COUNTY MANAGEMENT
The
responsibility for County Management rests with the Board of Supervisors(Board).
These responsibilities are generally governed by the State Constitution
and the California Government Code. The
Board is vested by the State Legislature with the powers necessary to provide
for the health and welfare of the people within its borders.
The Board has executive, legislative, and quasi-judicial authority and
responsibility.
The
Board performs its executive role when it sets priorities for the County.
Board members oversee most County departments and programs, and annually
approve all departmental budgets. The
Board supervises the official conduct of County officers, but it does not direct
or control the daily operations of a County department, or otherwise limit the
exercise of discretion vested by law in a particular officer.
Research
was conducted by the Grand Jury in the following aspects of County Management:
Committee
Approach vs. County
Administrative Officer (CAO)
Security at
County Headquarters
Travel Expenses
and Conflicts of Interest
Contract Procurement and Administration
Each
of these four topics are covered in detail in this report.
In addition, several issues of concern were discovered that do not fit
into the four categories but are of sufficient import to require further discussion and recommendation here.
The Board should:
1. Set the “planning” example for its department heads to follow
2. Require budget requests to be justified and supported by the requesting department’s short and/or long range plans
3. Give serious consideration to including a Grants Specialist as a position on the Board’s staff
4. Conduct annual performance evaluations of its department heads
5. Have an organizational audit conducted by an outside entity to give the Board the information necessary to set future organizational priorities and establish reasonable goals and objectives in restructuring
6. Evaluate the information requirements of each entity of County Management to develop and implement an effective Management Information System
7. Form a task force, composed of possible users of new systems to thoroughly explore the needs of County Management
8.
Be properly briefed by the task force on their recommendations
prior to the Board approving the purchase of new systems and other sharable
equipment
Response by Chairman of the Board:
All of the recommendations listed will be addressed when a County Administrative Officer (CAO) has been hired. Because of the expertise that should be obtained through the hiring of this official, management concerns such as these should be properly addressed.
THE COMMITTEE APPROACH VS A CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
In an effort to deal
with the increasing complexity of County government operations, over time, the
Board has developed a committee approach to carrying out many of its duties.
Each management committee is comprised of two members of the Board and is
responsible for the oversight of one or more County departments.
In addition, each committee is charged with a responsibility to keep the
Board informed of its actions, and to make recommendations for Board action as
needed. Committee assignments
rotate, most on an annual basis.
Each County
department is headed by an elected, or an appointed manager.
Appointed managers serve at the pleasure of the Board and report directly
to the Board. Elected Officials are
also County managers. Although they
have statutory authority, the Board controls their budgets.
Department managers are responsible for direct supervision of all
activities within their span of control, and are charged with the responsibility
to keep the Board informed of their activities.
This is usually, but not always, done through the Board committee
assigned to oversee their department.
Modern management
requires that, in addition to a Board, which establishes policy, someone be
responsible for the consistent long-term management of day to day operations.
Someone must serve as the “glue” between offices and departments, to
insure that everyone is consistently “on track” and working towards the
overall organizational goals and objectives in an efficient and cost effective
manner. As both its population and
budget have increased over time, so has the size and scope of Amador County
operations. State and federal laws
and programs, while often of benefit to its citizens, have added even more
complexity to the business of County government. Today, Amador County is a $42,000,000 operation.
The review of Amador County’s overall management status conducted by the 1999-2000 Grand Jury brings the current administrative leadership into focus.
1. The Board should hire a qualified management consultant to assist them in reviewing the County’s current management problems; and, with the assistance of a trained facilitator, develop a clear plan of action. This should include:
The development
of a process for reaching agreement
List the things
that they would like to see a CAO accomplish
List of the skills, experience, education and other qualities required to accomplish these goals and objectives.
2. Before a CAO is recruited, the issues of authority and reporting relationships must be addressed. All County managers including County Counsel and the Administrative Director should report to a CAO. In the interest of good government, no office should be exempt from normal County administrative requirements.
3. Based on the information collected in step one, the Board should then develop a plan to provide adequate budget and staff support for the office of CAO.
4.
When the necessary preparation is completed, the Board should hire
a CAO.
Response by Chairman of the Board:
The Board has budgeted for a County Administrative Officer (CAO). The Grand Jury’s research and assumptions are correct in that there are three (3) Board members in support of this proposal and two (2) opposing Board members. These two (2) Board members voted against the proposal during the 2000-2001 fiscal year budget process. However, The Administrative Director and Chairman of the Board have been compiling statistics to determine the appropriate salary and benefits and how the base management structure should compare to that of other counties (i.e., what policy decisions should involve Board committees and not operational functions). An ordinance will be written to establish this position and to outline the duties expected thereof.
SECURITY AT COUNTY HEADQUARTERS
As part of the Grand Jury’s County Management review, it was decided security within the Board Chambers at the Begovich Building should be reviewed.
