Gran Jurado del Condado de Ventura

2012-2013

16 informes

Hallazgos y recomendaciones aún no extraídos.

Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 17 hallazgos
F01: The District, due to growth in the Ventura area, proposed various bonds to update facilities from the years 1994, 1996 and 2004. (FA-01–08)
F02: The Bond was approved by 62.7% of the voters of the District. It called for $135 million in bonds to be sold to update school facilities and to build two high schools in the District. (FA-03, 06-08)
F03: The Bond authorized “ . . . new school facilities toward reducing overcrowding . . .” (FA-03-08) (Att-02)
F04: In numerous news articles, campaign flyers and interviews, the District indicated that one school would be built in Oxnard and another in Camarillo. However, these locations were not stated in any proposal put before the voters of the District. (FA-05-07, 10)
F05: The District delayed the sale of the bonds until Measure U, the unification measure for the Pleasant Valley School District, was resolved. This action resulted in 19% reduction in buying power of the approved bond money. [Ref-13]
F06: Measure U failed. However, the District continued to delay actions in relieving the overcrowded conditions. (FA-08, 11)
F07: The Adolfo Camarillo High School has more students enrolled than in 2004 and continues to be overcrowded. (FA-14-17)
F08: Rio Mesa High School is at capacity with an average of 2,034 students. (FA-15-17)
F09: Some community members believe that the current plan for the Academy High School in Camarillo does not fulfill the Bond’s purpose because it would not alleviate the District’s overcrowded conditions as much as a comprehensive high school would. (FA-14-17)
F10: The District did not meet the requirements of Proposition 39 in that the BOC must be formed within 60 days of the passage of the bond measure. If the District chose not to sell the bonds that does not relieve it of the 4 Oxnard Union High School District and Measure H requirement of the BOC. It should also be noted that the BOC is required to provide oversight of the expenditures. These expenditures must be those included within specified bond measure, placed before the voters of the District. (FA-09, 12-13)
Recomendaciones relacionadas (3)
R01: The Grand Jury recommends that the District ensure the Bond Oversight Committee fulfill its obligation as required in Proposition 39.
R02: The Grand Jury recommends that the District utilize the Bond Oversight Committee to review all proposed expenditures of Bond monies for consistency with the language in Bond Measure H, as approved by the voters.
R03: The Grand Jury recommends that the District follow Proposition 39 requirements and adhere to Bond Measure H. Responses Responses Required From: Board of Trustees, Oxnard Union High School District, (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03, FI-04, FI-05, FI-06, FI-07, FI-08, FI-09, FI-10, FI-11) (R-01, R-02, R-03) Responses Requested From: Bond Oversight Committee (FI-09, FI-10) (R-01, R-02, R-03) References Ref-01. “Voter’s Guide.” The Star. October 27, 1996. Ref-02. Hutkin, Erinn. “Some unsure about school bond measure.” Ventura County Star. October 4, 2004. Ref-03. Wilson, Kathleen. “Oxnard Union Oks school site purchase.” Camarillo Star. October 28, 2004. Pages B1, B2. Oxnard Union High School District and Measure H 5 Ref-04. “Grant Deed.” OTR to Oxnard Union High School District. January 4, 2005. Recorded, February 2, 2005. Ref-05. Knight, Michelle. “Measure H oversight committee expected to regroup.” Camarillo Acorn. September 24, 2010. Ref-06. Hernandez, Marjorie. “New school OK’d for Oxnard but not Camarillo – No majority reached on district board vote.” Ventura County Star. October 15, 2010. Ref-07. Ventura County Star. “Bait-and-switch – on voters.” Ventura County Star, Opinion. October 22, 2010. Ref-08. Foxman, Adam. “In Camarillo, campus plans gain ground.” Ventura County Star. March 16, 2012. Ref-09. Soumakian, Gabe. “Soumakian: A sneak peek at the future.” Ventura County Star. May 5, 2012. Ref-10. “Editorial: New high school in Camarillo is a promise to keep.” Ventura County Star. July 10, 2012. Ref-11. Measure H Bond Oversight Committee, Minutes of the Initial Meeting. March 22, 2011. http://www.ouhsd.k12.ca.us/business_services/schoolbond/minutes/20 11/03.22.11.pdf Ref-12. LSA Associate. “Initial Study.” 2012. http://www.ouhsd.k12.ca.us/business_services/schoolbond/docs/study. pdf Ref-13. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. “What is a dollar worth?” http://www.minneapolisfed.org/ Ref-14. Ed Data, Fiscal, Demographic, and Performance Data on California’s K- 12 Schools. http://www.ed- data.k12.ca.us/App_Resx/EdDataClassic/fsTwoPanel.aspx?#!bottom=/_l ayouts/EdDataClassic/profile.asp?reportNumber=16&level=06&fyr=101 1&county=56&district=72546 Ref-15. Measure H Citizen Bond Oversight Committee. Annual Report for 2012. Approved for Submittal. February 4, 2013. http://www.ouhsd.k12.ca.us/business_services/schoolbond/docs/report- 2012.pdf Attachments Att-01. Ballot Measure H, as proposed by the District. Att-02. Paid Political Advertisement. “Camarillo Voters are being Duped.” Oxnard Press Courier. October 29, 2004. . Oxnard Union High School District and Measure H
F11: The Initial Study and other District documents called for a school to include students in zip codes, 93010, 93012 and 93066. The report projected that 700 to 1,000 students could attend. In addition, the District can allow students enrolled at Frontier High School, who are eligible, to attend the new Camarillo High School. This would include an additional 100 to 200 students, which would increase the student enrollment to the same student enrollment as Rio Mesa High School. Overcrowded schools can then seek placement of students at Rio Mesa High School on a volunteer basis. (FA-13-17) [Ref-10 -13] Recommendations
F12: In 2011, after the election of new board members, the District reversed an earlier decision and agreed to build a new high school in the City of Camarillo. [Ref-07-12]
F13: On March 22, 2011, the BOC met for the second time regarding the requirements of Proposition 39. The BOC asked the Board for clarification and a response was received stating that the BOC was in compliance with Proposition 39. [Ref-11]
F14: District student enrollment was at 16,138 in 2004, when the Bond was passed by the voters of the District. Student enrollment peaked in the school year 2008 – 2009 to a total enrollment of 16,885. In the school year 2011 - 2012 enrollment was at 16,790, down 95 students. In 2004, the Board indicated that it was overcrowded to the equivalent of one comprehensive high school. [Ref-14]
F15: Adolfo Camarillo High School enrollment for the 2011 – 2012 school year is at 2,493, up from the 2004 enrollment of 2,378. This reflects an increase of 115 students. [Ref-14] Oxnard Union High School District and Measure H 3
F16: Rio Mesa High School, which includes 400 to 500 Camarillo area students, had a total enrollment of 2,098 in the 2004 - 2005 school year. Student enrollment peaked at 2,305 in the 2008 - 2009 school year. In the school year 2011 - 2012 the student population was at 2,034, which is below the 2004 - 2005 school year. [Ref-12, 14]
F17: In 2012, the Initial Study by LSA Associates, Inc. for the District, identified the need for a new high school to serve the needs of the students from zip codes 93010, 93012, (all of Camarillo) and 93066 (Somis and Saticoy). The Initial Study stated the District could allow the students who currently attend Rio Mesa to attend the new high school in Camarillo. It would also allow other students from zip code 93066 to attend the new school. [Ref-12] Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 13 hallazgos
F01: The Grand Jury found that Simi, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and the County use Best Practices when dispensing fuel to municipal vehicles. These municipalities periodically meet and share information regarding efficient administration of fuel operations. (FA-01-05)
F02: Simi, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and the County use commercial software to monitor fuel consumption, frequency of fueling, the amount of fuel dispensed and the mpg for each vehicle that requires fuel. This allows for tracking vehicle efficiency and monitoring for waste or theft of fuel. (FA-01-03) Fueling Responsibly in Ventura County 3
F03: Simi, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and the County use surveillance cameras in conjunction with monitoring fuel mileage to spot and prevent the theft of fuel. (FA-05)
F04: Simi, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and the County save money by purchasing fuel in bulk, at reduced rates, store it and dispense it as needed. (FA-04)
F05: Oxnard does not follow Best Practices relative to the limited administration and monitoring of their fuel program, including minimal implementation and use of Shell report capabilities. (FA-10-13)
F06: Oxnard saves about $.06 per gallon with their contract with Shell. (FA-10)
F07: Oxnard does not have tanks to store fuel for cost saving or as a means to have fuel available during shortages. (FA-04, 12-13)
F08: Oxnard and Simi have high-efficiency vehicles that are not attaining high mileage. (FA-12) Recommendations
F09: There are different administrative policies and accounting procedures used by each of the municipalities associated with allocating administrative costs. This made comparing cost savings impractical.
