[Marin County Grand Jury] Report: Marin public entities still lacking on pay transparency

Most Marin County government agencies are still failing to be fully transparent on how much they pay their officials and employees, according to a new civil grand jury report.

“The public should be able to access this information easily and quickly rather than having to dig through meeting minutes or policy manuals that may or may not be easy to find on a website,” the watchdog panel said in the report, which was released Wednesday.

The problems persist despite state mandates and previous recommendations made by the grand jury, according to the report.

“The Grand Jury has focused on these issues for more than six years, without satisfactory resolution,” the report states. “Perhaps with this follow-up report, agencies will come to understand the vital importance of public transparency and will be more forthcoming with this information and finally improve their websites.”

The grand jury analyzed the disclosures made by the county, 11 cities and towns, 10 sanitary districts, nine fire districts and three water districts on their websites.

State law requires agencies with websites to post the annual compensation of their employees and elected officials. The websites must also include a link to the State Controller’s Office public pay website in a “conspicuous location.”

Many public agencies are required to report compensation figures annually to the State Controller’s Office. Some agencies were not reporting board member compensation because they had been informed by the state that it was not required “unless a W-2 form for the compensation was issued,” according to the report.

“Some elected officials are paid fees for which W-2 forms are not issued,” the report states. “State officials have now confirmed that the elected officials’ compensation must be reported regardless of how they are paid.”

Some agencies were only posting links to the Transparent California website rather than the controller’s site, according to the grand jury. Transparent California is a website created by the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a nonprofit organization promoting private solutions over government solutions to public issues.

To improve transparency, the grand jury is recommending that agencies place a link to the controller’s database on their websites where it can be found within three clicks of the home page and within five minutes of searching.

The report says the entities not properly disclosing this information are Marin County, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, six fire districts and authorities, four sanitary districts and the Stinson Beach Water District.

“We’re always interested in increased transparency,” Dan Eilerman, assistant county administrator, said Wednesday in response to the report. “The county is a large organization and just last year won a national award for its digital infrastructure and information transparency. We’ll review the grand jury’s suggestions to find straightforward ways of best communicating information to the public.”

The county’s Department of Information Services and Technology placed fourth in its county-size category in the Digital Counties Survey Center run by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties.

The grand jury is calling on agencies to look to the Marin Municipal Water District and the North Marin Water District for examples of detailed compensation data.

That said, the grand jury still sees room for improvement and is recommending these two districts and several other agencies to post a link to the state controller’s website on their board web pages. In addition, the report recommends that agencies publish annual reports listing how much their elected officials were paid in the previous fiscal year.

“We appreciate the grand jury’s recognition of our transparency and attention to detail,” said Ben Horenstein, general manager of the Marin Municipal Water District, “and we were pleased to see our work used as an example of best practices in these areas. We understand the importance of transparency in keeping the public’s trust, and we are carefully reviewing the report and the recommendations.”

COVID-19 changes

State law requires the local governments and agencies to respond to the grand jury recommendations within 90- to 120-day windows. However, the grand jury has expressed concern about whether the COVID-19 pandemic’s strain on staff time will allow them to comply with these laws.

Each grand jury report being issued in the coming weeks will include a statement acknowledging the coronavirus crisis and its potential impact on agencies.

“Whether the deadlines are extended or not, it is our expectation that Marin’s public agencies will eventually be able to return to normal operations and will respond to this report,” the grand jury report states. “In the meantime, however, public health and safety issues are of paramount importance and other matters might need to wait.”

Foreperson Lucy Dilworth said the jury has shifted exclusively to online meetings. Presiding Judge Andrew Sweet has extended members’ terms through Sept. 30, with no plans to impanel a new jury “until matters become clearer,” she said in an email.

April 29, 2020

Marin Independent Journal

By Will Houston

[Santa Barbara] Grand jury report highlights overcrowding in multiple county detention centers

During a review of 20 local detention facilities, the Santa Barbara County grand jury found that many of the issues associated with these sites could be solved with additional funding.

“The majority of the findings and recommendations stem from the lack of funding, funding that is essential to add staff where needed, funding to upgrade older and dangerous buildings, and funding to add new mission-critical technical systems for safer management,” a report the jury released on April 27 states.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the jury inspected county jails—including the Northern Branch Jail, which is under construction—and substations, probation facilities, court holding facilities, city jails and holding facilities, and the Santa Barbara Sobering Center.

According to the report, one of the more noteworthy findings was the overcrowding in the county’s Main Jail. On the date the jury conducted its inspection in February 2020, there were 890 inmates in the jail, which is supposed to maintain a daily population of 819. Additionally, during the inspection, there were 13 fewer custody deputies on duty than there should have been.

