Yolo County Grand Jury
2016-2017
Quick View
Full Details →
Additional Recommendations
7
Not linked to specific findings.
R5:
The Departments of Administration and Financial Services along with the Department of Human Resources shall create a standardized training for County Policies and Procedures to ensure all administrators, supervisors, directors, and department heads, elected or appointed, are familiarized with current Federal and State laws and County government policies and procedures. An annual review of all new policies and procedures shall be conducted for elected officials and all employees, and records ensuring compliance shall be kept.
R6:
The Department of Financial Services shall provide training to all accounting personnel in policies and procedures related to accounts payable and receivable and all department contracts.
R7:
The Department of Financial Services shall create records to ensure compliance of the employees who are required to attend training in financial practices.
R8:
The Department of Human Resources shall ensure that all job titles within the County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters office have job descriptions and that all current and future employees have titles complete with job descriptions and responsibilities. The Elections Office, in collaboration with HR, shall review and revise the evaluation standards used for all current and future job classifications to establish a fair and objective set of guidelines.
R9:
The Department of Human Resources shall annually review hiring practices to eliminate instances of nepotism within all departments to ensure that ethical standards are maintained and that a procedural firewall exists between familial related employees. This annual review shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors with findings and recommendations no later than December 1, 2018, and each following year.
R10:
By December 1, 2018, HR shall review and update the Harassment and Ethics online training programs and implement a training program that includes classroom (in-person) training.
R11:
Prior to the 2017 evaluations, the CAO shall revise and extend the current 360-degree evaluation process to include all elected officials and department heads.
Findings & Recommendations
13 findings
F1:
By providing an additional three-year transition period to adulthood and support for independent living, the Extended Foster Care program has improved the lives of foster youth in Yolo County.
F2:
School Districts regularly conduct safety training for all school employees, usually at the beginning of the school year. Some Districts provide more comprehensive training throughout the school year.
F3:
Washington Unified School District does an exemplary job with its Comprehensive School Safety Plan and execution on all campuses.
F4:
Almost all eligible young people who turn age 18 in Yolo County’s child welfare system or in out-of-home placement in Juvenile Probation opt to participate in the Extended Foster Care program.
F5:
Yolo County’s Child Welfare Service’s social workers and Juvenile Probation Officers who oversee and work with young people in the Extended Foster Care program are highly dedicated and committed.
F6:
Yolo County Transition Age Youth Unit’s social workers reach out to and involve foster care youth at age 14, an earlier age than many other California counties.
F7:
The Extended Foster Care program has increased the rates of high school graduation and college enrollment among foster youth.
F8:
The Child Welfare Services Division and the Juvenile Probation Unit have insufficient resources to track analyze, aggregate and report data on these youths. Inadequate data hinders data-based program and funding decision-making.
F9:
Many Extended Foster Care youth are unable to secure appropriate, safe, and affordable housing in Yolo County, limiting their ability to participate in Yolo County’s Independent Living Skills Program classes.
F10:
Current public transportation options make it difficult for foster youth to pursue education and gain employment.
F11:
Although Independent Living Skills classes are described as valuable and relevant by both Child Welfare staff and extended foster youth interviewed for this report, few youths over 18 actually attend the classes.
F12:
Extended foster care youth gain valuable real-world experience in making and sticking to a budget when they are given the responsibility for managing their monthly foster care payment.
F13:
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors needs to address and correct traffic safety issues along Yolo Avenue in Esparto for Esparto Unified District students accessing all campuses.
Additional Recommendations
12
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency and the Juvenile Probation Unit should continue to proactively promote the Extended Foster Care program and advocate for the participation of all eligible foster youth. 46 2016 – 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT: INVESTIGATIONS CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS TO SUCCESS ACT: A BETTER BRIDGE TO ADULTHOOD FOR YOLO COUNTY’S FOSTER YOUTH
R2:
The County should increase the budget for the Independent Living Skills Program to cover needed financial assistance to youth renting apartments.
R3:
Within two years, the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency should initiate local low-cost housing options for the youth in the Extended Foster Care program.
R4:
Within one year, the County should establish sufficient systems to analyze, track, aggregate and report data to monitor progress and outcomes for Yolo County Extended Foster Care Program’s youth, including those in the Child Welfare Services and in Juvenile Probation programs.
R5:
Within one year, the Health and Human Services Agency should collaborate with local transportation agencies and non-profit organizations to improve and fund transportation for foster youth attending Independent Living Skills classes, seeking employment, and pursuing higher education.