F10: Oxnard currently has a contract with Shell and saves about $.06 per gallon. Oxnard uses Shell’s reports to monitor fuel use, miles driven and fuel purchase history. The initial information provided by Oxnard to Shell, about each vehicle, was incomplete. Additional information and instructions are being provided to Shell after Oxnard brings vehicles in for maintenance. This information restricts the number of gallons dispensed to the volume of each vehicle’s individual fuel tank. [Ref-07]
F11: The reports from Shell to Oxnard do not calculate mpg, although the information is available. There is no one at Oxnard Fleet Services available or assigned to review the reports. [Ref-07]
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R01: The Grand Jury recommends that Oxnard implement policies that incorporate Best Practices to manage, safeguard and monitor efficient fuel usage. (FI-05-08)
F12: A review by the Grand Jury of the Shell reports for Oxnard revealed that two Toyota Prius vehicles were getting about 25 mpg. The other fleet Prius vehicles were getting about 50 mpg. Oxnard administrators advised that the two vehicles that were getting the lower mpg are used for traffic enforcement (parking tickets). They may be involved in continual start and stop operation according to Oxnard administration. Simi has a similar report with two Prius vehicles getting about 20 mpg. [Ref-07]
F13: Oxnard is evaluating the option of obtaining fuel tanks as a cost-saving measure. Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 11 hallazgos
F01: The request by the inmate/decedent to be transferred to the hospital was written in the psychiatric evaluation conducted at 9:30 A.M. on August 4, and repeated in the nurses’ progress notes at 5:00 P.M. (FA-05-07, 11)
F02: The Sheriff’s inmate monitoring log, the psychiatric evaluation and the nurses’ progress notes do not match. The psychiatric evaluation and the nurses’ progress notes each record the inmate/decedent’s request to In Custody Death 3 transfer to the hospital. The Sheriff’s log did not contain this request. There were discrepancies in the nurses’ progress notes and the psychiatric evaluation. The main discrepancy showed time differences, hours apart, documenting the request for hospital transfer. (FA-03, 05-07, 10)
F03: Neither the Sheriff’s monitoring log nor the nurses’ progress notes record the psychiatric evaluation that occurred at 9:30 A.M., August 4, 2012. (FA-02-03, 05-07, 11)
F04: The SVPD followed procedures and policies during the arrest and transportation of inmate/decedent to the main jail. (FA-08-09)
F05: The inmate/decedent was determined, during the intake process, to be okay to book and be placed in the Medical/Special Housing Unit. (FA-02, 05-07, 11)
F06: At the time she died, on August 4, 2012, a contributing factor in the inmate/decedent’s death was a lack of timely medical attention while in custody. (FA-02, 05-07, 11)
F07: Lack of documentation and its discrepancies led to the inability of staff to adequately assess her condition. The inmate/decedent’s medical chart was incomplete. (FA-02, 06, 07, 11)
F08: There was a debriefing by the VCSD after the death, but no formal document was written or recorded into the inmate/decedent’s record. (FA-01) Recommendations
F09: The subject was arrested by the SVPD at 8:30 P.M. on August 3, 2012, in her home after she made attempts to evade arrest. [Ref-10]
F10: The VCSD inmate monitoring logs and the CFMG medical records do not match. [Ref-10]
Recomendaciones relacionadas (2)
R02: In the interim, the CFMG should review and revise their policies and procedures in conformance with this Grand Jury report. (FI-01-03, 06-07)
R03: The VCSD should have significant oversight requirements of any contracted services to the jails; i.e. supervising their strategic plan, policy and procedures to ensure they meet the mission of the VCSD. (FI-01-03, 06-07)
F11: Out of forty-eight entries made in the VCSD inmate monitoring logs for the inmate/decedent, there was not one entry of any symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, no mention of illness, and no record of requests for assistance made by the inmate/decedent and others. [Ref-5, 11] Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 27 hallazgos
F01: The Agency invoked the CRL power of tax increment financing to create a revenue stream from property tax growth, generally thirty years in length, for redevelopment projects. (FA-01-03)
F02: The City utilized the Agency funds for financing redevelopment projects which enhanced the quantity of projects that could be accomplished in a “low” property tax City. (FA-04)
F03: The Agency created TOPA#2’s 1,279 acres for the stated purpose of eliminating blight and for the revitalization of the downtown core. (FA- 05,06) (Att:2)
F04: City Council and Agency projects were governed by the identical five elected officials. (FA-07)
F05: The original redevelopment plan for these 22 acres known as “Jungleland” increased to 26.8 acres in May, 2012, with the procurement of “blighted” property west of the Civic Arts Plaza. (FA-08)
F06: The Agency used CRL eminent domain authority to procure the original 22-acre property where “The Lakes” project and the Civic Arts Plaza/City Hall are located. However, City documents state “No use of eminent domain" was utilized. (FA-08-11)
F07: The Agency entered an agreement with the Developer to develop a commercial mixed-use enterprise, “The Lakes” project, with two phases. Only the first phase has been completed. (FA-12-16)
F08: The Developer has the option to lease “The Lakes” property for up to 99 years, an option to purchase the property at any time and if the Agency desires to sell or otherwise assign its fee interest then it shall first offer to sell or otherwise assign its fee interest to the Developer. (FA-17, 18)
F09: The Developer has not paid rent due to the negotiated high threshold of return which has not been met. The Agency received possessory interest property taxes, which decreased by 68% between 2006 and 2012. The City received sales tax, which decreased 46% between 2006 and 2012. (FA-20-21)
F10: The Study outlines many scenarios for short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term solutions to improve economic success of “The Lakes” and, in extension, to the downtown core. (FA-22)
F11: The Agency selected a Developer who had the specific expertise and financial capability to complete the project. The Agency failed to use PPP “best practices” specifications to negotiate the lease. (FA-24) Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 5
F12: The RSA Oversight Board is responsible to determine the disposition of the former Agency assets. (FA-25, 26) The total indebtedness for the TOPA#2 for FY 2010-11 was $207,674,694. This remains an obligation of the RSA through the year 2031. (FA-26) Recommendations
F13: “The Lakes” project agreement requires the Developer to construct a multi-tenant commercial retail/restaurant center of no less than 48,000 square feet up to 190,000 square feet. It was to include a cinema and parking structure on the Agency-owned site along with a number of amenities on the City sites known as the “Pond” and the “Plaza.” [Ref-11]
F14: In 2002, the first amendment of the DDA provided a second-phase option for the cinema and parking structure. [Ref-12]
F15: In 2008, the second amendment of the DDA provided for the flexibility in the mix of uses between restaurants and other retail businesses. [Ref-13]
F16: In August, 2005, “The Lakes” project opened with the first phase of 48,000 square feet of retail/restaurant use. The second-phase option has not been implemented. [Ref-13]
F17: In September, 2004, the mixed-use ground lease between Agency and Developer stipulated that the initial term is 55 calendar years with the Developer’s option to extend for four 10-year periods. [Ref-14] Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 3
F18: The Developer has the option to purchase the site any time during the lease from the Agency “at a price equal to the greater of the fair market value at the highest and best use, or $2 million.” The Developer also has the right of first refusal if the Agency desires to sell or otherwise assign its fee interest in the site. [Ref-14]
F19: The Agency will receive 20% of “The Lakes” Participating Cash Flow, provided “The Lakes” earns a minimum 12% annual return. [Ref-15]
F20: The Developer has not reported any rent owed the Agency, as the Participating Cash Flow has never exceeded the 12% requirement. [Ref-15]
F21: The Agency received decreasing Possessory Interest Property Taxes for “The Lakes.” They decreased from $325,230 in 2006 to $158,100 in 2012. “The Lakes” generated sales tax for the City in 2006 of about $267,000. This decreased to $156,000 in 2012. [Ref-16]
F22: The Agency commissioned the Study to recommend additional development scenarios for enhancing economic performance of “The Lakes” project. [Ref-17]
F23: Political considerations were reported to have affected the scope of “The Lakes” project. [Ref-18]
F24: Keys to “best practice” according to PPP: [Ref-19]  transparency and communication to prevent misperceptions  best value  good contract with a clearly defined method of dispute resolution  clearly defined revenue stream  candidates experienced in the specific area  financial capacity of the private partner
F25: After sixty years, RDAs were dissolved by the “Dissolution Act” in June, 2011. This was upheld by the California Supreme Court effective February 1, 2012. (Att-01)
F26: The RSA Oversight Board has seven appointed members: [Ref-20]  two by the Board of Supervisors  two by the Mayor of Thousand Oaks  one by the County Superintendent of Education  one by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges  one from the largest Special District
F27: For FY 2010-11 the TOPA#2: [Ref-01, 03]  total indebtedness was $207,674,694 4 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project  tax increment retained was $10,508,096  total assessed valuation was $1,916,051,637  debt ends 2031 Findings
Recomendaciones adicionales 1

No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.