1.
The Board should invoke their authority under Section 25206 of the
Government Code and direct the presence of a deputy sheriff at all open meetings
of the Board to provide safety and security for the public, the Board and its
staff.
Response by Chairman of the Board:
The question of security during Board meetings has been discussed at various times in the past. It would be a luxury to be able to do this at every Board meeting and would take additional funds that are not available at this time. There have been occasions in the past that the Board felt security was needed due to a controversial issue and either the Sheriff or the City of Jackson has provided a law enforcement official to be present. We will continue using them when it is necessary. Further consideration of this recommendation will be given when the County Administrative Officer has been hired.
TRAVEL
EXPENSES & PROCEDURES, AFFILIATION WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS,CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST
It has been several
years since a Grand Jury reviewed the Board’ travel expenses, membership
affiliations or possible conflicts of interest.
Therefore, the Grand Jury focused its attention on these areas.
1.
The Board should amend County Policy Number 2-700,
Section 9.A(2) to coincide with the Amador County Municipal Code, Section
2.04.110. This amendment will
clearly define travel policies covering mileage between home and office and
remove any inference of impropriety.
Response by Chairman of the Board:
The Board has no objections to changing the ordinance and policy to allow that expenses by Board members to and from the office are covered. The Board feels this is a justifiable expense because on many occasions they are required to meet with constituents to solve District problems when traveling to and from the office.
CONTRACT PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
Because the Board
has the sole authority to authorize agreements and contracts, the Grand Jury
deemed it appropriate to review the procedures for procurement of engineering,
architectural and construction services. During
the course of this review, a number of separate issues relating to the
procurement process were identified. These
issues are:
The
current method of securing bids for construction projects.
Possible
disincentives to bidding, and the high percentage of projects that attracted
2 bids or less.
Use of
engineer’s estimates and contract cost control.
Existing County policies relating to procurement.
During the past three years, contracts totaling about $3,000,000 in value have been awarded by the County. Optimizing the process of advertising, bidding and awarding contracts has the potential of resulting in significant savings. Therefore, the following recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of the County’s contract administration process:
1. The practice of requiring bidders to quote on both prevailing wage rates and competitive wage rates serves no purpose and should be discontinued.
Response by General Services Director:
I
disagree. This practice was
initiated to determine how much taxpayers money is being thrown down the drain
because of antiquated prevailing wage laws, and to develop actual costs to
assist the County in convincing the State and Federal government to repeal the
prevailing wage laws.
2. An engineer’s estimate, prepared by the initiating agency, should be required on all projects. When projects are recommended for award to the Board, they should be presented as a regular agenda item to engender attention and discussion by the Board. The agenda submission for each recommendation of award should include a tabulation of the bids received and the engineer’s estimate. Written justification should be required for award of a contract where the low bid exceeds the engineer’s estimate by 5%. Written justification should also be required in the event of a single bid.
Response by General Services Director:
In the case of most
large scale projects, all of the above is done, with the exception of placing it
on the Board’s agenda for discussion. This
recommendation is a policy decision for the Board to make.
However, engineer’s and architect’s estimates seldom are within the
5% mentioned in the Grand Jury recommendation.
This is mainly due to the economy and bidding patterns we have
experienced in recent years.
3. The mandatory pre-bid conference should be eliminated, except in the case of an exceptionally high contract value, or for complex projects where it is obviously important for the bidder to visit the site of the work.
Response by General Services Director:
There is no policy that
dictates that every project have a mandatory pre-bid conference.
The mandatory pre-bid conference is only used by GSA when necessary.
4. Liquidated damage clauses should be eliminated, except for projects where the County would clearly be financially damaged by a delayed completion. Where imposed, liquidated damage amounts should accurately reflect the true damage that would occur due to late project delivery.
Response by General Services Director:
I agree, and that is
the way we handle liquidated damages on GSA Projects.
5. Projects over $10,000 in value should be advertised in the Daily Pacific Builder, an industry trade publication, as well as the legally required newspaper advertisement.
Response by General Services Director:
We have been
advertising in the Daily Pacific Builder for several years, however, the Daily
Pacific Builder is owned by McGraw Hill to whom we send the advertising to be
placed in the Daily Pacific Builder. This
is why McGraw Hill is the name that appears on our Bidder’s Lists and not the
Daily Pacific Builder.
6. Projects over $10,000 in value should have plans and specifications deposited in Builders Exchanges in Sacramento, San Joaquin and El Dorado Counties.
Response by General Services Director:
It has been our policy
to deposit plans and specifications in all those builders exchanges mentioned
above, as well as others located in Modesto and Roseville.
7. The time allowed for bidding should be increased to at least 30 days. For major projects, the time should be longer. The minimum legal requirement of 10 days is inappropriate for most projects.
Response by General Services Director:
As a general rule, and
policy, I require 30 days as the time for bidding for all projects, even though
the County Ordinance allows bidding to be only 10 days.
