The Sonoma County Grand Jury report for
2014-15 was released at the end of June, with several findings and
recommendations that affect Sonoma Valley residents among its six reports.
The county’s permitting process, detention
facilities, groundwater sustainability and fatal incidents involving law
enforcement officers all came in for Grand Jury review, and several came out
with specific recommendations from the jury.
In a statement that accompanied the report,
Grand Jury Foreman Martin A. Jones emphasized that their findings were
“recommendations for positive change.” The 19-member body is convened annually,
drawn from county residents of varied backgrounds, level of education and
expertise who volunteer to serve a year’s term.
The Sonoma County Grand Jury is a civil one,
not able to bring charges as would a criminal grand jury. Its findings are used
to “exercise oversight of all aspects of county and city government and special
districts … to ensure that the best interests of its citizens are being
served.”
One of the Grand Jury’s investigations took a
close look at the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home, the Kenwood-area facility
for youth at risk of health, legal or emotional distress. The Home has been in
the news recently with charges of privacy violations, client mistreatment, and
for its part in recurrent care for Sonoma Valley High School student Adam
Kizer, who committed suicide in late May.
The investigation was prompted by a citizen
complaint regarding some aspects of the Home’s operations. The Grand Jury spoke
with staff and the complainant, examined documents, toured the Home and even
reviewed 42 randomly-selected “exit interviews” from former tenants at the
facility.
According to the jury report, although their
investigation did find some “deficient practices,” none rose to the level of
serious rights violations and the Home was credited with “quickly and
appropriately (correcting) the violations.” The report included no
recommendations, and Kris Montgomery, communications manager for the county
Human Services Department, said, “Overall the Human Services Department is
pleased that the Grand Jury found the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home
‘appears to be a well-regulated, appropriate temporary place for minors to
stay’.” She added that HSD will offer a formal response later this summer.
Another issue that the 19-member Grand Jury
looked into was that of sustainable water for Sonoma County, resulting in a
report subtitled “Water for the Present and the Future.” The report was
prompted in part by the November 2014 passage of Proposition 1, the state water
bond initiative, and other legislative and executive actions in the face of the
current drought crisis.
Primary among the changes was an amendment to
the state Water Code that required management and enforcement of groundwater
reserves, a significant source of water supply that had heretofore escaped
regulation. The reported noted that, although groundwater regulation “may be
difficult to accept after years of unregulated groundwater use, [it is] easier
to accept than a well going dry …”
The Grand Jury’s recommendations were for
aggressive county attention and action on groundwater management, recognizing
its importance to the economic future of the county.
July 10, 2015
Sonoma
Index-Tribune
By Christian
Kallen
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