“The jail is understaffed, which results in higher safety risks to custodial deputies, costs associated with mandatory overtime, and heightened custody staff stress levels,” the report states. 

The Northern Branch Jail, which is being built to the west of Santa Maria, is supposed to alleviate the overcrowding in the Main Jail, however, construction has taken much longer than expected. According to the report, the jail was originally scheduled to open in September 2018, but is now slated for May 2020. Due to this delay, as well as other issues, the jail is also estimated to cost between $119 million and $121 million, which is about 7 to 9 percent higher than originally projected.

The jury also found that the holding facilities at the county courthouses in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara both struggle with overcrowding. In Santa Maria, this problem stems from a lack of coordination between court administration scheduling and the Sheriff’s Office. 

“Frequently, many inmates are transported to the court holding facility and never reach the courtroom,” the report states.

In Santa Barbara, the holding facility, which can officially hold 56 detainees, often has to accommodate as many as 80 prisoners at a time. The facility can house one person in each of its eight overflow cages that the jury refers to as “extremely small” and “inhumane.” The holding facility in Lompoc also has three of these cages staff use to separate inmates or for overflow purposes.

A representative from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said the department has received the report and is working on its response. All agencies identified in the report have between 60 and 90 days to submit their responses to the grand jury.

Sun
Zac Ezzone
April 30, 2020

COVID-19 halts [San Luis Obispo County] grand jury application process

–This is the time of year that San Luis Obispo
County starts the process of recruiting jurors for next year’s Grand Jury, but the Covid-19 virus has halted the application process.

Members of the current Grand Jury have agreed to hold over until Dec. 2020. The Grand Jury, normally a one-year commitment, selects it’s new jurors after applicants go through an initial application, interviews, and finally a lottery held in June. Jurors must go through intensive training before their real work begins. The Grand Jury submits reports with Findings, Recommendations, and Commendations no later than the end of its term to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court.

Because of the Covid-19 virus, San Luis Superior Court Judge Duffy has asked current Grand Jury members to continue working on reports and present their reports after the dangers of the virus has passed. The jurors are reported to be meeting via Zoom while unable to assemble.

“This isn’t an ideal situation but the Grand Jury is a group of wonderful people who will do whatever it takes to get comprehensive reports to the public.” Says Lynlee Blackburn, 2019/2020 Grand Jury Foreperson.

For more information on the Grand Jury, see https://www.slo.courts.ca.gov/gi/jury-grandjury.htm.

Paso Robles Daily News
by News Staff
April 25, 2020

Grand Jury: Cyber Attacks Threaten Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County is at risk from a cyber attack similar to those that are occurring around the nation, the 2019-20 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury reports.

Through its research, the Grand Jury learned Santa Barbara County, the eight incorporated cities, and the special districts within the county as a whole are woefully ill-prepared for a cyber attack. Such an attack could cripple their services and data systems. The cost to repair and recover these systems could be millions of dollars.

Cyber attacks are more widespread and dangerous than is generally recognized, even by people who should know. Cyber-security attacks include corruption or theft of data, denial of service, or complete destruction of critical data. Also, attacks could include subverting critical operations, such as water systems, electrical grids, and communication systems, and thus threaten public safety.

The attacks are certain to get worse. There is a never-ending evolutionary race between attack and defense. In this digital world, local government entities, even small ones, are not immune and their risks will grow as automated attack methods increase.

The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury is a basic part of government within the judicial branch; its existence is mandated by the California’s constitution. The Grand Jury acts independently, yet is under the general control of the Superior Court presiding judge to assure it acts in accordance with the state Penal Code.

NoozHawk
Pamela Olsen, 2019-20 Grand Jury foreperson
April 23, 2020

Sonoma County Board Approves Budget

Blog note: This article mentions a grand jury report

Santa Rosa, CA – April 22, 2020 – On Tuesday, April 21, 2020 the Sonoma County Water Agency Board of Directors unanimously approved a $59-million Water Transmission system budget for 2020-21. The budget includes a 5.3-percent rate increase in wholesale water rates for Santa Rosa and Petaluma aqueduct customers and a 5.57-percent increase for Sonoma aqueduct customers, which will result in an estimated 2-percent increase for households and businesses served by Sonoma Water.

For example, a typical Santa Rosa household will pay an additional $0.96 per month as a direct result of the increase in the Water Agency's wholesale rate increase, or an overall increase of about $11.50 per year. Sonoma Water's wholesale rates are only a portion of the overall rates set by its retail customers (cities and water districts), and rates for retail customers will vary among those cities and water districts.

"We are painfully aware of the financial strain many residents are feeling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic outfall from that," said Board Chair Susan Gorin. "This is a prudent rate increase that takes into account the current health emergency and still provides funding to maintain and operate our critical water supply infrastructure. During a pandemic or other emergency, we must be able to rely on our water delivery system and funding ongoing critical projects is essential to provide that assurance.

In 2019, the Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury investigated the risk of a major earthquake in Sonoma County and the effect that it could have on residents, due to impacts on water supplies. In direct response to the Grand Jury's recommendations, Sonoma Water prepared a $59 million water transmission system budget that will help fund critical infrastructure improvement projects, including construction of three earthquake hazard mitigation projects: the Russian River, Mark West Creek, and Santa Rosa Creek pipeline crossings.

"These projects are critical for Sonoma Water to prepare for earthquakes, just as we prepare for any other natural disaster," said Gorin. "We are working closely with our water retailers, and they are working closely with their customers during this health emergency. These rate increases were not arrived at in a vacuum. We had widespread support among our water contractors, who have input into developing these budgets.

The Grand Jury Report acknowledged that Sonoma Water and its water contractors maintain a well-designed system and have made significant progress in mitigating earthquake risks, while ongoing efforts are needed to reduce remaining risks. The Grand Jury also noted that ongoing capital improvements are being made while Sonoma Water continues to keep rates low compared to other California water agencies.

The water transmission budget includes costs associated with operating, maintaining and funding nearly 100 miles of water supply pipelines, pumps and storage facilities that provide drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties. The budget also includes those costs associated with implementing critical habitat restoration and fishery recovery efforts within the Russian River Watershed as required by the Russian River Biological Opinion. Other budgeted maintenance projects include the recoating of interior and exterior surfaces of water tanks, and replacement of the cathodic protection system to prevent pipeline corrosion.

Wholesale water rates will increase based on the aqueduct in which a city receives its water, as noted below: 5.3 percent for Santa Rosa and Petaluma aqueduct contractors, which includes the cities of Santa Rosa, Town of Windsor, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, and Cotati 5.57 percent for Sonoma aqueduct contractors, which includes the city of Sonoma and the Valley of the Moon Water District. This rate is slightly higher than the above aqueducts to help pay down costs associated specifically with this aqueduct.

     5.17 percent for the Marin Municipal Water           District 

     6.79 percent for the North Marin Water                 District 

Wholesale water rates are created by using a calculation outlined under a legally binding agreement between Sonoma Water and its water contractors. This document, called the Restructured Agreement for Water Supply, requires Sonoma Water to set rates based on budgeted operations and maintenance costs and past water sales.

For more information about wholesale water rates, please visit www.sonomawater.org

This press release was produced by the Sonoma County Government>.

The views expressed here are the author's own.

Patch.com
By Press Release Desk, News Partner
April 23, 2020

Grand Jury: Santa Barbara County “woefully ill-prepared” for cyber-attack

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Santa Barbara County is at risk of falling victim to a cyber attack, according to the 2019-20 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury.

According to a press release issued by the grand jury, a cyber-attack occurs at least every 39 seconds throughout the country. Across the entire globe, cyber-attacks have cost trillions of dollars in damages and repairs.

Research conducted by the grand jury determined that Santa Barbara County, the eight incorporated cities and the special districts with the county are "woefully ill-prepared" for a cyber attack.

A cyber-attack targeting Santa Barbara County could cripple services and data systems and could cost millions in repairs, the grand jury says.

Cyber security attacks include corruption or theft of data, denial of service, or complete destruction of critical data. Attacks could also affect critical services like water systems, electrical grids and communication systems.

The grand jury says cyber-attacks happen more often and are more widespread than most realize and attacks are likely to evolve and get worse
"There is a never-ending evolutionary race between attack and defense. In this digital world, local government entities, even small ones, are not immune and their risks will grow as automated attack methods increase," the report from the grand jury states.

The grand jury spoke with two cyber-security experts, attended a cyber-security summit and analyzed news reports from jurisdictions across the country before coming to their conclusion.

The grand jury's report found that most public entities do not have a designated person responsible for cyber-security and do not have adequate understanding of what communication and electronic systems they use and what data they maintain. It also found that many public entities in Santa Barbara County do not have cyber insurance - and the ones that do, might not have adequate coverage.

The report lists eight findings of shortcomings within Santa Barbara County and presents an equal amount of recommendations to correct the issues and prevent or mitigate the damage caused by possible cyber-attacks.

Each public entity that was evaluated now has 90 days to respond to the grand jury's report.
To read the grand jury's entire report, click here.

The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury is made up of volunteers from five supervisory districts. The grand jury is mandated by California law and serves as a watchdog and is tasked with evaluating and making recommendations to any city, county or special district agency that receives county funds.

KEYT
Travis Schlepp
April 21, 2020

Plumas County (Civil) Grand Jury

Please be advised that a new report from the 2019-2020 Plumas County (Civil) Grand Jury (“Grand Jury”), entitled “Plumas County and Unfunded Pension Liability:  Deer in the Headlights?”, will be released on the website of the Grand Jury on April 14, 2020 at 3pm.

This report represents the culmination of a six-month investigation conducted by the Grand Jury into the serious problem of increasing unfunded pension liability that is currently facing Plumas County as a governmental agency employer. The report Summary provides an overview as to the nature and extent of the problem, why the Grand Jury decided to study it, and certain recommendations being made by the Grand Jury in the report.

You may obtain a copy of this report at the following address:

https://www.plumascounty.us/216/Grand-Jury

Please inform your readers or listeners that a new report has been published on our website and advise them of our website address.

Sincerely,

Howard L. Johnson

Foreman, 2019-2020 Plumas County Grand Jury

 April 14, 2020

Why you should join the [Mendocino] county civil grand jury

Civil Grand Juries provide an important oversight to local government. The spring deadline for applying for the Mendocino County Grand Jury is fast approaching: May 3, 2020.

You have probably heard of criminal grand juries, which decide whether there is sufficient evidence to charge a person with a crime. However, there is another form of grand jury: The California Penal Code requires that every county annually appoint a civil grand jury (comprised for most counties of 19 residents) to serve for a one-year period beginning each July 1. These civil grand juries are empowered to provide citizen oversight of local government agencies.

Why would you want to consider serving on a civil grand jury? You might be influenced by the desire to help ensure that local governments are run more efficiently and ethically.

You might have a unique expertise or interest in governmental services dealing with, for example, prisons and law enforcement, fire protection, health care, child abuse, elder abuse, municipal transportation, pensions, water and sewage or special districts.

Most importantly, serving on a civil grand jury will enable you to learn more about the community in which we live while making constructive suggestions to those in authority that will help ensure that our tax dollars are wisely and efficiently spent.

Clearly, there is a need for jurors with diversified interests and skills. If you’re interested, here is what you need to know:

•You must be a county resident age 18 or older.

•You must have been a resident of the county for at least one year on July 1 of your service year.

•You should be able to commit up to 20 hours per week during your year of grand jury service.

•You will receive only modest compensation for your efforts.

•You must be comfortable working in a “team” environment.

•You only have the power of public persuasion.

•You must be willing to keep your deliberations secret.

The process to become a civil grand juror for the next jury year, beginning July 1, starts in the spring. Those who have an interest in pursuing an appointment to the Mendocino County Civil Grand Jury (MCCGJ), should go to the appropriate website. Applications are accepted from all qualified citizens and may be downloaded (https://www.mendocinocounty.org/government/grand-jury/about-the-grand-jury).

Applications are reviewed by the Superior Court judge appointed to preside over the Grand Jury, and a drawing is held to pick 19 jurors. Those not selected are placed in a pool of alternates. You are urged to apply as quickly as possible.

You may also contact Mendocino County Civil Grand Jury, P.O. Box 939, Ukiah, CA 95482 or call (707) 463-4320. Email: grandjury@mendocinocounty.org

Here are some thoughts from Mendocino County Jurors why they decided to serve:

Donna Worster, in Gualala, said, “Living on the coast I felt that it should have representation in all matters involving our side of the mountain.  It has proven to be more of an enlightenment to me than I ever expected.  The trip over the hill has never been a burden or a danger and the meetings were always respectful of my travel time.  Please help represent the coast area from Rockport to Gualala.”

Willits resident Yvonne Winter said, “I signed up because I was curious how government agencies worked and wanted to get an ‘inside’ view of the mechanism of County administration. I’m glad I did. I’ve learned a lot, most of which I was unaware I’d wanted to know!  I’ve also discovered many facets of local rules which need fixing and/or updating and had access to people who are not only interested in doing so, but sincerely dedicated to selflessly pursuing a better Mendocino County for all.” She has served several terms.

Another Willits resident, retired schoolteacher Carly Stewart explained, “I joined without the foggiest notion of what a tour on the MCCGJ would be like. When I filled out my application, I’d never even read a previous Grand Jury report.  But I read and followed the Mueller report carefully and became intrigued by how often ‘Grand Jury’ was referred to.  Juxtaposed to that time I saw the newspaper request for people to apply to serve on the Grand Jury.  I thought, ‘Why not?’  I knew I was going to have a rough year ahead as a health care provider to my loved ones, and I thought serving on the Grand Jury would give me a mental health break with a diverting learning curve. I wasn’t wrong. What I hadn’t anticipated was the camaraderie and respect that could be developed in the committees.” This is her first year serving on the Grand Jury.

