MENDOCINO Co., 7/22/21 — The Mendocino County Civil Grand Jury, which conducts non-criminal investigations into local government agencies and policy issues, released reports on three separate investigations July 16 covering the urgent need for more housing in Mendo, an update on the county’s efforts to update their Information Technology and the 13-year closure of the Orr Street bridge in Ukiah. Here’s a round-up of the most recent three reports.
Housing challenges
There
is a “critical lack of affordable and available housing” in Mendocino County,
according to the grand jury’s report, and it could be addressed by expanding
the scope of operations for the Planning and Building Services Department (PBS)
beyond permit approval by seeking modifications to state building standards
that would help efforts to meet local housing needs.
There
have also been more than 375 housing units lost due to fires since 2017, with
only 196 residential building permits issued for new home construction and just
125 of those permits completed. The grand jury also faults difficulties in
working with the planning department, and regulatory burdens associated with
low-income housing.
“Building developers complain that Mendocino
County’s requirement for 25% of low-income units is 15% higher than other areas
in the State,” the grand jury wrote in Meeting Mendocino County’s needs for
housing require’s coordination and planning.
Jurors
found that a lack of housing in Mendocino county drives up prices for existing
housing, making it unaffordable for working families, and the housing shortage
is likely to persist until the county hires “housing and community development
planners” dedicated to expanding the housing inventory.
The
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors is required by law to respond to the
report by October 14, 90 days after its initial publication July 16. The grand
jury has also requested responses from the City of Ukiah’s Community
Development Department Director and the assistant director for the county’s
Planning and Building Services Department.
County information
technology
In
Mendocino County’s Trailing Information Technology the grand jury follows up on
the county’s Information Technology Master Plan, which they described as an
“outdated” collection of 99 initiatives proposed by a consultant in 2018 and
slated for full implementation by 2023.
“Since
IT evolves rapidly, an upgrade made five years ago may be obsolete due to the
availability of newer, less expensive, and more capable alternatives,” the jury
wrote.
Compounding
that problem, the time frame for implementation on these already outdated
initiatives has been pushed back to 2025.
“Mendocino
County needs to commit to excellence. Effective application of IT provides the
public with improved communications, greater transparency and better service,”
the jury wrote, adding that the county’s plan is “good” but it will take
commitment from the Board of Supervisors and effective leadership in the IT
department to accomplish it in a timely fashion.
The
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors are required to respond to the grand
jury’s report by October 14, 2021. Auditor-Controller Lloyd Weer are required
to respond to the grand jury’s report within 60 days, by Sept. 21.
The Orr Street bridge
In
the matter of the Orr Street Bridge — Twelve years of delay jurors responding
to a blight complaint from the public discovered a bridge over Orrs Creek on
the North East side of Ukiah has been closed due to safety concerns for more
than a decade.
At
one point residents of the surrounding Wagenseller neighborhood established a
“pop-up park,” adding a bench, some decking and a number of flowers. Despite
$254,000 allocated in the city budget since 2018, repairs have still not been
completed and the bridge remains in a state of disrepair.
“Although
the bridge has been deemed to have structurally sound footings and steel beams,
there is currently a dangerous open hole in the decking,” jurors wrote. “The
asphalt surface is littered with uneven aging plywood and a rotted wood safety
railing.”
The
bridge’s ongoing closure also presents safety concerns in the surrounding area,
according to the grand jury. There’s no good place for garbage trucks to turn
around, and the bridge can’t be used by vehicles during emergency evacuations.
In 2018 police suggested that the unused bridge could attract unpermitted
camping and other illegal activity. Meanwhile, the costs associated with the
project continue to rise, relative to what they would have been in 2010.
The
grand jury recommends that the city prevent any and all use of the bridge until
repairs can be completed. The Ukiah City Council is required to respond to the
grand jury by Oct. 14, 2021. Additional responses have been requested from the
city engineer, community development director, and city manager.
The
Mendocino Voice
By Dave Brooksher, Staff Writer
July 22, 2021
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