R01: The Grand Jury recommends the sale of the east and west properties adjacent to the Civic Arts Plaza/City Hall to pay off long-term former Agency debt. As debt obligations are reduced, a greater percentage of the property tax for the land will return to school and community college districts, County, City and special districts. (FI-13) Responses Responses Required From: City Council City of Thousand Oaks (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03, FI-04, FI-05, FI-06, FI- 07, FI-08, FI-09, FI-10, FI-11, FI-12, FI-13) (R-01) Responses Requested From: Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Successor Agency Oversight Board (FI-12, FI-13) (R-01) References Ref-01. Chiang, John. California State Controller’s Office. “Community Redevelopment Agencies Annual Report.” Sacramento, December 10, 2010. Ref-02. Dardia, Michael. “Subsidizing Redevelopment of California.” Public Policy Institute of California. San Francisco, January 1998. Ref-03. Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Successor Agency, Oversight Board Meeting, Agenda packet. April 25, 2012. Ref-04. Thousand Oaks City staff. “Hypothetical Property Tax Increment” and “Typical California City Property Tax Increment Breakdown.” April 10, 2013. Ref-05. Thousand Oaks City Council. “Goals and Policies of the Thousand Oaks General Plan.” Resolution 70-381. Thousand Oaks, California, December 22, 1970. Ref-06. City of Thousand Oaks website. City Council minutes and Thousand Oaks Redevelopment minutes. www.toaks.org. Ref-07. City of Thousand Oaks. “Civic Arts Plaza Specific Plan No. 11”. Thousand Oaks California, May 22, 2012. Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Ref-08. Berger, Leslie. ”Jungleland” Project’s Cost Still Unclear”. Los Angeles Times. November 11, 1989. www.latimes.com. Ref-09. Pascual, Psyche. “THOUSAND OAKS: Ruling Favors City on Jungleland Issue”. Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1990. Ref-10. Lunn, Mark. County Clerk and Recorder. Final Order of Condemnation, No.98763. Ventura County, California, January 16, 1991. Ref-11. “Disposition and Development Agreement by and between Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Agency and T.O. Civic Arts LLC, A California Limited Liability Company”. Contract No. 4704-2000. Thousand Oaks, California, July 25, 2000. Ref-12. “Disposition and Development Agreement by and between Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Agency and T.O. Civic Arts LLC, A California Limited Liability Company.” First amendment, Contract No. 4704-2002A. Thousand Oaks, California, July 23, 2002. Ref-13. “Disposition and Development Agreement by and between Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Agency and T.O. Civic Arts LLC, A California Limited Liability Company”. Second amendment, Contract No. 4704- 2008B. Thousand Oaks, California, May 27, 2008. Ref-14. Assessor of Ventura County. “Mixed Use Ground Lease.” Contract No. 6725-2004. Thousand Oaks, California, September 28, 2004. Ref-15. Finance Director, City of Thousand Oaks. “Lakes Audit” Finance Department. Thousand Oaks, California, October 8, 2008. Ref-16. Finance Department, City of Thousand Oaks. “Re: Grand Jury request for financial data.” May 20, 2013. Ref-17. The Concord Group, KTGY Group and the Moote Group. “Feasibility and Design Services for The Lakes and Adjacent Properties.” City of Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Agency, Final Report. Thousand Oaks, California, November 6, 2009. Ref-18. Knight, Michelle. “Battle over redevelopment agencies hits close to home.” Thousand Oaks Acorn. February 3, 2011. www.toacorn.com. Ref-19. “How PPPs Work: 7 Keys to Success.” www.ncppp.org/howpart/index. Ref-20. Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Successor Agency Oversight Board appointments. www.toaks.org. Attachments Att-01. Legislative Analyst’s Office: History of Redevelopment Att-02. Thousand Oaks Boulevard Project Area #2 Att-03. Hypothetical Property Tax Increment Example Att-04. Eastside Property (The Lakes) Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 7 Att-05. Westside Property Glossary TERM DEFINITION Agency Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Agency Blight Creates a deteriorated area causing a serious physical and economic condition that can only be reasonably alleviated by redevelopment City City of Thousand Oaks County Ventura County CRL Community Redevelopment Law DDA Disposition and Development Agreement Developer T.O.Civic Arts, LLC FY Fiscal year Grand Jury Ventura County Grand Jury Plaza Walkways between “The Lakes” and Civic Arts Plaza buildings. Pond Two water features about 1.1 acres in front of “The Lakes” PPP Public-Private Partnerships RDA Redevelopment Agency RSA Redevelopment Successor Agency State California Study Feasibility and Design Services for the Lakes and Adjacent Properties TOPA#2 Thousand Oaks Project Area #2 8 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Attachment 01 Legislative Analyst’s Office: History of Redevelopment Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 9 This page intentionally blank 10 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 11 Attachment 02 Thousand Oaks Boulevard Project Area #2 12 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project This page intentionally blank Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 13 14 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Attachment 03 Hypothetical Property Tax Increment Example Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 15 This page intentionally blank 16 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 17 This page intentionally blank 18 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Attachment 04 Eastside Property “The Lakes” Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 19 This page intentionally blank 20 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 21 This page intentionally blank 22 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Attachment 05 Westside Property Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 23 This page intentionally blank 24 Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project Thousand Oaks RDA/City: “The Lakes” Project 25
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 14 hallazgos
F01: All incarceration facilities in the County meet or exceed the minimum standards of the CSA for the areas reviewed. (FA-01)
F02: Holding facilities and jails in the County are doing a satisfactory job holding, pre-booking or booking, and incarcerating juveniles. The following PDs have innovative programs dealing with juveniles: Camarillo, Ojai, Port Hueneme, and Moorpark. However, there has been a drop in the number of meetings of the programs due to the low level of parental participation. Referrals are made to the various programs as the need arises or requests are made. This was reported by POC during inspections. (FA-01, 10)
F03: The VPD does not have an AED. (FA-01, 06, 08) [Ref-04]
F04: Some areas at the FPD are in need of repairs. The toilet and sink used by the detainees are made of porcelain and the tank cover is removable. The Grand Jury sees an opportunity for detainees to use the cover of the tank as a weapon. Also noted was the floor drain, in the toilet area, which does not have a cover (grate). Contraband could be hidden in the drain and there is a possibility of an accidental fall. (FA-01, 04)
F05: The registered nurse on duty at the JJC has a keycard for the pharmacy. The door should remain locked at all times, except when the nurse is in the pharmacy. (FA-12) [Ref-09]
F06: While conducting the inspection at the JJC the following were found: (FA-13) [Ref-09, 10]  the medical staff could not be seen by security from the control center (located in the hallway)  when a juvenile is received by the medical staff, there is no security staff in the immediate area 6 Detention Facilities Inspections  the medical staff have radio(s) for emergencies but place them on the counter/desk, where they would be out of reach  the medical staff does not have personal alarms to wear on their person/uniform
F07: Due to the Grand Jury’s inquiries into the JJC Clinic, the Grand Jury received requested P&Ps governing the pharmacy, rendering medical treatment to juveniles and sight supervision of juveniles by security staff while in the clinic. These policies are dated 2007. (FA-12, 13) [Ref-09, 10]
F08: The Grand Jury found that bunk-beds in the day-room indicate overcrowding in the Todd Road Jail and Main Jail facilities. (FA-14) Recommendations
F09: The majority of PDs make an attempt to have at least one officer on duty who has some working knowledge of the Spanish language. Simi Valley officers use their Smart Phones to translate words needed in reports/conversations with arrestees. The Ojai PD has qualified Spanish- speaking officers available on each shift. SVPD has “on-call” Spanish- speaking personnel, if the need arises. (Att-01)
