Friday, September 10, 2010

Board, officials respond to Siskiyou County Grand Jury

By David Smith
GateHouse News Service
Posted Sep 10, 2010 @ 09:29 AM
Yreka, Calif. —

With reports from the Grand Jury comes the responsibility for government entities to respond to the findings and recommendations, which the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors undertook at its recent meeting.
The board of supervisors, the county administrative officer (CAO) and the Department of Public Health and Community Development were all responsible for providing responses, with Grand Jury findings ranging from inadequacy of mental health patient procedures to county expenditures exceeding revenues.
5150/Mental Health Stabilization facility
The board concurred with the Grand Jury that there should be meetings held to establish a stronger collaboration between agencies handling 5150 cases. 5150 refers to the involuntary confinement of an individual suspected of having a mental disorder who may present a danger to others or to him/herself.
The Grand Jury also suggested that the county explore ways to fund and manage a facility for 5150 and detoxification purposes. The board, in responding, stated that other counties’ programs have been explored, but that the “population requiring detoxification/stabilization is too small to justify a dedicated (private or public) facility” in Siskiyou County.
The board also states that the county is not financially capable of building or staffing a specialized facility of the type described.
Probation offices in
different buildings
The board also states that financial restrictions are keeping the county from finishing the juvenile correctional facility in order to consolidate probation offices, which the Grand Jury recommend be done to cut down on ineffeciency and costs.
Jail overcrowding and housing control protection
The Grand Jury recommended that the board approve financial support for programs that decrease the number of repeat offenders as well as fund the construction of a protection measure for the housing control center. Again, the board cites a lack of funds as the reason for not fully pursuing the recommendations, although it is noted that two supervisors sit on the Jail Re-entry Committee and the sheriff has been apprised of grant opportunities.
County executive authority and responsibility for issues
“There is no single executive line of authority in Siskiyou County,” the Grand Jury report reads, with a recommendation that the board establish “clear, expert executive lines of authority under the policy direction and control of the Board of Supervisors.”
The lines of authority already exist, according to the board, which in its response states that it is responsible for approval of an annual budget and the establishment of local law and policy. There are also a number of elected officials who are accountable to the public and are not under control of the board.
CAO Brian McDermott concurred, stating that he is not aware of any system where a board of supervisors or CAO has the capacity to remove elected officials.
The findings of the Grand Jury with respect to executive authority center on the issue of the Tennant water system project, which was an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded project to bring a water facility to the community of Tennant. The project was dropped when environmental and procedural issues arose.
With Auditor-Controller Leanna Dancer retiring from her post after the Tennant issue, the Grand Jury alleged in its report that county officers and administrators tried to “use the Grand Jury as a buffer when blame for the failures should be directed at them individually.”
The board states that because Dancer was an elected official, letters about her conduct were sent directly to the Grand Jury, the representative of the electors.
Expenditures exceeding revenues
The board concurred with the Grand Jury’s finding, stating that staffing levels have been reduced and departments have been combined, along with the hiring of consultants to review workflow.
Office of Emergency Services
The Grand Jury reported that it found deficiencies with the inventory and security systems in the OES warehouse, as well as the response efficiency of having one person in control of all aspects of the inventory process.
In response, Director of Public Health and Community Development Terry Barber and Deputy Director of OES Rob Rowley explained that inventory control and security measures have either been implemented or are planned.
“Emergency supplies, equipment storage and distribution appear to be a one-person operation that may be critically vulnerable during an emergency,” the Grand Jury report reads.
Barber and Rowley disagreed in their response, however, citing past instances where emergency response demanded access to OES inventory and the demands were met, also explaining that various county officials are trained in and have access to use of the inventory in the event of an emergency.

No comments: