented with reserve funds.
F2:
The computers are very old and need replacing.
F3:
It is not economically feasible to have generator backup power available to run the pumping equipment in the event of a prolonged power outage.
F4:
If more customers were to come onto District water, it would help the overall budget.
F5:
Finding new customers is difficult as the District is still using “old school” methods of advertisement. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 65
Additional Recommendations
1
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Grand Jury recommends that a free Facebook page and occasional press releases be established until a webpage is developed, as an avenue to promote the District and keep the public informed of the advantages of using District water instead of ground wells. COMMENDATION The Grand Jury finds that the Corning Water District is doing a good job managing the needs of customers as well as covering debts and increased water fees. This is especially true as the District has no control over the fees they have to pay for water and the assessments incurred for construction and maintenance to have the water available for distribution.
Findings & Recommendations
3 findings
F1:
Corrective actions from the 2017/2018 Single Audit were effectively implemented.
F2:
Material Weakness 2019-001 and Significant Deficiency 2019-002 management corrections were adequately addressed by the Auditor-Controller.
F3:
The Tehama County budget preparation process is effective and complies with California’s County Budget Act.
Additional Recommendations
3
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Auditor Controller’s Office should be congratulated on its effective implementation of management 2017/2018 corrective actions.
R2:
The Auditor Controller’s Office should continue with 2018/2019 corrective actions. Permanent correction of Significant Deficiency 2019-002 would require a major 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 28 reorganization of the accounting staff management structure with significant disruption to all departments and it is beyond the scope of the Grand Jury to recommend such a major restructure of county administration.
R3:
The county should continue with its current budget preparation process ensuring effective input from elected officials, appointed executives, and allowing public input.
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The camp is housing 80 inmates with a maximum capacity of 120.
F2:
The camp has 4 Fire Crews, each with 15-17 inmates.
F3:
The inmates are eligible for camp based on their classification and level of security which excludes any sex-related offense, murder, escape, arson or history of violent crimes.
F4:
Camp inmates provided 66,956 community service project work hours in 2019.
F5:
Camp inmates provided 36,112 firefighting work hours in 2019. COMMENDATIONS 1. Salt Creek inmates and staff are to be commended for providing 66,597 community service hours through project and conservation work in 2019. 2. Salt Creek inmates and staff are to be commended for providing 36,112 firefighting hours in 2019. The Salt Creek Conservation Camp lies 29 miles west of Corning outside the town of Paskenta. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 56 CORNING CEMETERY DISTRICT SPECIAL DISTRICTS COMMITTEE SUMMARY Members of the Grand Jury conducted an interview of Corning Cemetery District (CCD). The interview was not complaint based but the CCD had not been investigated in the past ten years. During the interview it was learned that the Corning Cemetery District had a loss of revenue putting it in peril of being unable to continue. Included here is the report of the Tehama County Auditor. METHODOLOGY Members of the 2019-2020 Grand Jury Special Districts Committee met at the office of the CCD, at 4470 Oren Avenue, Corning, CA 96021, on March 3, 2020, to conduct the interview with two members of the CCD. DISCUSSION The Sunset Hills Cemetery was established in 1905. They are now a Tehama County Special District and have a website: https://corningcemetery.specialdistrict.org The CCD comprises 14 acres, seven which are currently in use. CCD is funded by property taxes, burial fees, and interest from the reserved endowment fees. A portion of all burial fees go to an endowment fund which will be used to maintain the grounds when no more burial plots are available. This is not likely to occur soon. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 57 The District currently has a full-time manager hired on January 16, 2020, one part-time office employee, two grounds keepers, and another office worker employed through Cal Works at no cost to the District. The CCD was near financial collapse in 2017. The bookkeeping system now uses checks and balances for recording purchases. Purchases are made with a Warrant Request to the County. An inventory system has been put in place. Funds are balanced monthly or more often. The CCD Board of Trustees oversee and approve all expenditures at monthly meetings. In addition to the County Auditor, an independent certified special district auditor reviews the income and expenditures yearly. Although now financially stable, CCD is currently at 52% of projected monies needed for the fiscal year. The increase in cremations, in lieu of full plot burials, has resulted in a reduction of revenue. Some adjustments have been made to the fees to put them in alignment with other local districts. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 58 Capital expenditures needed for a tractor, golf cart, small truck and a trailer have been put on hold. It has been necessary to rent a trailer when needing to move dirt. FINDINGS
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The costs of running the CWD exceed the revenue and must be supplemented with reserve funds.
F2:
The computers are very old and need replacing.
F3:
It is not economically feasible to have generator backup power available to run the pumping equipment in the event of a prolonged power outage.
F4:
If more customers were to come onto District water, it would help the overall budget.
F5:
Finding new customers is difficult as the District is still using “old school” methods of advertisement. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 65
Additional Recommendations
1
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Grand Jury recommends that a free Facebook page and occasional press releases be established until a webpage is developed, as an avenue to promote the District and keep the public informed of the advantages of using District water instead of ground wells. COMMENDATION The Grand Jury finds that the Corning Water District is doing a good job managing the needs of customers as well as covering debts and increased water fees. This is especially true as the District has no control over the fees they have to pay for water and the assessments incurred for construction and maintenance to have the water available for distribution.
