The San Joaquin County Grand Jury released
the findings of a follow-up investigation into the city of Tracy that showed
that city leaders properly addressed the deficiencies reported last year.
On June 9, the Grand Jury released a report
about the city’s attempt to change the length of Runway 12/30 at Tracy
Municipal Airport, 5749 S. Tracy Blvd. The jury found that the City Council
acted on wrong information from the city staff that might have jeopardized
federal grants and undermined the city’s credibility with citizens.
The Grand Jury investigation found that there
was no proof of allegations of a secret and illegal business arrangement
between the city and Surland Cos. LLC regarding the length of runway 12/30 and
a $50,000 payment to the city made by Surland on behalf of the former airport
fuel provider, Turlock Air. The jury recommended that the City Council instruct
the city staff to make a comprehensive review of Federal Aviation
Administration and state safety zone requirements.
The Grand Jury suggested that the council
should adopt a policy requiring city staff members to disclose proposed
substantial changes to any major developments in the city to avoid the
perception of collusion. The panel also recommended that the city adopt a
policy governing third-party payments for contractual obligations to the city —
after reviewing a $50,000 payment made by Surland to cover money owed to the
city by Turlock Air — to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
On Sept. 2, the City Council publicly agreed
with the Grand Jury’s findings.
Monday, the Grand Jury released the results
of a follow-up investigation, which concluded that, “acting on the earlier
Grand Jury’s recommendations, those deficiencies have been addressed.”
Jury Foreman Ward Downs spoke Tuesday with
the Tracy Press and congratulated the city on working with the panel.
“We’re just trying to get transparency,”
Downs said of the report, adding that the Grand Jury believes in the value of
following up for residents after an investigation. “We’re certainly the front
of the train when it comes to doing follow-up. The Grand Jury system worked and
City of Tracy definitely heard our comments.”
The panel specifically said that it reviewed
the city’s responses and found no further need for action, mentioning that the
city completed an FAA safety review according to a memo dated Dec. 29 and
instituted a new procedure governing third-party check payments.
City Manager Troy Brown said the city was
pleased with the findings from the follow-up investigation.
“We do what we say we’re going to do here,”
Brown said. “The city has worked diligently to implement the recommendations of
the Grand Jury and provide information relative to city procedures. It is my
hopes that with this behind us, we can continue to move forward on important
matters facing the city.”
June
1, 2015
Tracy
Press
Press staff
report
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