F10: The following holding cell facilities have developed community outreach programs or faith-based programs for juveniles: Camarillo’s “Diversion Program,” Ojai’s “Project Parenting,” and “Diversion Program,” Moorpark’s “Community Drug Forum,” Simi Valley’s “Project Parenting” and Port Hueneme’s “Cops and Jocks,” (a Leadership Program). These programs are geared toward getting the parents/responsible parties of the offenders more involved and proactive in juveniles’ activities. There has been a drop in the number of meetings of the programs due to the low level of parental participation, as reported by POC staff. [Ref-07]
F11: During visits to the Main Jail, Special Medical Unit, and Todd Road Jail Clinic, the Grand Jury observed that the keys to the medication drawers were kept in unsecured areas. [Ref-03]
F12: On three separate visits to the JJC, the Grand Jury observed that the door to the clinic pharmacy was propped open in violation of policy. Policy IMQ Detention Facilities Inspections 5 Standard J-107 (I) states, “Storing Medications: . . . stored in designated room(s) that should be locked at all times.” [Ref-09]
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R04: The Grand Jury recommends that the Probation Department enforce all policies regarding the clinic/pharmacy in the institutions. The Health and Safety Policies should be made known to all employees. (FI-05-07)
F13: There are areas that cannot be seen in the clinic area at the JJC. Security at the control center is limited to visible areas in the clinic, excluding the examination rooms. Medical staff radio(s), for emergencies, were left unattended on the counter/desk. They also did not have personal alarms on their uniforms. Security cannot see common areas in the clinic from the control center, located in the outer hall. A juvenile, once inside the medical clinic, is no longer supervised by or visible to security staff. [Ref-09]
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R05: The Grand Jury recommends that all policies and procedures be updated annually and enforced. JJC administrator and health services administrator, California Forensic Medical Group Inc. should work together to implement their policies. It is recommended that security staff remain in the clinic when juveniles are treated. (FI-05-07) Responses Responses Required From: City Council, City of Fillmore (FI-01, FI-02, FI-04) (R-01) City Council, City of Santa Paula (FI-01) (R-01) City Council, City of Ventura (FI-03) (R-3) Ventura County Sheriff (FI-04) (R-01, R-05) Ventura County Probation Department (FI-05, FI- 06) (R-04, R-05) Detention Facilities Inspections 7 Provided for Information Only: City Council, City of Camarillo (FI-01, FI-02) City Council, City of Moorpark (FI-01, FI-02) City Council, City of Ojai (FI-01, FI-02) City Council, City of Oxnard (FI-01, FI-02) City Council, City of Port Hueneme (FI-01, FI-02) City Council, City of Simi Valley (FI-01, FI-02) City Council, City of Thousand Oaks (FI-01, FI-02)
F14: There were bunk-beds along the walls in the dayrooms at the Main Jail and Todd Road Jail. Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 32 hallazgos
F01: The Council’s actions have been made with the City’s best interest in mind. There was no evidence of wrongdoing. (FA-01-04, 06, 08, 17-18) [Ref-03, 10, 11, 14, 16, 22]
F02: PERC had a superior design and process that utilized six acres less land, created an aesthetic building and guaranteed financing for the project. (FA-05, 09-13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23-29) [Ref-11, 16, 21, 27]
F03: Veolia had more building experience, a less sophisticated design and their projected user rate was lower. (FA-07, 12-14, 16, 21, 22) [Ref-10, 11] Recommendations
F04: The finalists in the WWTP bids were PERC and Veolia. [Ref-06-09]
F05: Several senior members of the Staff had ties to a major Veolia subcontractor. The Council sought an independent analysis. [Ref-03, 10-13]
F06: The Council hired Carollo to evaluate the bids. Carollo’s report favored PERC. [Ref-11, 14]
F07: The Council hired FCS to provide an independent financial analysis. The FCS analysis favored PERC. [Ref-10]
F08: City Staff recommended Veolia due to an overall lower price, lower user rates and perceived contractor experience. [Ref-07, 08, 15]
F09: A Special Meeting took place on April 15, 2008, to choose a final bidder. [Ref-06, 16]
F10: The Council chose the PERC bid, in part, after PERC agreed to enlarge the plant, when needed in the future, at no expense to the City. [Ref-06, 16]
F11: City Staff continued to negotiate terms and costs with PERC until May 5, 2008. [Ref-16, 17, 21, 23]
F12: On May 5, 2008, the Council, on a 3 to 2 vote approved the contract with PERC. [Ref-18-20]
F13: On the date of the award, May 5, 2008, Veolia’s BAFO was $127.4 million for thirty years and PERC’s BAFO was $125.5 million for thirty years. [Ref-02, 16-19, 21]
F14: The FCS financial analysis stated that Veolia’s lower level of equity investment and reliance on debt financing would create uncontrollable costs to the City. In contrast, PERC would provide less variability in its financing plan and would include specific costs. [Ref-10, 16, 23]
F15: The Carollo engineering report found that the Veolia design lacks redundancy for the coarse screens and grit removal. The Veolia design also relies on a common blower to back up the aeration basins and the membrane bioreactor filtration system (MBR) tanks. [Ref-11, 14, 16] 4 Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant
F16: PERC provides facilities to potentially produce biosolids that would be acceptable for disposal at the County’s landfill drying facility. [Ref-11, 16]
F17: The PERC ultraviolet disinfection design produces unrestricted reuse water quality, whereas, the Veolia design would require additional disinfection improvements to meet the RWQCB requirements. [Ref-11, 14, 16, 24]
F18: The final Council decision occurred on May 5, 2008, and was consistent with the revised recommendations of City Staff. [Ref-16, 21, 25]
F19: City Staff changed their recommendation to the PERC BAFO due to significant contract improvements subsequent to April 15, 2008. [Ref-16, 21, 25]
F20: PERC agreed to decrease the BAFO by $24.2 million. Contract language had been modified to further protect the City’s interests. With these changes, the Staff recommended that the City contract with PERC. [Ref-16, 19, 21, 25, 26]
F21: Energy saving measures that PERC has implemented since the award of the contract has reduced projected costs by approximately $5 million over thirty years. [Ref-16]
F22: The Veolia bid offered a short-term construction loan to the City for approximately $8 million which required the City to sell bonds for the entire construction costs. [Ref-10, 16]
F23: The year 2008 was a catastrophic time in the financial markets. Selling bonds in that business climate was difficult or impossible. [Ref 10, 16]
F24: PERC’s contract provided for a future expansion when needed from 3.4 million gallons per day (MGD) to 4.2 MGD at no additional cost to the city. This provides capacity for approximately 3,200 additional homes and was valued at approximately $3 million. [Ref-06, 16, 21, 25, 27]
F25: PERC provided a recreational vehicle (RV) dump station for residents’ use valued at approximately $100,000. [Ref-16]
F26: PERC’s design used approximately seventy percent less land than the Veolia design. [Ref-14, 33]
F27: PERC provided guaranteed capital replacement cost for the term of the contract with no inflation risk to the City. [Ref-10, 16, 21, 25, 27]
F28: PERC had never built a MBR plant in California. PERC had performed over twenty design, build and operate (DBO) projects for the activated sludge processes. PERC’s MBR consultant, Trussel Technologies, is a national leader in MBR technology. [Ref-14, 16, 28]
F29: PERC offered a buyout clause at five-year intervals for the thirty-year contract. [Ref-16-21, 23, 25, 26, 33]
F30: The City finances the WWTP at a variable rate; currently near eight percent. Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant 5
F31: The City failed to address, in the PERC contract, the high levels of chloride in the WWTP discharge. [Ref-23, 29-34]
Recomendaciones relacionadas (2)
R01: The Grand Jury recommends that the City take advantage of record low bond rates to purchase the City’s WWTP. (FI-01-02)
R02: The Grand Jury recommends that the City immediately start the process to remove excess chlorides from the water. (FI-02) Response Response Required From: City Council, City of Santa Paula (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03), (R-01, R-02) Commendations The 2012-2013 Ventura County Grand Jury would like to commend the City of Santa Paula Management and Staff for their knowledge and insight as well as their co-operation during this investigation. References Ref-01. The Superior Court of California, County of Ventura. Case Summary. “PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIF vs City of Santa Paula.” Case Number: 56-2007-00304441-CU-MC-VTA. September 24, 2007. Ref-02. Rea, Marsha M. “Inquiring minds want to know.” Column. Santa Paula Times. August 24, 2012. Ref-03. City of Santa Paula. Response to the Report. Fred Robinson, Mayor. September 7, 2011. Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant Ref-04. Kelly, Peggy. “$470,000 fines, costs: S.P. City Council, BWQCB enter into WWTP consent decree.” Santa Paula Times. August 10, 2007. Ref-05. Kelly, Peggy. “Santa Paula’s new water recycling facility officially completed.” Santa Paula Times. December 15, 2010. Ref-06. Santa Paula, CA. Santa Paula City Council. “Special Meeting of the City of Santa Paula.” DVD. April 15, 2008. Ref-07. Santa Paula, CA. Santa Paula City Council. Special Meeting of the City of Santa Paula. “Staff Report on Water Recycling Facility Requests For Proposal.” April 15, 2008. Ref-08. Santa Paula, CA. Santa Paula City Council. Special Meeting of the City of Santa Paula. “Water Recycling Facility (WRF) – Selection of Team to Design, Build, Operate and Finance the new WRF.” April 13, 2008. Ref-09. Kelly, Peggy. “List Shortening, 2nd DBOF team pulls out of WWTP proposal process.” Santa Paula Times. December 26, 2007. Ref-10. FCS Group. Project Memorandum. April 2, 2008. Ref-11. Carollo Engineers. Project Memorandum. April 1, 2008. Ref-12. Staff writer. Ventura County Star. “Santa Paula responds to grand jury report over waste water treatment plant.” September 8, 2011. Ref-13. City of Santa Paula, Letter to Judge Vincent O’Neill. September 7, 2011. Ref-14. Luna, Ray, Mayor. “A response to Sewer choice will cost S.P. more than necessary.” Santa Paula Times. May 2, 2008. Ref-15. City of Santa Paula. Water Recycling Facility (WRF). Wally Bobkiewicz, City Manager. April 2, 2008. Ref-16. The Suntag Law Firm. “Ventura County Final Grand Jury Report of Santa Paula City Council.” Dana A. Suntag. June 30, 2011. Ref-17. Kelly, Peggy. “City Council: PERC WWTP deal is done, or at least being finalized.” Santa Paula Times. May 9, 2008. Ref-18. Santa Paula, CA. Santa Paula City Council. “Regular Meeting of the City of Santa Paula.” DVD. May 5, 2008. Ref-19. Wilson, Kathleen. “Santa Paula Council OK’s sewer plant contract: had cut cost of the project by $24 million.” Ventura County Star. May 6, 2008. Ref-20. Wilson, Kathleen. “Santa Paula hires builder for sewer on 3-2 vote. Report shows another bidder would cost less.” Ventura County Star. April 16, 2008. Ref-21. City of Santa Paula. Water Recycling Facility DBOF Agreement Recommendation. May 4, 2008. Wally Bobkiewicz, City Manager. Ref-22. Scheibe, John. “Santa Paula responds to grand jury report over wastewater treatment plant.” Ventura County Star. September 8, 2011. Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant 7 Ref-23. City of Santa Paula. “Design, Build, Operate and Finance Agreement between the City of Santa Paula, a municipal corporation and Santa Paula Water Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.” 2008. Ref-24. City of Santa Paula. Final Acceptance of the Water Recycling Facility. February 15, 2011. Ref-25. City of Santa Paula. “Water Recycling Facility DBOF Agreement with Pacific Environmental Corporation (PERC).” Wally Bobkiewicz, City Manager. April 25, 2008. Ref-26. City of Santa Paula. “Water Recycling Facility DBOF Agreement with Pacific Environmental Resources Corporation (PERC).” April 25, 2008. Ref-27. PERC. Risk Matrix. September 21, 2012. Ref-28. Scheibe, John. “Santa Paula deals with financial stress-Staff cuts, pay reductions continue in city.” Ventura County Star. June 25, 2011. Ref-29. Kelly, Peggy. “Santa Paula City Council inches closer to deal.” Santa Paula Times. May 2, 2008. Ref-30. Rea, Marsha M. “Inquiring minds want to know.” Column. Santa Paula Times. September 21, 2012. Ref-31. Carollo Engineers. Memorandum, Santa Paula Water Reclamation Plant Completion Evaluation. February 9, 2011. Ref-32. Newsletter. “with PERC.” Brian D. Cullen, President. May 2, 2008. Ref-33. Carollo Engineers. “Santa Paula Reclamation Plant Completion Evaluation.” Toby Weissert, John Burris and Graham Juby. February 9, 2011. Ref-34. Santa Paula Water, LLC (PERC). “Chloride Summary.” Dennis Kasper, Ph.D., P.E. May 25, 2010. Ref-35. Nolan, Kelly. “California Debt Sale Proves Costly.” Wall Street Journal. March 14, 2013. Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant Glossary TERM DEFINITION BAFO Best and Final Offer City City of Santa Paula City Staff Santa Paula City Staff Class B Biosolids The type of sludge that meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for land application as fertilizer and restrictions Consent Decree Stipulated Consent Judgment and Final Order by the Ventura County Superior Court Council Santa Paula City Council DBO Design, Build and Operate DBFO Design, Build, Finance and Operate FCS FCS Group Financial Analysts MBR Membrane bioreactor filtration system MGD Million gallons per day PERC Pacific Environmental Resources Corporation and Santa Paula Water, LLC RWQCB California Regional Water Quality Control Board Ultra-Turbulent The period in 2008 when there was a collapse Financial Period in financial markets worldwide Veolia Veolia Water Operating Systems, Inc. WWTP Waste Water Treatment Plant Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant 9 This page intentionally blank 10 Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant Santa Paula Waste Water Treatment Plant 11
F32: The municipal bond market is now at the lowest level since the financial crisis in 2008. [Ref-36] Findings
Recomendaciones relacionadas (1)
R01: The Grand Jury recommends that the City take advantage of record low bond rates to purchase the City’s WWTP. (FI-01-02)
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 10 hallazgos
F01: The Grand Jury found that the VCLS is not conducting adequate outreach into the community to gain volunteers. It also limits their ability to meet with school administration in order to demonstrate their available services, and to obtain the assistance of the community to provide specific programming, all due to limited staff. (FA-02, 10)
F02: Used book sales provide extra income. However, not all of the libraries in the VCLS take part in this venture. Ojai appears to be most successful due to its volunteer base. (FA-02)
F03: The effectiveness of the VCLS appears to be reduced by budget cuts that cause reduction in hours of operation, employee coverage and by the competition of independent library administrations. (Att-01) (FA-01-03, 06, 10)
F04: It appears that the VCLS administration is impeded from providing the services to the public that are available in the independent library systems due to budget limitations and lack of County support. (FA-01, 02, 07)
F05: The summer reading program is very successful. It deserves an opportunity to expand through greater networking. The program would also be enhanced by asking for more volunteer assistance. (Att-04)
F06: Independent libraries claim that they operate more economically. However, this could not be substantiated by the Grand Jury. (FA-03, 04, 08)
F07: Based on interviews, observations and analysis of information, the Grand Jury determined that a well-functioning and community-supported library system can potentially provide invaluable services to the community. Recommendations
F08: It was found in statistical materials presented by the VCLS, when the Camarillo and Moorpark libraries withdrew from the County system, they represented a greater number of employees that served approximately seven times the number of citizens as the average remaining VCLS library. When Simi Valley withdraws from the VCLS later in 2013, its numbers are also greater than the average VCLS remaining libraries. [Ref-02] (Att-08)
F09: Municipalities claim that contract administration provides greater efficiency, more services, longer hours at less cost than county administration, according to an article entitled, “Annual Report 2010: Local Government Privatization,” published by the Reason Foundation. [Ref-01] (Att-02)
F10: Independent libraries were found to offer programs that are designed to encourage the public to observe, experience and explore the library, such as professional interest and entertainment presentations. (Att-03) Ventura County Libraries 3 Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 8 hallazgos
F01: The Grand Jury finds that the security of the counting room was compromised when election officials allowed individuals who were not election officials into the counting room, a restricted area, on Election Day. (FA-01-02)
F02: The Grand Jury finds that the Election Division should concentrate on the secure counting of votes as its primary responsibility to County voters. (FA-03) 2 Elections and Polling
F03: The Grand Jury finds that, in the face of makeshift polling places and the issues caused by shortness of time and materials, there were no substantial obstacles to voting county-wide. (FA-04-06)
F04: The Grand Jury finds that the BOS could set any and all penalties for breach of security at the Elections Division on election days and the BOS could request that the Sheriff assign a uniformed deputy to monitor the counting room to ascertain credentials of persons entering on election days.(FA-07-08) Recommendations
F05: Grand Jurors monitoring polling places rated poor lighting as the worst problem while parking issues were second.
F06: Grand Jurors rated most polls as clean and in good repair, noise levels acceptable, voting booths and materials available and orderly and poll workers welcoming and knowledgeable.
F07: The duly-elected legislative body in the County is BOS.