From Ukiah resident Jan Olav comes this explanation, “While we’re all just average, everyday people, as a whole the Grand Jury should be better than average. It should be a well-respected body and the only way to gain that respect is to produce reports that are credible: Thought provoking, informative, have ability to be the instrument for improvement, or they recognize a job well done. So, as trite as it sounds, I joined to make a difference. What I like is the people! The knowledge and experience in that Grand Jury room is amazing!” This is her first year serving on the MCCGJ.

Phyllis Dockins, Ukiah, has served many terms on the MCCGJ and still comes back for more: “My experience with serving on the Grand Jury has been great. As a retired person I have enjoyed my years of service for they have given me the opportunity to continue as a contributing citizen. I have come to appreciate the hard work and dedication I see in others who volunteer. The work is not easy at times, but the satisfaction of being a part of positive changes to local government is worth it.”

Joanie Stevens, another Ukiah resident in her second term as a Juror said, “I’m a very active library user. The two reports (2014 & 2015) the MCCGJ wrote about the Mendocino County library system and the issues with County funding and chargebacks in the budget made a huge positive impact. Since the MCCGJ’s actions helped improve the lives of all library patrons, I felt that serving would be one way I could affect positive change for my community. It has been an eye opener for sure!”

Gualala resident Art Juhl, nearing the end of his first term of service on MCCGJ, said, “I was running for County Supervisor and my research showed that financial accounting was not accounted for. In other words, where’s the money? Knowing that an investigation would reveal the answer, the best place to research is in the world of the Grand Jury. I wanted to help ensure that local governments are run more efficiently and ethically.”

Tim Prince, Ukiah resident and past Foreman of MCCGJ had this to say, “Citizenship in a democracy requires the citizens to be involved and INFORMED. Everybody has an opinion; how many citizens have done their homework? Do the citizens understand the human impact, cost, short term and long term, and challenges of implementation of a new program? What is the goal of the program and what are the steps and timelines to achieve the final goal? Serving on the Grand Jury allows Jury members to interview the people responsible, challenge the new program and follow up with recommendations to the leaders involved. The public gets a Grand Jury report, graphics, analysis and recommendations. Being a member of the grand jury offers the opportunity to be informed in depth on local government.”

The Willitts News
April 12, 2020

Your [Humboldt County]Civil Grand Jury In Action: How to ‘read’ a civil grand jury report (part 1)

Have you ever read a complete Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury report, or have you only read media summaries? If the latter, maybe you should read an entire report. Perhaps it is of special interest to your family, job, or county/city government. You may react with agreement (Right on!) or disagreement (How can they say that?). You may take exception to the report findings (Is that really true?) and/or recommendations (We can’t do that!). Most likely, if you finished reading the report, you will have developed your own opinions on the subject investigated. 

Today’s article — let’s call it part 1 — will address what the public needs to know in order to understand a Civil Grand Jury report and the responses received from required respondents. In addition, we will discuss options available for the public (that’s you!) to provide their own responses. 

In next month’s article — let’s call it part 2 — we will discuss how required respondents should read a Civil Grand Jury report prior to submitting their responses to the Superior Court regarding the findings and recommendations. 

The Civil Grand Jury spends approximately nine months investigating a specific county/city process before writing a final report. This is after having completed training on how to perform a grand jury investigation. Before the grand jury can present a finding in one of their reports, they must be able to substantiate facts. In order to be considered a fact, the grand jury must triangulate a minimum of three sources providing the same information. In more simple terms, this means before the grand jury can say, “the sky is blue,” it must find a minimum of three verifiable sources identifying the sky to be blue. These sources can be interviews, published material, source data, and even first-hand observations. In many cases, the grand jury does not limit itself to three sources. 


Whether you are the public, part of the investigated process, or the individual responsible for writing a response, you need to understand over the course of the year the Civil Grand Jury likely interviewed over 100 people, read upwards of 300 published procedures/articles, and even walked the processes. To disbelieve a Civil Grand Jury Finding is to imply that interviewed individuals did not tell the truth, publications were in error, or 19 citizens were wrong in what they observed. 

So let’s say you read last year’s Civil Grand Jury report “Like, Home? There’s No Place …” and you are intrigued by Finding F9. That finding states “Safe parking programs would address an immediate need for the hundreds of people living in their vehicles in Humboldt County.” This finding implies the Civil Grand Jury found/read/talked with a minimum of three sources indicating this to be true. You can be sure that many county and city officials were interviewed, existing literature reviewed, and safe parking programs researched. As a matter of fact, the bibliography for this report contains 168 entries. 