I agree, that some larger projects should be more than 30 days, and we
will consider that on a case-by-case basis.
I see no need to change the County Ordinance as its only intent is to
specify a minimum number of days.
8. The practice of requiring priced proposals for professional engineering and architectural contracts should be eliminated.
Response by General Services Director:
I plan to continue this
practice because I feel it gives the County more information to choose from when
selecting engineers and architects. The
“Little Brooks Law” which states that these professionals are to be selected
solely by their qualifications does not apply to the County.
The law states that the County may choose to use that process.
9. Policy 5-100 should be rewritten so that it addresses only those provisions relating to purchasing goods, supplies and materials. All references to contracts and agreements should be eliminated.
Response by General Services Director:
I do not plan to
eliminate references to contracts and agreements from the County policy.
Contracts and agreements are directly related to the procurement process
and policies need to be in place to insure that contracts and agreements are
handled properly.
10. Policy 5-200 should be rewritten. The revision should relate only to contracts. It should clearly separate the provisions of professional architectural and engineering services from construction contracts and spell out the unique provisions of the two categories of contracts. Revised Policy 5-200 should state that proposals for professional architectural, landscape architectural, engineering, land surveying and construction management services shall be evaluated solely on the basis of demonstrated competence and professional qualifications.
Response
by General Services Director:
If we were to base our selection of these “professionals” solely on their demonstrated competence and professional qualifications we would be hiring the highest paid “professionals” most of the time. I agree that they should be qualified, however, I do not feel we should spend more of the taxpayers money than necessary.
PUBLIC
WORKS AGENCY
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
In 1993, the Board reorganized the County management structure by consolidating various departments into agencies. This resulted in the Department of Public Works (roads), and the Water Resources Department (water and wastewater) being combined into a single entity called the Public Works Agency (PWA). The head of the old Water Resources Department was appointed as PWA Director. As part of the 1999-2000 Grand Jury review of PWA, the organization and management of PWA was examined to see how well it was functioning and to determine if changes are needed to make it more effective.
1. The PWA should be reorganized to strengthen management of its operations. There are several options available including: (a) breaking the agency into two separate entities, one for roads and the other for water and wastewater; (b) separating those two functions within the framework of a single agency by making the Deputy County Engineer responsible for water and wastewater operations; or (c) make the Deputy County Engineer a purely staff support position and have two supervisory positions, one managing roads and the other water resources. Another option is to have the Amador Water Agency take over all CSAs and reorganize PWA accordingly. Because reorganization is complex, however, it should be finalized only after considerable study and input from all levels of the agency and the Board.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
The Amador Water Agency (AWA) is analyzing the option of operating and
maintaining CSA’s. (A report is due in September).
2. The Board should make it clear to the PWA Director that he is responsible for budgetary management, strategic planning, goal setting, advising the Board on policy issues, and general management of the agency. He should not be concerned with day-to day operations, as is presently occurring. All management and supervisory employees should be required to clearly understand their responsibilities and duties, and they should be entrusted to carry them out. Tasks should be delegated to the appropriate organizational level.
Response by BOARD:
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
This is in conflict with other Grand Jury recommendations (also see #1
& 3 under "conclusions" above)
3. If the present organizational structure is retained, the current Public Works Maintenance Superintendent should be reassigned to a position for which he is qualified by experience and training. The new Public Works Maintenance Superintendent should be a person with credible qualifications and proven abilities in both management and operations.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree. There will be a new maintenance superintendent when the current one retires in September
4. Coincident with reorganization studies, the Board should evaluate the benefits of combining all PWA accounting functions into one group within the PWA.
Response by BOARD:
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Disagree. there would
be no benefit for the road department having CSA accounting duties performed
under PWA
5. The Board should increase their level of monitoring over operations of the PWA.
Response by BOARD:
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Disagree.
This is covered through weekly Board meetings and monthly committee
meetings.
6. The PWA Director should design and implement a MIS to replace the informal system now in use. The MIS should provide reports to each management level to give managers and supervisors the information they need in a timely fashion. The MIS should contain provisions for reporting progress and status to the Board.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
Developing a more formal MIS will be evaluated and a report reviewed by
the Board by the end of the year
7. Policy 5-100 (Purchasing) should be rewritten to clearly spell out purchasing procedures and to define safeguards to ensure against abuse. Purchasing of major recurring items, such as asphalt, should require that annual bids be obtained and a one-year blanket contract be executed with a single supplier. The Public Works Maintenance Superintendent and the CSA managers should be given delegated authority to purchase items up to prescribed value without prior authorization. For more costly items, approval by a higher authority should be required. The rewritten policy should establish checks and balances to ensure that its provisions can no longer be bypassed.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree. policy 5-100 should be re-written to meet the needs of PWA. Re-write expected by 1/31/01
LONG & SHORT RANGE PLANNING
The Grand Jury review of the Public Works Agency (PWA) included an evaluation of the extent and effectiveness of the agency’s planning efforts. Planning usually takes the form of both short-range tactical planning and long-range strategic planning. Short-range planning focuses on maintaining facilities to ensure the continuance of a proper level of service, while long-range planning looks ahead to ensure that resources will be available when needed to meet the demands of growth and economic change.