F08: The Sheriff is the duly-elected chief law enforcement officer in the County, as provided for in the Constitution of the State of California. Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 12 hallazgos
F01: The Grand Jury found that senior transportation in the County is inadequate. There is little coordination among the ten cities in the County and/or the 10 transportation companies, making it difficult, if not impossible, for a senior citizen to travel easily. (FA-01-04)
F02: The Grand Jury found that mobility and transportation options are limited to the existing bus routes, and there is little or no coordination of the time schedules. (FA-05, 07)
F03: The Grand Jury found that the aging of the County population impacts accessibility to essential services and cultural events. (FA-06, 08-09)
F04: The demand-response transit services are found in all ten cities, although each city’s service is independently operated and functions differently. This has been found to be very confusing and in some cases potentially dangerous to seniors. In Thousand Oaks, the service is for seniors only. However, in the Heritage Valley (Fillmore, Piru and Santa Paula) seniors, children, farm workers and others are allowed the use of this service. (FA-08, 09)
F05: The Grand Jury found that many bus routes, fees, stops, and schedules differ so profoundly that this is confusing to many. The cognitive limitations of many senior citizens add to this issue. (FA-01, 02, 04-09, 11, 12) Recommendations
F06: The Beverly Foundation emphasizes the following factors as essential to effective and acceptable senior transportation: availability, acceptability, accessibility, adaptability and affordability. [Ref-02]
F07: The Beverly Foundation stated senior men may live as many as six years and women as many as ten years after the time that they no longer drive. They become dependent on family, as well as on a broad array of community transportation services. [Ref-02]
F08: The Federal Government’s Older Americans Act of 1965 provided for transportation needs of the elderly. This was termed demand–response transit. These services are found in most cities in the County. [Ref-04]
F09: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national elderly population is projected to double to approximately 80 million by the year 2050. [Ref-05]
F10: In Thousand Oaks, demand-response transit service is restricted to seniors only. Senior Transportation 3
F11: In Fillmore, seniors, children, farm workers and others are allowed the use of this service without priority to seniors.
F12: The VCTC Bus Book print size is small and difficult to read. [Ref-06] Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 14 hallazgos
F01: The Moorpark College Associate of Science Degree in Nursing has a 100% passing rate at the California State Board of Registered Nursing. It also enjoys a national accreditation through the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission. (FA-01–13) (Att-02)
F02: The Moorpark College Associate of Science Degree in Nursing enjoys a 100% graduation rate after students complete all RN course work, as well as the required general education courses. (FA-12–13)
F03: The Moorpark ADN is one of the 14 schools that have a 100% pass rate out of the 156 nursing programs statewide. (FA-14) [Att-02] Moorpark Community College Nursing Program 3
F04: Health Sciences literacy and core competencies are identified as student expected competency. [Ref-01-02] (Att-01)
F05: The nursing process is an organizing framework for nursing practice that includes: nursing assessment, nursing diagnoses, planning, writing outcome/goal statements, interventions, implementing care and evaluating care that has been given. [Ref-01-02] (Att-01)
F06: The application process is recommended to begin with an appointment with a nursing counselor. [Ref-01-02] 2 Moorpark Community College Nursing Program
F07: Applications to the nursing program are accepted twice a year. [Ref-01-02] (Att:01)
F08: The application procedure includes several different documents: application, checklist, supporting documents, if applicable, and official transcripts of academic coursework from high school, colleges, as well as the assessment/readiness test. [Ref-01-02]
F09: Application requirements are: high school graduation or General Education Diploma (GED) with a score of 45 or passage of the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE); minimum overall GPA of 2.5 or better; minimum core biology (anatomy, physiology, and microbiology) with a C or better, taken within five years of application; a grade of C or better in college intermediate algebra. [Ref-01-02]
F10: Moorpark College ADN program admission criteria are required. [Ref-01-02] (Att-01)
F11: All Moorpark ADN students are also required to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills version V (TEAS V) as part of the admission criteria. [Ref-01-02] (Att-01)
F12: Remediation may be required as the result of a low score on the TEAS V test, a low score, or as a condition of possible readmission. [Ref-01-02]
F13: An application is active for two years. If not admitted within two years of submitting an application, one will need to reapply. While waiting to reapply, there are required, recommended and strongly recommended activities. [Ref-01-02]
F14: Out of 156 California State Universities, private universities and colleges and California Community Colleges that offer an ADN program, there are only 14 schools that have a 100% pass rate. [Att:02] Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 14 hallazgos
F01: The Grand Jury found that all school districts were trained in school security and threat assessment by the Ventura County Office of Education and conducted by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. (FA-04-06)
F02: The Grand Jury found that there were no ID badges on some staff, campus personnel and visitors. This does not comply with the Threat Assessment Training. (FA-01-14)
F03: The Grand Jury found that gates were open and unmonitored. This does not comply with the Threat Assessment Training. (FA-01-14) 4 School Security
F04: The Grand Jury found no visible campus security. This does not comply with the Threat Assessment Training. (FA-01-14)
F05: The Grand Jury found that some schools have no perimeter fencing. This does not comply with the Threat Assessment Training. (FA-01-14) Recommendations
F06: District representatives were trained in:  responsible, prudent and effective response to threats  behaviors that raise concern about potential violence  risk assessment  identification of warning signs, physical and behavioral clues  courses of action or strategies to control the threats  effective threat assessment in a larger context of school safety [Ref-02]
F07: On 2/19/2013, an elementary school in the Oxnard Elementary School District was visited and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; There was no campus security visible, side gate was opened and no visitor badges visible. The principal did approach us and asked if he could be of assistance. (Att-01)
F08: On 2/20/2013, an elementary school was visited in the Ventura Unified School District and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; there was no campus security visible, no visitor badges visible, no enforcement of sign-in sheet and no monitoring of the unlocked gate from 7:20-7:45 AM. (Att-01) School Security 3
F09: On 2/21/2013, an elementary school was visited in the Ventura Unified School District and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; there were no visible staff badges, no visitor badges, and no campus security visible. (Att-01)
F10: On 2/22/2013, an elementary school was visited in the Pleasant Valley School District and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; the school gate was open, but not monitored, visitors did not sign in or out, the crossing guard wore an orange vest and had a radio but no ID badge. School personnel did not wear badges. The secretary did inquire as to the nature of our visit.
F11: On 2/25/2013, an elementary school in the Hueneme Elementary School District was visited and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; there was an unlocked gate to the playground area and no campus security visible. (Att-01)
F12: On 2/25/2013, an elementary school in the Mesa Unified School District was visited and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; there were no visible campus security or visitor badges. (Att-01)
F13: On 2/25/2013, an elementary school in the Oxnard Elementary School District was visited and found to have the following opportunity for improvement; there was no campus security visible. (Att-01) On 2/25/2013, an elementary school in the Oak Park Unified School District was visited and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; there was no campus security visible, the gates were open with no monitor, visitors were allowed on the school grounds without ID badges. School personnel did inquire as to the nature of our visit. (Att-01)
F14: On 2/25/2013, an elementary school in the Conejo Valley Unified School District was visited and found to have the following opportunities for improvement; the gate was open and not monitored, school personnel did not wear ID badges and no school security personnel were visible. (Att-01) Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 13 hallazgos
F01: A constant speed limit along the four lane section of Victoria may decrease driver confusion and increase safety. (FA-05, 09) [Ref-15]
F02: There is a need now and a growing need in the future for a westbound Hwy 126 to southbound Hwy 101 connector. (FA-01-04, 07-09)
F03: The left turn yellow lights, having a shorter time than the through-traffic yellow lights, have created confusion among drivers. There is decreased safety due to the increased risk of rear-end collisions at the major intersections along Victoria. (FA-05-06, 09-12) Victoria Corridor through the City of Ventura 3
F04: Red light camera tickets appear to be legal, however, they may not be ethically or morally justified. (FA-05-06, 09-12) Recommendations
F05: There is confusion among drivers along the Corridor because of varying speed limits, timing of traffic signals, and frequent lane changing.
F06: The Grand Jury was told and observed that there is dense traffic, as well as, apparently speeding traffic along side streets paralleling Victoria.
F07: There is heavy traffic at rush hours on the Kimball Road/Johnson Drive corridor.
F08: There is very heavy traffic at rush hours along the Wells Road/Los Angeles Avenue/Hwy 118 corridor.
F09: The traffic engineers are aware of these issues and are attempting remediation. [Ref-08]
F10: The red light monitored intersections have confusing left turn arrows with different timing than through traffic.
F11: Drivers have complained that quick braking may result in a rear-end collision when the yellow arrow appears. [Ref-13, 14]
F12: Other jurisdictions have alleviated this problem by adjusting to longer left turn yellow arrows, longer yellow lights and delayed green lights. [Ref-02, 03, 15]
F13: The Grand Jury defined, for the purposes of this report, the Corridor as being the approximate three-mile portion of Victoria Avenue from the southern city limits of Ventura to Foothill Road. Findings
Recomendaciones adicionales 4

No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.