R6:
Within 18 months, the Health and Human Services Agency should evaluate the new mental health services established within the Child Welfare Services Division to determine if utilization of mental health services has increased among the foster youth.
R7:
By October 1, 2017, all Districts will comply with the California Education Code concerning school safety.
R8:
By October 1, 2017, Yolo County Districts should consider networking with each other on a regular basis to discuss and share ideas on the most effective ways to construct, initiate and utilize school safety plans. 58 2016 - 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT APPENDIX: RESPONSES TO THE 2016 -2017 FINAL REPORT ARE YOLO COUNTY SCHOOLS IN COMPLIANCE WITH SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS?
R9:
By October 1, 2017, modify, as necessary, the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Use with Winters Joint Unified School District and the Yolo County Public Library to address the safety of students using the Winters Public Library during school hours.
R10:
By January 1, 2018, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors will establish procedures to address the Yolo Avenue safety issues confronting Esparto Unified District students.
R11:
Prior to the 2017 evaluations, the CAO shall revise and extend the current 360-degree evaluation process to include all elected officials and department heads.
R18-21:
were eligible. Child Welfare Services Implementation of Extended Foster Care In 2012, the Child Welfare Services Division of the Health and Human Services Agency created the Transition Age Unit to prepare foster youth age 14-21 for self-sufficient adulthood. The Transition Age Unit consists of a manager and five social workers (case managers) who stay with the youth until they “age out.” A sixth social worker operates the Independent Living Skills Program. This social worker administers and frequently teaches transitional living classes, provides outreach services to engage youth in independent living services, and offers group and one-on-one financial and educational assistance, and referrals to community resources. The Child Welfare Services managers reported that turnover within the unit is very low and that the social workers are highly committed to working with older youth and to building long-term, trusting relationships. Group homes housing extended foster care youth receive higher foster care payments. 39
Findings & Recommendations
13 findings
F1:
Favoritism, nepotism and preferential treatment of employees have adversely affected employee morale of the Elections Office, as cited in the County’s Special Review and from interviews with Elections Office staff. These practices by the EO involved hiring and promotion.
F2:
During the period reviewed, the EO created provisional or extra help positions to employ friends and relatives as cited in the County’s Special Review and by interviews with Elections Office staff.
F3:
The EO failed to observe County Code Section 2-6.44 (Nepotism Policy) by hiring immediate family members and determining salaries, promotions and assignments.
F4:
During the interview with the Manager of Internal Audit, it was noted that the County Board of Supervisors had failed to monitor and audit the Elections Division compliance with Federal and State Laws and County Codes and Policies and Procedures. 16 2016 – 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT: INVESTIGATIONS YOLO COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE INDISCRETIONS & CULPABILITY
F5:
Yolo County HR manages harassment and ethics online training courses for all employees to comply with Federal and State laws. These outdated and repetitious trainings are found to be inadequate and ineffective.
F6:
The CAO conducts a 360-degree evaluation for all appointed Department heads. This evaluation process currently excludes elected officials.
F7:
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors has not provided supervision or monitoring of elected county officials as directed by the California State Government Code Section 25303.
F8:
The Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters office has taken steps to implement a Corrective Action Plan in 2016 as directed by the County Auditor to the interim “appointed” Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters as of April 29, 2016.
F9:
The Election office staff made purchases outside the County’s policies and procedures according to the Finance Procurement staff. It was noted that the purchases were made at the direction of the EO under a general rule of “if you need it, get it.”
F10:
Electronic equipment, purchased by the Election staff, was not included in the General Service Department’s inventory. Tracking would have facilitated accountability, program updates, replacements and recyclability.
F11:
Although Independent Living Skills classes are described as valuable and relevant by both Child Welfare staff and extended foster youth interviewed for this report, few youths over 18 actually attend the classes.
F12:
Extended foster care youth gain valuable real-world experience in making and sticking to a budget when they are given the responsibility for managing their monthly foster care payment.
F13:
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors needs to address and correct traffic safety issues along Yolo Avenue in Esparto for Esparto Unified District students accessing all campuses.
Additional Recommendations
11
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
Elected officials must follow County policies, procedures and practices in the execution of their duties and responsibilities.