1. The Board should direct the PWA Director to prepare a short-range plan for correction of the most serious problems with roads and CSAs. The short-range plan should identify and prioritize the most urgently needed improvements, present estimates of associated costs and develop a schedule for implementing the improvements over the next five years.
Response by BOARD:
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
Planning for correction of most serious problems has been done and will
continue, but without resources, follow through cannot be accomplished.
2. The Board should establish policies with respect to long-range improvements to roads and the water and wastewater systems. Those policies should serve as the basis for developing a comprehensive strategic plan. The plan should include a realistically attainable schedule, a financing plan and a process for monitoring progress.
Response by BOARD:
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree and disagree.
The long-range planning only works when there are resources to implement
the plan. A long-range accrual fund
can be established. however, a poll
will be taken regarding CSA improvements and the rate payer's willingness to
pay.
3. The Board should enter into meaningful discussions with the AWA aimed at eventual consolidation of the CSAs into the AWA system.
Response by BOARD:
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
When the AWA finishes their feasibility study, the BOARD can make a
decision.
4. The Board, together with the AWA, should take a lead in developing a comprehensive long-range master plan for Amador County’s water supply.
Response by BOARD
None.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
The BOARD and AWA have been and still are working together on this
subject.
5. The PWA Director should develop realistic estimates of the cost of the most urgently needed improvements for fiscal year 2001-2002. The need for those budget requests, and the consequences of failure to provide them, should be forcefully articulated to the Board.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree and disagree. Lists of most urgently needed projects are presented to budget
committee, then what is affordable is presented to full board.
6. Within the bounds of fiscal responsibility, the Board should budget sufficient funds to accomplish the needs identified by the PWA Director for fiscal year 2001-2002 and beyond.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
the BOARD is faced with the needs of all aspects of the county, not just
the Public Works Agency. However,
more effort will be made to convince the BOARD to provide a long-range accrual
fund to draw from when the project(s) are ready to proceed.
7. The Board should adopt a policy of requiring each department and agency to prepare an estimate of their budget needs for the next five years. The five year budget should be updated every year and approved by the Board at the same time they approve an operating budget for the current year. In this manner, the County will be better equipped to assess their future financing needs and to develop a realistic financing plan. This process would have the added benefit of requiring department and agency heads to conduct short-range planning studies.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree. The public works agency will bring a 5 year budget plan to the full board and not just to the budget committee. planning is nice, but state budgeting has influence on county budget also.
ROAD DEPARTMENT
The Public Works
Agency (PWA) is responsible for the maintenance of the County’s 410 miles of
roads. This work is done by two road crews whose duties include
repairing, repaving, striping, and signing of the roads.
In addition, they ensure proper drainage and control roadside vegetation.
In winter, the road crews plow snow from County roads.
In September, 1999,
allegations arose concerning certain activities of some members of the road
crews. The allegations included
drinking alcoholic beverages on the job, drinking at the Corporation Yard after
work, use of County owned equipment for personal gain, an employee with a
suspended driver’s license operating a County vehicle on public roads,
receiving gratuities from material vendors and illegal dumping of hazardous
wastes.
Approximately three
years ago, complaints were also made concerning alcohol consumption by some
members of the road crews. At that
time, the PWA Director investigated the charges but could find no evidence to
substantiate them. Accordingly, no
actions were taken.
Following the most recent assertions, the Board initiated an internal investigation to gather facts concerning the charges. The District Attorney’s office was requested to assist in the investigation. Because the 1999-2000 Grand Jury had been reviewing the operations of the PWA, it voted to expand its review to include an evaluation of the allegations insofar as they reflect on management of the PWA.
The County’s
internal administrative investigation has been concluded and certain
disciplinary actions were taken. The
District Attorney’s investigation continues.
1. As detailed in the section of the PWA review entitled “Agency Organization and Management”, the PWA should be reorganized to eliminate the serious management and operational problems. Furthermore, the Public Works Maintenance Superintendent should be reassigned, whether the agency is reorganized or not.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
The CSA's require more attention than can be given with PWA's limited
staff. The AWA is studying if they
can operate CSA's more efficiently (see Public Works Agency organization &
management recommendation, item #3). There
will also be a new maintenance.
2. As detailed in the section of the PWA review entitled “Agency Organization and Management”, the PWA should develop a management information system (MIS) to provide better control over day-to-day operations and make management more effective. Similarly, the County purchasing policy should be rewritten to provide control.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
"Service Request" forms are used for communicating and
documenting activities and tasks. Also
since the first of the year, the agency has implemented a computerized daily
planner in which up-to-date information on where personnel and equipment will
be, a. (incomplete)
3. Policies and procedures relating to road maintenance operations should be formalized to provide a standard approach.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
Additional policies are being drafted and should be finaled by December.