You may find yourself agreeing with this finding and wondering what you can do to support it. California Penal Code 933(c) requires all elected county officials and agency heads to submit written responses to the presiding judge of the Superior Court regarding specified findings and recommendations within 60 days of the date of final reports. Governing bodies (Board of Supervisors, City Councils, and Special District Boards) have 90 days. 

You now have less than 90 days to voice agreement or disagreement with the Civil Grand Jury Finding. You have options here. For example you can write letters to the editors of our local news outlets. You can attend and speak at a Eureka City Council meeting and/or a Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting. You also can also write or email your elected supervisor. The catch here is you have less than 90 days to provide your opinion. Once the BOS and other governing bodies write their responses, they are very unlikely to reconsider them. Consequently, if you want your opinion heard about the Civil Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations, you need to take the time to engage with our elected leadership. 

Finally, what did the Eureka City Council and the BOS say about Finding F9? You can find it here, https://humboldtgov.org/Archive.aspx?ADID=1368. 

Eureka Times Standard
Wayne Ventuleth authored this monthly column on behalf of the Humboldt County Grand Jurors’ Association. For information on the Association, email hcccgja@gmail.com.
April 12, 2020

Honorable service: Becoming a member of the Fresno County civil grand jury

I’ve written before about why you — yes, you reading this — should consider serving on Fresno County’s civil grand jury.

I do so now with a greater sense of urgency because the light that grand juries shine on local governance is needed as never before.

Not because anyone’s getting away with murder, but because we’re all too busy to pay close attention to all those local entities we support with taxes and because reduced news media resources limit coverage.

Grand juries have been around for about 900 years, beginning in England with investigating prisons. All those centuries later, that’s something the civil grand jury still does along with operations of the county, its 15 incorporated cities, nearly three-dozen school districts and 129 special districts for everything from cemeteries to snow removal.

Next time you get your property tax bill, notice the many entities you support through taxes.

I’m hopeful The Bee’s Fresnoland initiative will help increase public awareness of local government, but the grand jury’s already established to provide accountability.

The grand jury is 19 citizens charged by the Superior Court with investigating local governance and producing reports that require responses, whether the jury’s findings are positive or negative.

Recent grand juries — there’s a new one every year — have reported on election security, a 9-1-1 communications center staffing, a hospital district’s financial operations, elder abuse, school district business policies and whether tax revenue was being spent as voters thought.

Some investigations have broad implications for Fresno County residents, some are more focused on smaller constituencies. In either case, though, it’s important work and it’s not being done elsewhere.

Becoming a grand juror begins with an online visit to fresno.courts.ca.gov/jury/grand_jury/

You’ll find a big red application button hovering above detailed information about the grand jury and who’s eligible to serve. Applications will be accepted through March.

Grand jurors are United States citizens at least 18 years old, county residents for a year prior to July 1, “in possession of natural faculties, ordinary intelligence, sound judgment, fair character” and have “sufficient knowledge of the English language.”

It helps if you’re curious, able to get along with others, fair-minded, have sufficient time to produce meaningful reports, have good computer skills and can keep secrets.

The court invites each applicant to be interviewed by a judge. The applicant pool of 30 is determined by judges after the interviews. Each prospective juror undergoes a criminal background check.

The 19 grand jurors are determined by a random draw in June. Those not selected are alternates, who may be called during the year should a juror leave the panel.

Each grand jury begins July 1 and meets weekly in downtown Fresno. When investigations are being conducted and reports written, grand jurors typically spend 20-40 hours a month.

Grand jurors learn about government through presentations and field trips to see operations. The grand jury also is mandated to visit the county’s one state prison.

Grand jurors and alternates undergo training from the California Grand Jurors’ Association to learn about investigating and report writing.

Jurors receive a $15 daily stipend, mileage reimbursement and a parking place.

Grand jury service isn’t for everyone, certainly, but it’s an opportunity to do more than just complain about city hall, to learn about things you’ve never thought about and to laud praiseworthy government.

I’ve found service on three grand juries rewarding. Besides the satisfaction of seeing citizens or governments respond positively to investigations, there’s the opportunity to work with accomplished, talented people, put career skills to good use and do public service that matters.

I recommend Bee readers consider serving.

Fresno Bee

Lanny Larson is a former Fresno Bee editor and reporter

lannylarson@att.net

We want you - Serve your [San Luis Obispo] county by serving on the grand jury

Would you be interested in making a valuable contribution to the county of San Luis Obispo? Would you like to see firsthand the challenges our county faces and be involved in helping to find solutions? If the answer is yes, you should apply to become a member of the San Luis Obispo County civil grand jury.