R2:
made recommendations concerning the SCBA units. Yolo County and the Sheriff’s Office will continue to inspect the SCBAs on a regular basis and will remove inoperable units. The Sheriff’s 81 2016 - 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT APPENDIX: RESPONSES TO THE 2016 -2017 FINAL REPORT CONTINUITY REPORT FOR THE 2015-16 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY Office will continue to educate and train staff on the proper use and inspection of SCBAs. The Sheriff’s Office noted that one SCBA unit is designated “for training use only.” This unit will be clearly marked as such. R5 recommended the hiring or designation of a qualified health and safety officer/industrial hygienist to be responsible for the operation, equipment, and training of personnel, to ensure a comprehensive health and safety program. The Sheriff’s Office stated that Yolo County, Probation, and the Sheriff’s Office were in contract negotiations with the California Forensic Medical Group to provide medical/mental health services. A component of this contract is to hire a qualified health and safety officer. Yolo County and the Sheriff’s Office implemented R4 which asked for proper chemical storage, labeling and Safety Data Sheets and agreed with R7 which asked for medical records to be properly secured in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The County contracts with California Forensic Medical Group to provide medical/mental healthcare to inmates and will see that the contractor is held to strict HIPAA compliance. Yolo County and the Sheriff’s Office disagreed with two Recommendations, R3 and R6, stating that the Yolo County Detention’s dental facilities are routinely inspected and found to be in compliance with industry standards and that a June 24, 2016, Board of State and Community Corrections inspection found the Inmate Grievance policy and procedure to be in compliance. The respondents stated that these Recommendations are not warranted. Yolo Habitat Conservancy 2015-2016 Synopsis This report described the Grand Jury’s inspection of the Yolo Habitat Conservancy’s (YHC) 25- year-long effort to create a Habitat Conservancy Plan and the Natural Community Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP or the plan). The plan is meant to accommodate continuing development within Yolo County while protecting the habitats of designated species. The YHC is an outgrowth of the Yolo Natural Heritage Program and, as of 2002, is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) consisting of voting members from the County of Yolo and the cities of Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, and Woodland. The University of California Davis occupies a non-voting YHC board position. Estimated expenditures incurred toward development of a conservation plan are in the millions of dollars; however, to date, several draft plans have been prepared, but no plan has been finalized or adopted. During its investigation, the Grand Jury identified operational and fiscal inconsistencies negatively affecting the YHC. As a result of the investigation, the Grand Jury identified three Findings and two Recommendations. The Findings addressed the lack of an approved HCP/NCCP plan and that the YHC performance over the past 25 years does not justify the time and money spent. The Recommendations set timelines for submitting the HCP/NCCP plan for approval and asked for annual performance audits of the YHC to measure progress. 82 2016 - 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT APPENDIX: RESPONSES TO THE 2016 -2017 FINAL REPORT CONTINUITY REPORT FOR THE 2015-16 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY Recommendation Implementation Yolo County, the YHC, and four of the five voting JPA members responded to the two Grand Jury Recommendations, designated “R1” and “R2.” Grand Jury Recommendation R1 asked the YHC to submit the HCP/NCCP plan for approval by April 30, 2017. R2 asked the YHC to institute a program of annual performance audits by September 1, 2016. The YHC Board of Directors and Executive Director agreed to implement R1, but stated that R2 will not be implemented. Yolo County, speaking for The Board of Supervisors, agreed with R1 and stated that R2 will not be implemented. The City of Davis agreed, with reservations, to R1 and stated that R2 was not warranted. West Sacramento agreed with R1 and stated that R2 needed further analysis. The City of Winters did not respond to the Grand Jury’s Recommendations. The City of Woodland agreed with R1 and stated that R2 needed further analysis.
R3:
All authorized County purchased equipment shall be issued with an inventory tag. All electronic equipment shall be purchased through the General Services department and inventoried annually.
R4:
The CAO and HR Director shall review and revise the County’s mandated training requirements and compliance with the State of California Public Services Entities as directed by the AB 1234 timeline. 17 2016 – 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT: INVESTIGATIONS YOLO COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE INDISCRETIONS & CULPABILITY
R5:
The Departments of Administration and Financial Services along with the Department of Human Resources shall create a standardized training for County Policies and Procedures to ensure all administrators, supervisors, directors, and department heads, elected or appointed, are familiarized with current Federal and State laws and County government policies and procedures. An annual review of all new policies and procedures shall be conducted for elected officials and all employees, and records ensuring compliance shall be kept.
R6:
The Department of Financial Services shall provide training to all accounting personnel in policies and procedures related to accounts payable and receivable and all department contracts.
R7:
The Department of Financial Services shall create records to ensure compliance of the employees who are required to attend training in financial practices.
R8:
The Department of Human Resources shall ensure that all job titles within the County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters office have job descriptions and that all current and future employees have titles complete with job descriptions and responsibilities. The Elections Office, in collaboration with HR, shall review and revise the evaluation standards used for all current and future job classifications to establish a fair and objective set of guidelines.
