Solano [County] Board of Supervisors response to grand jury

September 13, 2014

Vallejo Times-Herald

By Melissa Murphy

Solano County has responded to several findings reported by the Solano County grand jury.

The Solano County Board of Supervisors lamented in July that a presentation before the board and the public was one sided given that the presentation occurred before the county responded to the findings of the grand jury reports.

The grand jury reports and the county's responses are available online at www.solanocourts.com.

In July, the grand jury reported that Solano is lacking in addressing the "economically disadvantaged."

While the county agrees that there is a lack of specific leadership for homeless services in the county changes have recently been made to strengthen the Solano County Joint Powers Authority (CAP Solano JPA). In June CAP Solano JPA voted to strengthen it by redesigning the JPA as the Community Action Agency, which makes the CAP Solano JPA the recipient of the State Community Services Block Grant funding for programs that reduce poverty, revitalize low income communities, and empower low income families and individuals to become self-sufficient. Subsequently, the Continuum of Care Board of Board/Housing First Solano Board voted to form a workgroup to develop the structure roles and responsibility of a unified CAP Solano JPA/Housing First Solano Continuum of Care Board.

Additionally, the Solano County Board of Supervisors disagrees that there should be a county employee overseeing all homeless services and disagrees that the county should have a permanent homeless shelter.

"The Board of Supervisors disagrees with the recommendation because homeless services are not the sole responsibility of the county," the county's response noted. "The CAP Solano JPA was established so the county and the cities could work together on the homeless issues and supporting low income communities."

In a report from the grand jury about the county Whistleblower Program, the report recommends that complaints regarding the Auditor-Controller Department, the department that oversees the program, be sent directly to county counsel.

"This recommendation will be addressed in the next six months," the Auditor Controller's office said. "We will include information on our website and complaint form to directly contact county counsel for complaints regarding the Auditor-Controller."