Willows >> The Glenn County Grand Jury report was released Thursday afternoon, highlighting improvements the citizen group has suggested for the county’s Glenn County jail, sheriff/coroner, Veterans Services, juvenile hall, airports and the University of California, Cooperative Extension.
County jail
Overall, the Grand Jury said the facility was clean, well organized and kept within budget.
Among the criticisms/suggestions:
• Assembly Bill 109 has placed some costly mandates on the jail to provide medical and dental care. When the leadership of the jail decides where to spend money, priorities should be given to high-risk areas including the intake/booking area, the report states.
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• Several other improvements are suggested including the need for another inmate visiting room; a larger area for library and inmate education; heating and air conditioning updates; and lighting improvements.
Sheriff/Coronor’s Office
The main recommendation of the Grand Jury this year is for the Sheriff/Coronor’s Office to work toward finding a burial site for people who have died and whose remains are not claimed.
Each year, about 140-150 people die in Glenn County and about 30-35 autopsies are performed.
Right now the department has 30 cremated remains in storage, dating back to 1961. Family members have been identified but no one has come forward to claim the remains.
Veterans Services
For this department, the Grand Jury recommends a survey be conducted to determine how many veterans are in Glenn County. The current estimate is 1,801, not including widows or dependents. But if the number can be verified to be higher, the local group may be eligible for more funds.
The groups also suggests seeking better funding from the state and developing a budget to upgrade the group’s kitchen at the Willows Veterans Hall.
Jane Hahn Juvenile Hall
As for the juvenile hall, the group recommends a separate multi-purpose room for group activities, and a camera system for the facility. Staff should also wear radios or a personal alarm device in case of emergencies, the Grand Jury recommended.
Orland/Willows airports
To help pay for replacement of old equipment and needed repairs, the Grand Jury suggests better marketing of the Orland Haigh Field Airport to increase revenue.
Funding for both airports comes from an annual grant from the Federal Aviation Administration and State of California. The airports also receive money from fuel sales, rental hangars and leasing of industrial property at the airports
Willows Glenn Airport is used mostly for agricultural flying, while the Orland facility is for recreation.
Cooperative Extension
The Grand Jury has no recommendations for this office, which advises the farm community and provides information to the public. Staff in the office assist with 4-H youth programs and Master Gardener Programs. Two academic staff members are paid by the University of California, Davis, and these staff members focus on dairy advisement and orchard/crop advisement.
A livestock/agronomy adviser is being sought to add to the team. Two other employees are paid by Glenn County, including an administrative services officer and county services specialist.
July 1, 2016
Chico Enterprise Record
By Heather Hacking
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