R01: The Grand Jury recommends that Ventura traffic engineers should consider a constant, unchanging speed limit, in conjunction with synchronized signals, along the entire four lane section of the Corridor through Ventura. (FI-01) [Ref-15]
R02: The Grand Jury recommends that traffic planners initiate the process to complete the connection from the westbound Hwy 126 to the southbound Hwy 101. (FI-02)
R03: The Grand Jury recommends that yellow left turn arrows be increased in time and that delayed green lights be adjusted at Corridor traffic signals. (FI-03)
R04: If recommendations 01, 02, 03 are not implemented, the Grand Jury recommends the removal of the red light cameras along the Corridor. (FI-04) Responses Responses Required From: City Council, City of Ventura (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03, FI-04) (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04) Chief of Police, City of Ventura (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03, FI-04) (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04) City Transportation Manager, City of Ventura (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03, FI-04) (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04) Responses Requested From: Executive Director, Ventura County Transportation Commission (FI-01, FI-02, FI-03, FI-04) (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04) Commendations The Ventura County Grand Jury would like to thank and commend the Ventura Police Department, the City of Ventura Traffic Department and the Ventura County Transportation Commission for their cooperation, information and insight into this issue. They were helpful in assisting the Grand Jury to understand the problems and the challenges of these traffic issues. Victoria Corridor through the City of Ventura References Ref-01. The Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division Seven: The People v. Annette Borzakian, B229748, (Los Angeles County Superior Court No. BR048012). Filed December 09, 2009. Ref-02. Fire Redflex, The Dark Side of Photo Enforcement; “Cameras Coming Down”, FireRedflex.com, http://fireredflex.com/cameras.html (accessed August 05, 2012). Ref-03. Fire Redflex, The Dark Side of Photo Enforcement; “Ethics and Fraud”. Fire Redflex.com, http://fireredflex.com/cameras.html (accessed August 02, 2012). Ref-04. theNewspaper.com; “California: Class Action Lawsuit Hits Federal Court”, October 25, 2010, http://thenewspaper.com/news/26/2655.asp (accessed August 2, 2012). Ref-05. theNewspaper.com; “California City Owes Red Light Camera Company $1.7 Million” “Questionable contract arrangement allows Ventura, California to escape $1.7 million payment to red light camera company”, January 13, 2009, http://thenewspaper.com/news/26/2655 (accessed August 2, 2012). Ref-06. Biasotti, Tony. “Red-light cameras taken seriously in Ventura County”. Ventura County Star, July 28, 2011. Ref-07. City of Oxnard, California/Oxnard Police Department: “Ask the Chief”, Featured Topic: “Red Light Cameras”, Copyright 2003-2012. Oxnard Police Department. Ref-08. City of San Buenaventura, Department of Public Works, Transportation Division; Operating Policies: “Traffic Signal Clearance Intervals”. Effective 06-08-12. Ref-09. Gibbs, Douglas V. “California’s War Over Red-Light Cameras”, Canada Free Press. July 23, 2012. http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/48252. (accessed February 2, 2013). Ref-10. Perry, Tony. “San Diego mayor ends use of red-light cameras at intersections”. Los Angeles Times: February 1, 2013. Fulton, Bill, former Mayor of Ventura, “The Victoria Corridor”, January 30, 2007. Bill Fulton, http://www.fulton4ventura.blogspot.com/2007/01/Victoria-corridor.html (accessed January 14, 2013). Ref-11. Freedman, Tung & Bottomley (FTB), “Victoria Avenue Corridor Plan” 2005. Ref-12. City of Ventura, Community Development: “Victoria Avenue Corridor Plan & Development Code”, April 20, 2009. Victoria Corridor through the City of Ventura 5 Ref-13. Von Quednow, Cindy. “To cities, camera rules are fine” Ventura County Star. January 22, 2013. Ref-14. California Legislative Information “SB-29 Vehicles: automated traffic enforcement systems. (2011-2012)”, December 06, 2010. Ref-15. Subbaraman, Nidhi. “Los Angeles syncs all traffic lights to speed up commute”, Future Tech. NBC News.com, April 2, 2013. Victoria Corridor through the City of Ventura Glossary TERM DEFINITION Connector A highway or freeway which connects to another highway or freeway Corridor Victoria Avenue Corridor through the City of Ventura from the southern City limits to Foothill Road Highway 101 through Ventura County Hwy 126 Highway 126 in Ventura County MPH Miles Per Hour VCTC Ventura County Transportation Commission Ventura City of Ventura Victoria Victoria Avenue Victoria Corridor The approximately three miles of Victoria Avenue through the City of Ventura from the southern City limits to Foothill Road Victoria Corridor through the City of Ventura 7
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 10 hallazgos
F01: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Camarillo is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F02: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Fillmore is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F03: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Moorpark is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F04: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Ojai is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F05: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Oxnard is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F06: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Port Hueneme is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F07: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Santa Paula is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F08: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Simi Valley is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F09: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Thousand Oaks is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03)
F10: The Grand Jury finds that the City of Ventura is in substantial compliance with GASB reporting requirements. (FA 01-03) Commendations All ten cities within Ventura County are commended by the Grand Jury for their detailed and timely responses to the questionnaire indicating their use of the questioned GASB summaries which provide more transparent and detailed information to the citizens and users of the compiled information. (FI- 01 – 10) Recommendations It is recommended that the cities in Ventura County continue to remain in compliance with GASB statements and implement future and revised GASB Statements on or before their effective date.
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 26 hallazgos
F01: The failure of Ventura County K-12 schools to adequately prepare students for college-level classes results in the Ventura County taxpayers paying for the same education two or more times for remedial students, once in K-12 and again in college. (FA-08)
F02: Students taking remedial, non-transferable courses, drop out of college at a greater rate than students taking transferable courses and thus use resources that college-prepared students could be using. (FA-02-05)
F03: Students taking remedial, non-transferable courses, use a disproportionate amount of financial aid and other district resources that could otherwise be used by students taking transferable courses. This includes costs for these remedial, non-transferable courses that detract from the total number of courses available for transferring students. (FA-11-14) Wasting Education Money: Paying Twice 7
F04: Providing remedial courses at the community college has put a higher and unnecessary burden on the taxpayer to provide the same education twice (once in K-12 and again in college). This includes the time and energy expended by student and faculty, as well as the cost of facility use. (FA-01-03, 05, 07, 09)
F05: It is more cost-effective for taxpayers to use alternative methods of remediation, such as on-line programs, adult education, vocational training and private tutorial programs. (FA-10, 11) [Ref-17, 18]
F06: The overall average public high school graduation rate for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties is 72%, which is lower than the national average. (FA-02, 07, 08) (Att-01) [Ref-06]
F07: The 2008-2009 percentages of Ventura County students that scored at or above the proficiency level in English was 58.4%. (FA-19) (Att-02)
F08: The 2008-2009 percentages of Ventura County students that scored at or above the proficiency level in math was 59.4%. (FA-19) (Att-02)
F09: Nationwide, community colleges spend more than $3.7 billion a year, which includes $1.4 billion for remedial education after graduating from high school, which could provide classes and services for college-prepared students. (FA-03-05) [Ref-23]
F10: Close to $2.3 billion is lost to our economy because students who are required to take remedial reading are more likely to drop out of college without having earned a degree, thereby earning less and impacting the local tax base. In California over the last three years, $809 million was removed from the funding of community colleges, causing reduced class offerings and services. (FA-07, 08, 11, 20) [Ref-22] (Att-05)
F11: A recent survey of the various community colleges in Ventura County revealed that there were 9,913 remedial students. Of those, 2,067 were taking remedial English and 6,211 were taking remedial math in the Fall of 2011. There may be students taking both English and math which could account for discrepancies in numbers. Therefore, these college resources are not available to college-prepared students. (FA-22) (Att-07)
F12: In the Fall of 2011 there were 354 remedial courses in the various community colleges within the VCCCD. In the Spring of 2012 there were 325 remedial courses offered in the VCCCD. Therefore, these college resources are not available to college-prepared students. (FA-21, 22) (Att-07)
F13: There is no evidence that there is a task force with the VCCCD and the Superintendants of Schools. (FA-26) 8 Wasting Education Money: Paying Twice! Recommendations
F14: The Grand Jury survey found that Ventura Community College listed 3,903 students taking non-transferable English and math courses. [Ref-15] (Att-07)
F15: The estimated national drop-out rate for community colleges is reported at 20%. [Ref-16]
F16: The Los Angeles Times reported that students taking non-transferable courses expend greater amounts of time and money to meet their educational goals. [Ref-16]
F17: There were 394 remedial classes offered at VCCCD for Fall 2012. A professor’s pro-rated salary is $5,800 (based on a Master’s Degree annual salary of $58,000) for a 3-unit class. [Ref-14, 15]
F18: The average Conejo Valley Unified School District compensation for teaching a standard English or math class would be $3,750 (based on a BA with a credential). [Ref-17, 24]
F19: The public high school graduation rate for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties is 72%. The 2008-2009 percent of Ventura County students scoring at or above proficient level in English was 58.4%. The math proficiency level was 59.4%. (Att-02)
F20: The nation’s community colleges spend more than $3.7 billion a year in taxes to remediate students. This number includes $1.4 billion to provide remedial education to students who have recently completed high school. [Ref-05, 06, 23] 6 Wasting Education Money: Paying Twice!