4. County Policy 2-300 should be reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure that County policies with respect to a drug-free and alcohol-free workplace are enforceable. Strict penalties for violation of the policy should be spelled out.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
county policy 2-300 has been revised since the alcohol incident.
5. The PWA Director should establish monitoring procedures to ensure that County policies are strictly observed by all employees.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree. In general, most PWA employees have followed the established county policies. Certain positions in PWA are key to the success of our operation and will require a closer monitoring. However as a rule, the PWA director must rely on these key staff members.
COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
The Public Works
Agency (PWA) operates and maintains five active County Service Areas (CSA) which
provide water and wastewater service to several areas in the County.
Each CSA is separately financed by revenue from its customers. Although the systems are owned and operated by Amador County,
each CSA has an appointed advisory committee, composed of system users, whose
function it is to communicate with PWA on matters that concern the system
residents.
The review of CSAs
revealed a number of issues that are best discussed as separate topics.
Accordingly, the methodology is described for the overall CSA review,
followed by a presentation of facts and conclusions for each of the three issues
listed below:
Management
related problems.
Deficiencies in
the water and wastewater systems.
Adequacy of staff and budget
Because many of the Grand Jury’s recommendations are derived from one or more of the topics listed above, all recommendations for improvement of the CSAs are included as a final part of the CSA report.
1. The Board should assess the effect of current PWA management practices on the morale and efficiency of the CSA managers and take action to improve communications and supervision. This matter is addressed in more detail in the section of the PWA review entitled, “Agency Organization and Management”.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
having AWA consider consolidating will provide more opportunity to focus
on communications, morale building, and safety issues.
BOARD will review AWA report in September.
2. The PWA should develop a comprehensive five-year tactical plan for bringing the water and wastewater facilities up to a reasonable standard. The plan should focus on the most critical issues of employee safety and water system capacity in the early years, with lower priority items being addressed in later years. The plan should detail how the improvements are to be financed, and it should include a procedure for annual monitoring of progress by the Board. Matters that should be included in the plan are listed below:
Replace
substandard water mains so that the minimum size mains are 4-inch diameter.
Eliminate
long dead end water mains by “looping” the replacement mains.
Provide
valving to meet the requirements of the California Waterworks Standards.
Replace
standpipes and wharf hydrants with hydrants meeting NBFU standards.
Provide
security fencing at all water and wastewater facilities.
Replace
unsafe ladders on storage tanks.
Provide
approved emergency breathing apparatus at all chlorination facilities.
Conduct
a leak detection survey in the CSA #3 water system and make repairs so that
unaccounted for water is reduced to about 10 percent.
Conduct
an infiltration and inflow study of the CSA #3 sewage collection system and
take whatever steps are indicated to reduce infiltration and inflow to
acceptable levels.
Repair
leaks in storage tanks and make other repairs as necessary to ensure
adequate service. Progressively
replace old storage tanks with new ones.
Construct
a collection basin under the diesel storage tank at Pumping Station #10 in
CSA #3, and reinforce the tank supports.
Provide
adequate ventilation facilities at all chlorine rooms.
Provide
an emergency generator at sewage lift station C in CSA #3.
Remove
accumulated sludge from the aerated lagoon at the CSA #3 Wastewater
Treatment Plant.
Repair
deteriorating buildings.
Prepare adequate as-built maps of all the water and wastewater systems.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree and disagree.
A formal 5 year tactical plan will be developed, but until staff is
increased, a consultant may have to assist.
(see #6 above)
3. The Board should carefully examine the staffing needs of the CSAs and provide an adequate budget to ensure a good working environment, employee safety and proper maintenance of facilities.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree
and disagree. See # 4 response below.
4. Add at least one, and preferably two, full-time employees to assist the CSA managers. Eliminate the need to contract with AWA for meter reading by assigning that duty to one of the new employees.
Response by PWA Director:
Disagree.
This issue was raised in the 1999 Grand Jury report (item 11). Board action required. AWA
consolidation may be more economical. board will review AWA report in September.
5. Establish a clearly defined decision-making process so that decisions are made at an appropriate management level. The process should include a procedure for communicating and documenting critical decisions.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
Service Request forms are to be used for communicating and documenting
critical decisions.
6. Train the CSA #3 manager in the use of the SCADA system and make that person the system controller with day-to-day responsibility for system operation.
Response by PWA Director:
Disagree.
The personnel need to know how to read SCADA, not program it.
the AWA has an expert in advance SCADA.
7. Assign one of the CSA managers as safety officer and train that person to conduct meaningful safety training. The safety officer should be responsible for advising the PWA Director on all safety matters.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
Training could prove to be to be cost effective with AWA.