The grand jury is an arm of the Superior Court, and its 19 members are all volunteers. The grand jury acts as the "watchdog" for all local government entities within the county. Its primary responsibility is to hold local government accountable through its investigations and reports.

As a grand jury member, you learn how your local government works by conducting investigations into various departments and functions of local government and having the opportunity to meet local government officials, while at the same time meeting new people and establishing new friendships.

Grand jurors operate under strict rules of confidentiality to protect their privacy as well as that of any entity or person involved in an investigation. This confidentiality remains for life.

There are many benefits of serving on the grand jury:

     • Serve your community in a unique way.

     • Learn firsthand how our county government agencies operate and the challenges they face.

     • Meet and interact with key public officials, department heads, and staff in our county, cities, and community service districts.

     • Inspect and see the inside of our prison (California Men's Colony) and jail systems where you will gain valuable insight into these facilities and most likely form a different perspective on how they operate.

     • Look at issues from both sides.

      • Become a better informed resident.

     • Meet and interact with people in the county from all walks of life.

     • Make new friendships.

Serving on the grand jury is an experience of a lifetime, so if you are drawn to this exciting, rewarding, and challenging opportunity and are 18 years or older, are a U.S. citizen, a resident of San Luis Obispo County for at least a year, can understand the English language, have the time to devote at least 20 hours a week for a year, and are computer literate, don't wait, apply now.

Applying for the grand jury is easy. Go to: slo.courts.ca.gov/gi/jury-grandjury.htm and download the application. For more detailed information, you can call jury services at (805) 788-7061. The deadline for applications for the 2020-21 grand jury is Friday, April 17. Δ

San Luis Obispo New Times

Dorothy Schlitz served on the grand jury 2004 to 2005, and Nancy Welts served on the grand jury 2012 to 2013. Both are on the board of directors for the California Grand Juror's Association, San Luis Obispo Chapter.

Send comments through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com.

March 12, 2020

Mendocino County grand jury releases Continuity Report

The Mendocino County grand jury this week released its 2020 Continuity Report on prior grand jury investigations, the first time it has done so in 10 years. A grand jury report is made after local volunteer grand juries investigate public institutions like county and city government and special districts and provide public recommendations and criticism to try and bring positive change. A continuity report follows up on what the public institutions have done to address the issues raised in the original grand jury report.

The Mendocino County grand jury in 2019 released reports about the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, the Mendocino County CEO, the Mendocino County Office of Education, and the Ukiah Valley Sanitation District. The report on the Board of Supervisors recommended the county supervisors set strategic goals each year, and have more clarity and status updates about topics and issues they work on.

The Mendocino County grand jury stated it has not issued a continuity report in the past on the quality of the responses to its reports or held the respondents accountable for meeting the requirements. However, the grand jury said going forward, the Continuity Committee of future grand juries will review the responses from the government organizations involved and ensure that the legal requirements of the Penal Code involving responses are met.

Under the California Penal Code, a response must contain specified language and an explanation of the answer to the grand jury. Future grand juries can use these responses to decide if they met the requirements. The grand jury Continuity Report stated responses from the organizations involved in the grand jury report were not required or requested, but the continuity reports would provide future grand juries with help and documentation about the progress of local institutions in making changes

The public can read the full 2020 Continuity Report from the Mendocino County grand jury here.

Ukiah Daily Journal

Chris Driscoll

March 12, 2020

City leaders poised to raise garbage rates

Blog note: This article refers to a 2018 Merced County grand jury report.

Barring a massive show of public disapproval before and during the next meeting of the Merced City Council on March 16, leaders are expected to raise the monthly rates Mercedians pay for refuse collection.

As reported in a Times story late last year when the ordinance was being drafted, the rate increase would be a significant pocketbook hit for many folks — and it’s set to start July 1.

Last week the City Council voted 5-1 to approve an ordinance that will raise residential refuse rates a whopping 20 percent during fiscal year 2020-21, and then 5 percent each subsequent year until 2024-25.

Business (commercial) rates will go up even more: 37 percent during fiscal year 2020-21 and 10 percent each following year until 2024-25.

A second and final public reading of the ordinance is set for March 16; however, if no leader or member of the public speaks out, the issue is bound to be quickly passed with a list of other agenda items.

The lone leader who has voted against the steep increases is Councilman Anthony Martinez, who urged his colleagues and city staff to come up with alternative ideas — perhaps specialized lower rates for those consumers who don’t generate a lot of garbage, or spreading out the rate increases more evenly, or creating a lower reserve amount the city keeps on hand to fund its refuse operation.

