August 23, 2011 11:43:00 PM
By Nancy Pasternack/Appeal-Democrat
Marysville officials take issue with complaints outlined in a Yuba County grand jury report regarding the city's use of a police vehicle, and transparency with public records.
The City Council approved Marysville's response letters to the 2010-11 report Tuesday, including one that calls the jury's findings and recommendations "deeply flawed" and "not based on fact."
The document at issue was a portion of the report titled "Police Car Not in Compliance" which, the report explains, was an investigation of a resident's report of an unmarked, unlicensed vehicle being driven by police personnel.
"Grand Jurors made an unannounced visit to the Marysville Police Department. The vehicle in question was in the parking lot and was in violation of California Vehicle Code," the report reads.
It was determined that the vehicle had recently been purchased from another jurisdiction, the report goes on to say, and the Police Department was in the process of obtaining permanent license plates.
"Marysville Police Department must comply with even the most basic of laws, or risk losing public confidence in their integrity and commitment to uphold the law," the report chided.
The city's response concluded that the jury's recommendations, "will not be implemented because they are not warranted and they are in part, diatribe."
A second grand jury report issue received a mixed response from the city.
According to the jury's findings, "no consistent written minutes exist for Marysville City Council meetings."
City officials responded that all minutes for all 2010 and 2011 meetings are available.
Those for 2008 and 2009 were incomplete — according to the city's response — after a decrease in staffing left the clerk's office shorthanded. Those, "are in the process of being completed," reads the response letter.
The grand jury report accuses the city of granting access to available recordings of city council meetings to a grand jury member, and of denying access to a regular citizen making the same request.
City officials flatly denied the charge, and said a policy that allows citizens to set up appointments to access such recordings is adequate.
The city recently implemented one grand jury recommendation regarding the provision of a "dedicated device to be used by the public," to view electronically recorded meetings.
CONTACT reporter Nancy Pasternack at 749-4781
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/report-109386-marysville-police.html
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