8. Provide adequate office and shop space for the CSA #1 and #2 manager and the CSA #4 and #8 manager.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree and disagree.
This would be ideal, but CSA #1 & #2 have a small office in CSA #1.
ARSA has a small storage building. CSA
#4 does not warrant an office since the corporation yard and shop offices are in
the area. The CSA #3 office and
shop are also available when needed.
9. Review the requirements of 49CFR and revise the method of transporting chlorine cylinders to conform to that code.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
This has been taken care of by vendor delivery.
10. Develop a comprehensive preventive maintenance program. The plan should describe the required maintenance and frequency for every item of equipment and plant. It should also include a section on monitoring and documentation to ensure the work gets done.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual data entry forms were developed in
the past. They will be
re-introduced.
11. The PWA Director should meet with each CSA Advisory Committee and inform them of: (a) the extent of system deficiencies, (b) agency plans for progressive improvements to the systems, (c) the estimated cost of such a plan, and (d) the probable effect on the rates for water and wastewater service.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree
and disagree. We are doing this,
but will formalize it.
12. In future years, provide a separate line-item in the County Budget which identifies the “facility replacement” component of reserves.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree.
We already do this with the budget work sheets.
We will request that the Auditor also do this.
13. Commission an independent financial and management audit of the CSAs to ensure that such things as overhead and allocations are being properly accounted for, and that the rate structures are fairly applied.
Response by PWA Director:
Agree and disagree. The county Auditor already engages an independent financial audit. we will request him to also consider a management audit in cooperation with the AWA.
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
GSA is comprised of
divisions providing services for Purchasing, Central Stores, Motor Pool,
Printing, Data Processing, Communications, Building Maintenance, Property
Management, Waste Management, Grant Administration, Special Projects
Coordinator, Custodians and Central Mailing.
One or more of these divisions affect every other area of County
government.
GSA also provides
services to the public through the Public Library System, Museum, County
Archives, Parks and Recreation and Westover Field.
The 1999-2000
operating budget for GSA is approximately $12.8 million with a staff equivalent
to 50.5 full-time persons.
The Grand Jury’s
review of GSA encompassed the following areas:
Motor Pool
Museum
Archives
County Airport
Data Processing
and Communications
Support Service
Division
County Library System
A report for each area
follows.
Article 2, Section
926 of the California Penal Code grants the Grand Jury permission to employ the
services of experts with the approval of the Court.
The Grand Jury used this authority in its review of GSA.
The Harvey M.
Rose Accountancy Corporation was employed to assess the management
practices and structure of GSA. The
original scope, to identify potential expenditure savings and opportunities for
improved performance and efficiency, was cut back due to the limited funds
available to the Grand Jury for this endeavor.
A copy of the report is included as Appendix A.
The Grand Jury is in
agreement with the findings outlined in the Harvey M.
Rose Report and makes the following recommendations.
1. The Board should:
Authorize the
personnel changes for GSA as suggested in this report.
Direct the GSA Director to implement the reorganization plan, as suggested in this report.
Response by
Chairman of the Board: None.
2.
The GSA Director should:
Design and implement a management information reporting system to provide basic financial, customer demand, workload and performance data at regular intervals.
Response by General Services Director:
I already receive all
the financial reports necessary to compare actual revenue and expenditure
experience against the approved budget and the Auditor’s office keeps me in
check with his accounting system. I
already have all the reports necessary to measure patterns of customer demand
and other activity generators. Workload
activity reports are compiled on most employees under the GSA umbrella.
Implementing a report that measures organizational performance against
critical elements of program success does not seem necessary at this point due
to the fact that our programs are successful.
I agree, that I should take more time to review all the reports mentioned
on a more regular basis.
Use this information to monitor activity, and to design program improvements.
Response by General Services Director:
It would be nice to
devote more time to monitoring activities and designing program improvements,
however, I don’t think the program is broken, so why fix it?
Present this
information to the Board on a regular basis.
Response by General Services Director:
Several years ago all
departments were required to make oral and written reports to the Board on a
regular basis, however, this practice did not last long and I found that those
reports did not always reveal what was really going on in those departments.
Reports can always be made to look good.
Implement customer satisfaction surveys for general services at regular intervals not to exceed every two years.
Response by General Services Director:
I receive customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction reports every year during the budget process and throughout the year from concerned “customers”. I have always promoted customer satisfaction and always will, however, I don’t feel we need to kill more trees to find out if our customers (county employees) are happy with our service.
MOTOR POOL
The Motor Pool’s primary duty is to maintain County owned vehicles. Other entities also contract for Motor Pool services.
1. The Department should establish routine procedures for evaluating anomalies in fuel usage patterns and conducting investigations of such anomalies.
Response by General Services Director:
We established these
procedures in 1981 (19 years ago) when we first established GSA.