“I’m looking at ways that we can help the people,” Martinez said. “It’s becoming something of an issue the people are concerned about, obviously, and if we can come up with something to help ease [the cost] then that may be something we want to do.”

Prior to the meeting, there were 22 letters of protest from residents contesting the rate increase prior to last council meeting.

One letter sent to City Hall was also sent to the Times. It was from Adam Cox, a local resident who is known for serving on the board of the Merced City School District.

“I’d like to know: Why should the residents of the city be the first to carry this burden?” Cox wrote. “Has the City of Merced, in good faith, gone to the Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG) and demanded to know why municipalities in Merced County pay significantly higher tonnage rates than do jurisdictions from outside the county?

“You have a deficit problem. I get that. But why in the world would you force hardworking people to pay more? In reality all we’re doing in this county is subsidizing all of the out-of-county jurisdictions whose trash MCAG accepts for pure profit and to the detriment of available landfill air-space that future Merced County residents need? The Merced County Civil Grand Jury in their 2018-19 report detailed the immense gap between in-county and out-of-county rates. We residents pay tipping fees of $43.05 (exclusive of additional hauling expenses by third parties). Cities and counties from outside the area? They’re at $19 – $25. Why are you OK with this?

“Where were you guys when MCAG was making these sweetheart deals for the past several years? Last fiscal year MCAG transferred $5 million of “excess revenue” from its operating budget into its capital project budget. The same was done ($4.6 million) in 2017. Why wasn’t a portion of that used to lower rates of MCAG customers which in turn would lower rates for their residents?”

“Shame on you for coming after your residents first instead of playing hardball to lower your costs.”

Cox added to the Times, “What this is really about is the city taking the easy route by forcing a massive increase on us instead of spending time and energy (because that’s all it will really take) to push back on the systemic inequity that MCAG makes millions of dollars of profit on each year. Who’s here to serve who?”

According to the city’s consultant, R3 Consulting, the refuse rate hikes are due to overall collection expenses which have risen 29 percent since 2016. There’s also new California regulations coming down the legislative pike, and an extremely tough ban of certain types of solid waste in China that’s drastically shifted the global recycling market.

Then there’s more and more residential development that’s increasing collection, according to the consultant.

Meanwhile the city has reported that rising refuse costs have resulted in a $2.2 million deficit in their operation.

Officials say the refuse rate increase will bring down that deficit.

The city is mandated to keep fee increases in line with the proportional cost of the service. Revenues can’t be used for any other purpose.

With the new strategy, city officials have a goal of reaching a 16 percent operational reserve for their garbage service.

At present, residential refuse collection in Merced is actually slightly higher than similar cities in other areas of California, according to the consultant. But they also point out that cities across the state are going through rate increases.

The statewide average rate for a 64 gallon cart is $33.51 a month. In Merced, it cost $37.08 in 2019.

So the strategy is to have the city’s commercial clients bear a higher percentage of the overall rate increase, mostly because the rates they currently pay are up to 51 percent lower that those in neighboring and comparable cities.

Leaders also want to include in those commercial rates some funding for an annual $250,000 “litter abatement” contract for a private or non-profit agency to supplement trash pickup in alleyways, along creeks, parks and other problem areas throughout town.

At last week’s meeting, the city’s consultant mentioned the group “Restore Merced,” which employs at-risk individuals in a program to change lives. Mayor Mike Murphy has been vocal in his support of the program; however, city officials mentioned in a previous meeting that the contract would go out for public bids.

What’s the actual bill?

Here’s how the commercial refuse rates will start to add up for businesses starting in July. Monthly commercial rates, including 3-cubic yards each of garbage and recycling, and 64-gallons of organic collected once weekly, would go from $202.12 to 276.90 (37 percent) in fiscal year 2020-21, an increase of $74.78. But the rate increase drops to 10 percent or $27.69 more in 2021-22, or $304.59.

The proposed residential rates would increase 20 percent in 2020-21 and then 5 percent each year after that for three years. So a monthly rate including 64-gallon garbage, 90-gallon green waste and 64-gallon recycling collected once weekly would go from $37.08 to $44.50, or $7.42 more. In 2021-22, the rate would go to $46.73, or $2.23 more, and so forth.

A majority of city leaders have said they prefer a larger increase upfront while the economy is doing fairly well, as opposed to spreading more even increases over a five-year period, to get where the city needs to be in regard to revenue vs. expenses.

Council member Jill McLeod noted that the city’s refuse rates have not risen significantly for several years while operational costs have continued to soar.

Mayor Murphy said: “It’s one of those responsibilities that we have as elected officials — to make sure we have proper funding for those essential services we provide.”

Merced County Times
Jonathan Whitaker
March 13, 2020