R9:
The Department of Human Resources shall annually review hiring practices to eliminate instances of nepotism within all departments to ensure that ethical standards are maintained and that a procedural firewall exists between familial related employees. This annual review shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors with findings and recommendations no later than December 1, 2018, and each following year.
R10:
By December 1, 2018, HR shall review and update the Harassment and Ethics online training programs and implement a training program that includes classroom (in-person) training.
R11:
Prior to the 2017 evaluations, the CAO shall revise and extend the current 360-degree evaluation process to include all elected officials and department heads.
Findings & Recommendations
13 findings
F1:
Generally, the YHCP has adopted and uses acceptable accounting practices as cited in the audit.
F2:
The loan to the YHC from the Yolo County Treasury has an outstanding balance of $1,767.00.
F3:
At the printing of this report, the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan has been released for public comment.
F4:
The lack of regular structured communication between the County cities, CDPs, unincorporated areas, transportation agencies and districts has prevented input to pool resources and ideas and assist in a timelier completion of the Plan.
F5:
Yolo County HR manages harassment and ethics online training courses for all employees to comply with Federal and State laws. These outdated and repetitious trainings are found to be inadequate and ineffective.
F6:
The CAO conducts a 360-degree evaluation for all appointed Department heads. This evaluation process currently excludes elected officials.
F7:
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors has not provided supervision or monitoring of elected county officials as directed by the California State Government Code Section 25303.
F8:
The Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters office has taken steps to implement a Corrective Action Plan in 2016 as directed by the County Auditor to the interim “appointed” Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters as of April 29, 2016.
F9:
The Election office staff made purchases outside the County’s policies and procedures according to the Finance Procurement staff. It was noted that the purchases were made at the direction of the EO under a general rule of “if you need it, get it.”
F10:
Electronic equipment, purchased by the Election staff, was not included in the General Service Department’s inventory. Tracking would have facilitated accountability, program updates, replacements and recyclability.
F11:
Although Independent Living Skills classes are described as valuable and relevant by both Child Welfare staff and extended foster youth interviewed for this report, few youths over 18 actually attend the classes.
F12:
Extended foster care youth gain valuable real-world experience in making and sticking to a budget when they are given the responsibility for managing their monthly foster care payment.
F13:
The Yolo County Board of Supervisors needs to address and correct traffic safety issues along Yolo Avenue in Esparto for Esparto Unified District students accessing all campuses.
Additional Recommendations
11
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
By September 1, 2017, the remaining balance of the loan from the Yolo County Treasury is to be repaid to Yolo County.
R2:
Elected officials and all employees shall be trained in appropriate use of County property and equipment, not limited to purchase cards, cell phones, computers, etc.
R3:
All authorized County purchased equipment shall be issued with an inventory tag. All electronic equipment shall be purchased through the General Services department and inventoried annually.
R4:
The CAO and HR Director shall review and revise the County’s mandated training requirements and compliance with the State of California Public Services Entities as directed by the AB 1234 timeline. 17 2016 – 2017 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT: INVESTIGATIONS YOLO COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE INDISCRETIONS & CULPABILITY
R5:
The Departments of Administration and Financial Services along with the Department of Human Resources shall create a standardized training for County Policies and Procedures to ensure all administrators, supervisors, directors, and department heads, elected or appointed, are familiarized with current Federal and State laws and County government policies and procedures. An annual review of all new policies and procedures shall be conducted for elected officials and all employees, and records ensuring compliance shall be kept.
R6:
The Department of Financial Services shall provide training to all accounting personnel in policies and procedures related to accounts payable and receivable and all department contracts.
R7:
The Department of Financial Services shall create records to ensure compliance of the employees who are required to attend training in financial practices.
R8:
The Department of Human Resources shall ensure that all job titles within the County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters office have job descriptions and that all current and future employees have titles complete with job descriptions and responsibilities. The Elections Office, in collaboration with HR, shall review and revise the evaluation standards used for all current and future job classifications to establish a fair and objective set of guidelines.
R9:
The Department of Human Resources shall annually review hiring practices to eliminate instances of nepotism within all departments to ensure that ethical standards are maintained and that a procedural firewall exists between familial related employees. This annual review shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors with findings and recommendations no later than December 1, 2018, and each following year.
R10:
By December 1, 2018, HR shall review and update the Harassment and Ethics online training programs and implement a training program that includes classroom (in-person) training.
R11:
Prior to the 2017 evaluations, the CAO shall revise and extend the current 360-degree evaluation process to include all elected officials and department heads.