At that time we purchased a computerized fuel dispensing system that
required two cards (for security) and it provided us with reports showing the
date, time, driver’s name, vehicle number, gallons pumped, and odometer
reading. We began looking for
anomalies in 1981 and have continued to this day.
We recently updated our fuel dispensing system so we would be in
compliance with Y2K. The new system
also allows us to track the fuel usage. Soon
after we installed the first fuel dispensing system, we found that our fuel
consumption was drastically reduced. Part
of that reduction was due to the fact that we reduced our fleet about the same
time, however, a good portion of it was fuel that was being misappropriated.
I feel our current fuel system is doing a fine job.
2. Increase staffing at the maintenance level and enlarge the Motor Pool area.
Response by General Services Director:
Adding one additional mechanic would be nice, however, our current staffing level of two mechanics is adequate. We do not have excessive backlogs. If a vehicle is detained waiting for parts or a major overhaul, loaner vehicles are available. We also utilize probationers and inmates to assist in the shop and many times they are qualified mechanics. It would be nice to have one additional mechanic to fill in during vacations. If the workload increases in the future I will recommend hiring an additional mechanic(s). The Motor Pool shop area is adequate for our present needs. It consists of five bays, which is more than adequate for the present and future. For example: we could hire three more mechanics and each one would have his own bay. Some time in the future I would like to build a new shop facility with drive through bays, however, that is really a luxury item that can wait.
MUSEUM
Amador County owns and operates the museum, which is open to the public for tours five days a week. The museum has one full-time and one part-time employee, plus many volunteers. The museum exhibits artifacts from Amador County.
1. Formalize the “Friends of the Museum” group with by-laws, officers and meetings.
Response by General Services Director:
The “Friends of the
Museum” group is not part of County government; consequently, the County has
no control over them and could not force them to do any of these things.
2. “Friends of the Museum” should explore the feasibility of being organized under the umbrella of the Amador County Historical Society.
Response by General Services Director:
Again, the County has
no control over the “Friends of the Museum” or the Amador County Historical
Society.
3. The group should hold fundraising efforts to enhance the museum.
Response by General Services Director:
Again, the County has no control of the “Friends of the Museum”.
4. Checks drawn from the “Friends of the Museum” account should require two signatures.
Response by General Services Director:
Again, the County has no control of the “Friends of the Museum”, however, I advised the Museum Coordinator (who was the signatory on the account) to change the account to require two signatures.
ARCHIVES
Amador County Archives is a County Division under the umbrella of the General Services Administration (GSA). This division collects records, pictures, newspapers and various documents relating to Amador County. The division is open to the public and has two part-time employees and several volunteers. The Archives Division has built a website, allowing Internet access to information about the County’s history.
1. Formalize the “Friends of the Archives” group with by-laws, officers and meetings.
Response by General Services Director:
The “Friends of the
Archives” group is not part of County government; consequently, the County has
no control over them and could not force them to do any of these things.
2. “Friends of the Archives” should explore the feasibility of being organized under the umbrella of the Amador County Historical Society.
Response by General Services Director:
Again, the County has
no control over the “Friends of the Archives” or the Amador County
Historical Society.
3. The group should hold fundraising efforts to enhance the Archives Division.
Response by General Services Director:
Again, the County has
no control of the “Friends of the Museum”.
4. Checks drawn on the “Friends of the Archives” account should require two signatures.
Response by General Services Director:
Again, the County has no control of the “Friends of the Archives”, however, I advised the Archivist (who was the signatory on the account) to change the account to require two signatures and since that time the “Friends of the Archives” organization and checking account have been dissolved.
COUNTY AIRPORT
The County Airport, known as Westover Field, operates as an Enterprise Fund. Its 1999-2000 budget for operating expense is $1,044,368 with $1,079,293 in operating income. The airport is a non-tower facility with 24-hour operation, 365 days a year. Runway lights, weather and wind information is accessible by radio. The airport is staffed daily between the hours of 9am and 5pm, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Airport traffic is approximately 300 to 500 flights weekly.
1. Refurbish the Airport Administration Building prior to its return to usage as the airport manager’s office.
Response by General Services Director:
The future of the
Airport Administration Building is unknown at this time because we are
attempting to obtain grant funding to expand the airport’s infrastructure.
If we are successful, we intend to build a commercial building that would
accommodate a restaurant which may require demolition of the existing Airport
Administration Building. For these
reasons, it would be premature to spend any funds refurbishing a building that
we may tear down.
2. Remove the mound of debris dumped in front of the Airport Administration Building.
Response by General Services Director:
The subject debris pile
will be moved this summer by the contractor working on airport improvements.
3. Resurface the public parking area and mark individual parking spaces.
Response by General Services Director:
Scheduled for
completion on August 9, 2000.
4. Mark the area directly in front of the fire hydrant for no parking.
Response by General Services Director:
No
response.