F21: Of the $3.7 billion in taxes, almost $2.3 billion in economic losses occur because remedial students are more likely to drop out of college without a degree, thereby reducing their potential earnings. [Ref-23]
F22: Reduction of state funding for community colleges has caused a loss of $809 million over the past three years with more reductions expected. [Ref-24]
F23: The Los Angeles Times article research stated “the issue is especially acute in California, where about 85% of students entering a two-year college are assigned to remedial classes and 73% to remedial math…”. [Ref-16]
F24: The loss of funding for remedial math/English/reading impacts the fiscal budget for college-prepared students. [Ref-26]
F25: The VCCCD is required to meet the Mission of the California Community Colleges (Ed. Code 66010.4). It is, in part: “The mission … the California Community Colleges shall, as a primary mission, offer academic and vocational instruction at the lower division level for both younger and older students, including those persons returning to school. In addition to the primary mission of academic and vocational instruction, the community colleges shall offer instruction and courses to achieve all of the following:. . .remedial instruction. . .instruction in English as a second language. . .adult non-credit instruction. . .and support services….” [Ref-27]
F26: The Grand Jury found that there is no on-going interface between the VCCCD and the school districts in Ventura County. The office of the Conejo School District confirmed that there has been no communication between the VCCCD and that office. Findings
Hallazgos & Recomendaciones 17 hallazgos
F01: The private citizens of the City are required to follow the City’s permitting process when they cut, remove or edit an oak tree. (FA-01-04)
F02: The private citizens of the City are required to replace two oak trees for every one removed. (FA-05)
F03: The City is exempted from obtaining permits, when remediation is required for public safety purposes. (FA-06)
F04: The Grand Jury found that the private property owner is required to have a final inspection and sign-off for an oak tree permit, but the City does not. (FA-05-06)
F05: The Grand Jury found that the City has an undocumented practice of planting replacement oak trees away from the removal site(s) and provided replacement trees to the CRPD. (FA-07, 08)
F06: The Grand Jury found that Lang Ranch Dam, the Knolls Apartment site, the Thousand Oaks Library, Teen and Senior Centers, the Children’s Library extension and the Conejo Creek Park projects required the removal of 128 oak trees. (FA-09-14)
F07: The Grand Jury found no report or documentation of two-to-one replacement of oak trees removed by the City, as required of private property owners. (FA-13-15)
F08: The Grand Jury found that in April, 2010, the City Council modified an ordinance that allows private property owners to remove an oak tree if they can document the original planting of the tree. (FA-16-17) Recommendations
F09: The Thousand Oaks Library, the Teen Center and the Senior Center projects were planned and permitted in October, 1987. One oak tree was relocated. The City did not provide a record of this action. [Ref-11]
F10: Improvements to Conejo Creek Park included the removal of four healthy, one hazardous and three dead oak trees plus the encroachment of six additional oak trees. [Ref-06]
F11: The requirement for the Conejo Creek Park Project was that for every live oak tree removed, two twenty–four inch boxes and one thirty-six inch box of Quercus Lobata or Quercus Agrifolia would replace them. One fifteen gallon sized Quercus Lobata or Quercus Agrifolia should replace each dead oak tree that was removed from the site. The City did not provide documentation for this action. [Ref-06, 08, 11]
F12: A fallen oak tree was removed from the north side of East Janss Road in May, 1995. There is no documentation provided by the City to verify that this tree was replaced. The replacement oak tree “. . . shall be replaced with one fifteen gallon Quercus Lobata (Valley Oak) or Quercus Agrifolia (Coast Live Oak)”. [Ref-08, 11]
F13: In April, 2004, the Children’s Library Expansion encroached on eight oak trees. [Ref-11]
F14: Thirty-nine oak trees were removed and seven were relocated from the Knolls Apartment site. At the end of construction there was a total of fifty-seven oak trees removed. There is no documentation provided by the City to verify removal and replacement of these trees. [Ref-03, 11]
F15: In February, 2006, an oak tree fell at the Knolls Apartment complex. It was to be replaced with one minimum sixty-gallon box Quercus Agrifolia replacement tree planted in the same location as the fallen tree within thirty days. The tree was replaced, however, there is no documentation provided by the City to verify this. [Ref-03, 11] Oak Tree Replacement in Thousand Oaks 3
F16: City ordinance 1534NS, effective 4/08/10, allows residents to apply to the City to determine if the oak tree on their property is native or owner- planted. Using the age of the tree, landscape plans filed with the City and aerial photographs that go back to 1976, the City makes a determination that a tree is owner-planted or not.
F17: If the City determines that an oak tree is owner-planted, it is thereby exempted by code. [Ref-01] Findings
Recomendaciones adicionales 1

No vinculadas a hallazgos específicos.

R76-95: PC/77-94 PC, Application No. RPD 94-457/OTP 986, Lang Ranch Company applicant, December 12, 1994. Ref-03. California, City of Thousand Oaks/Community Development Department, Oak Tree Permit No. 2006-70019, The Knolls Apartment Houses, Permit Processing Division, February 21, 2006. Ref-04. City Council of the City of Thousand Oaks, California, Resolution No,.89- 267, Approving OTP 735, Lang Ranch Applicant, Nov. 7, 1989. Ref-05. City of Thousand Oaks, California, Planning Department, Oak Tree Permit No. OTP 1034, May 24, 1995. Ref-06. City of Thousand Oaks, California, Planning Commission, Resolution No. 191-89 PC, Application No. OTP 818, Conejo Recreation and Park Department, Applicant, November 20, 1995. Oak Tree Replacement in Thousand Oaks 5 Ref-07. Ordinance No. 1534-NS, of the City Council of Thousand Oaks, California, reference sections 5-14. O1 – 5-14.08, MCA 2009-70100, March 9, 2010. Ref-08. Resolution No. 2010-14 of the City of Thousand Oaks, California, revising and rescinding Resolution No. 2001-091, February 23, 2010. Ref-09. City of Thousand Oaks, California, Municipal code, Title 5. Public Welfare, Morals and conduct, Chapter 14, Oak Tree Preservation and Protection, Section 5. Ref-10. City of Thousand Oaks, California, Municipal Code, Title 5. Public Welfare, Morals and Conduct, Chapter 24, Landmark Tree Preservation and Protection, Section 5. Ref-11. Thousand Oaks Library, Teen and Senior Center, DP87-613, 10/12/1989; OTP 625 (11/19/1987) DP89-655/OTP 818; Planning Commission Resolution No. 191-89 (12/4/1989); OTP 1034 (5/24/1995); Building Permit # 04-1582 (4/19/2004). Ref-12. Knolls Apartments RPD 87-388/OTP 735; City Council Resolution No. 89- 267 (12/19/1988); OTP 2006-70019 (Knolls Apts) (2/21/2006). Ref-13. Lang Ranch Dam RDP 94-457/OTP 986; Planning Commission Resolution No. 76-94 (12/12/1994). Ref-14. T.O. Council votes to ease oak tree regulations, Vcstar.com, 10/9/2012 Ref-15. Thousand Oaks Acorn, July 10, 2012, “Tree City”, . Bibliography United States District Court, Central District of California, Case No. VC-83-3063, Lang Ranch Company, Plaintiff/Appelle v City of Thousand Oaks and City Council of the city of Thousand Oaks, Defendants/Apellants, December 20, 1986, Letter to Mr. Greg Smith, Thousand Oaks, California from Dennis Kanthack, Restoration Coordinator, Ventura County Watershed Protection District, Public Works Agency, February 11, 2003. Mortimer, David D., Editorial Lone Oak, Thousand Oaks Acorn, 03/11/2011. Siegal, Daniel, “Man faces fines for oak pruning”, Los Angeles Times, January 15, 2012, Section A, Pg. 32. Oak Tree Replacement in Thousand Oaks Glossary TERM DEFINITION City City of Thousand Oaks County County of Ventura Edit Change, alter the shape or size Grand Jury 2012-2013 Ventura County Grand Jury Landmark tree A tree that is determined by its size, age, or unique and irreplaceable value to the community that it should be preserved and safeguarded as symbolic of the City’s heritage, beauty and image. Quercus Agrifolia Coast Live Oak Quercus Lobata Valley Oak Oak Tree Replacement in Thousand Oaks 7