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Findings & Recommendations
5 findings
F1:
The 2017/2018 Grand Jury recommended that the TCPWD create a formal computerized plan to improve all road maintenance management, to track current road conditions and completed work. The new software has been purchased and installed but is not functional.
F2:
The 2017/2018 Grand Jury recommended the TCPWD create a tab on the TCPWD website where the General Public could register complaints and track response 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 17 times. Currently no page has been created. Reports are taken over the phone or in person and written on a paper form for distribution to the proper road division.
F3:
The 2017/2018 Grand Jury recommended the TCPWD fill the positions of Transportation Manager and Infrastructure Manager. The Transportation Manager position has been filled. The Infrastructure Manager position is not filled at this time.
F4:
Freshly chip sealed road surfaces have failed on multiple county roads. A. One failure in south Tehama County was due to poor application of road oils during the Chip Seal application (equipment failure, valve failure or low temperature oil). B. A second failure occurred on Jelly’s Ferry Road at the Jelly’s Ferry Bridge Project deemed a “Full Depth Reclamation Project”. The road oil did not adhere to the new surface and completely peeled off of the road surface. The problem was a road oil application failure found to be the wrong oil used for the road surface conditions. C. The Caltrans Maintenance Manual (Chapter 7) is the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Chip Seal application and baseline. TCPWD did not follow the Caltrans Guidelines to the letter. The application standards and parameters were adjusted to fit the existing circumstances which was not successful in this situation. D. The section of Jelly’s Ferry Road receiving the Full Depth: Reclamation applied chip seal is approximately 4.25 miles long and 18 feet wide at a cost of $2.50-$5.00 per square yard which equates to between $112,200.00 and $224,400.00 not including $14,020 hard costs of all heavy equipment and gravel used at the project site.
F5:
A road safety complaint concerning centerlines and fog lines not being visible on county roads after general and chip seal repair performed by TCPWD crews was 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 18 received. The TCPWD Director stated “We can’t fix the roads if no one calls in and tells us about a road hazard”.
Additional Recommendations
6
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends the TCPWD utilize the current Roads Management Computer Program, with cross-training of multiple staff, to track current road conditions, to improve road maintenance management and road work completed.
R2:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends a Safety/Hazardous Road Condition Repair Form be added to the TCPWD website allowing for the General Public to submit repair requests and track progress online.
R3:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends the TCPWD fill the current vacant Infrastructure Manager position.
R4:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends TCPWD implement a Quality Control/ Quality Assurance Program, with staff cross-training, which includes project and process-wide checklists to include temperatures, pressures and product application verification for all road projects, especially chip seal oil applications.
R5:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends the use of Caltrans approved subgrade and roadway construction processes. Policy 5-11, Section V, Operations, Subject: Pavement Markings, states: “Centerliners shall be applied on all paved roads 18 feet wide or greater in width. Edge lines (fog lines) shall be where the pavement width is 20 feet or more to be installed at the time the project is completed.”
R6:
The 2019-2020 Grand Jury recommends a bumper sticker be created with the TCPWD’s 24-hour recorded phone number, to be placed on the back of all TCPWD vehicles and giving easy access for the General Public to report needed road repairs. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 19 REQUEST FOR RESPONSES: Pursuant to Penal Code section 933 and 933.05, the Grand Jury requests responses as follows: The Grand Jury requires a response within 90 days from the Director of Public Works, Mr. Tim McSorley, 9380 San Benito Avenue, Gerber, California, 96035-9701 on F1-F5 and R1 - R6.
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Findings & Recommendations
4 findings
F1:
Funding is needed to fill vacant staff positions and to bring the department into safe operational levels.
F2:
Wages are not comparable to surrounding county law enforcement positions. An employee can move out of the county, qualify to do the same job with less hours worked and receive higher wages. 2019-2020 Tehama County Grand Jury Final Report 43
F3:
Updated communication equipment is needed to meet the new communication guidelines, to adequately communicate internally in first-responder or crisis issues and to more efficiently respond in the out-lying areas of the county.
F4:
The driveway and parking lot are in need of repair.
Additional Recommendations
4
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Grand Jury recommends that the TCSO review and implement salary position re-alignments to include reclassification of top-level positions to fill lower pay scale classifications. Review and release frozen positions to fill vacant positions to help alleviate overtime hours and to help begin to realign salaries with surrounding counties.
R2:
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors implement binding arbitration for contract negotiations before a contract is set to expire.
R3:
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors review and plan for the purchase of needed new digital communication equipment. Review and plan for communication towers and/or repeater stations to create and ensure regular and consistent communication in all corners of the county. This will also facilitate better communication with other agencies assisting in an emergency situation.
R4:
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors have the TCSO driveway and vehicle storage area repaired to meet safety standards.
* 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.
Additional documents
Documents found alongside this year's reports — not grand jury reports or responses.