5. Mark the area on the ground for disabled parking.
Response by General Services Director:
Scheduled for
completion on August 9, 2000.
6. Conduct and document a survey of the hanger rental rates at neighboring airports to determine current market value and their method of calculation.
Response by General Services Director:
Waiting for results of
survey of neighboring airports.
7. Establish and charge a consistent hanger rental rate taking into consideration the market value for like kind.
Response by General Services Director:
Waiting for results of
survey of neighboring airports.
8. Review, assess and update the Airport Master Plan of May 25, 1991.
Response by General Services Director:
I agree and we are in the process of applying for FAA funding for this purpose.
DATA PROCESSING AND COMMUNICATIONS
The Data Processing and Communications Division is responsible for the evaluation, acquisition, installation, maintenance and repair of all County data processing and communication software and hardware. In addition, this division provides end-user training, monitoring and reporting violations of the County’s “Information Assets Policy.” One Computer Resource Coordinator, one Information System Specialist and three Microcomputer Technicians staff the division.
1. The Board monitor the progress of the construction for the new building that will house the Data Processing and Communication Division and insure it’s completion and readiness for occupancy in the Fall of 2000.
Response by General Services Director:
The new building is on
schedule and should be completed early this fall.
2. Assign one Microcomputer Technician to the Jackson Branch of the County Library for one full day per week to support the computers used by the public.
Response by General Services Director:
We do not have sufficient Data Processing staffing to assign someone one full day per week, however we have been assigning someone part-time 2-3 times per week to help support the library computers. When hiring future library staff we will require new employees to have computer technology skills. This would give support 5 days per week.
SUPPORT SERVICE DIVISION
The Support Service Division provides support services for the Purchasing, Central Stores, Motor Pool, Special Project Coordinator, Data Processing, Communications, Building Maintenance, Property Management, Waste Management, Grant Administration, and Central Mailing Services throughout Amador County. These services include printing, GSA administration, and mail and courier services.
1. The division should review and revise costing methods and rate schedules.
Response by General Services Director:
I agree, and we have
already begun reviews and revisions.
2. The document listed as the “HOP JOB List” should be documented to include prioritization, expected completion dates, and monitoring system for compliance.
Response by General Services Director:
The HOP JOBS List is prioritized periodically, however, those priorities change almost daily due to new more important projects. The priorities at present are the construction of the GSA/Agriculture Building, GSA Records Storage Building, Hospital remodel for courts, Sheriff Jail remodel, Sheriff Administrative Building, and the John C. Begovich Building Annex. The smaller projects on the HOP JOBS List are done on a fill-in basis between the larger projects. I see no benefit to the recommended completion dates and monitoring system of the HOP JOBS List. The HOP JOBS List is simply an informal reminder list that I developed several years ago. Its only purpose was, and is, to remind us of those small projects.
COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
The County Library
has seven locations throughout the County with a total staff of 19.
The Main Library in Jackson has five full-time and three part-time staff
members. In addition, there are
three extra persons in Jackson who are assisting with the library automation.
There are also fifty volunteers who assist the library staff.
The Amador City, Ione, Pine Grove, and Plymouth libraries each have one
part-time person. The 1999-2000
County Library System budget is $634,095 with $40,633 in revenue for the period
July 1999 to March 2000 of which $36,848 comes from the State Library Trust
Fund.
The County Library
System participates in a book exchange program with other libraries along the
Highway 49/99 corridor. Books,
periodicals, tapes, and other materials requested by County patrons are
delivered daily from Stockton. This
program enables the County Library System to provide books and other related
items not on local library shelves.
A tie-in to an
automated system was purchased with funds from a $10,000 grant.
This system will assist the staff in providing control over it’s
resources (books, periodicals, audio and visual tapes and other materials),
identifying and collecting of fines for overdue books and generating management
reports.
“Friends of the Library,” a non-profit organization, is dedicated to supporting the needs and services of the Library. They assist by raising needed funds through book sales and other fund-raising events and actively promote gift giving through memorials and group communications.
1. Conduct a study to determine the options for relocating or expanding the Main Library.
Response by General Services Director:
We have conducted
studies in the past to relocate or expand the Main Library and determined that,
if, and, when a government center is developed that a new library would be
constructed on that site. Studies
have also been conducted regarding expansion of the existing library, however,
the stream that runs under the library would make any expansion very costly.
At present, the Main Library is one of the best buildings the County owns
and is meeting our needs for now.
2. Reverse the entry/exit door at the Sutter Creek Branch so that it opens out.
Response by General Services Director:
The Landlord has been
instructed and has agreed to make this change.
3. Discontinue the practice of leaving combustible material outside the rear door at the Jackson facility.
Response by General Services Director:
Combustible material
(newspapers) have been cleaned up. The
newspapers were being stockpiled for recycling, however, now they will be put in
the dumpster and go direct to the MERF at the landfill where they will be sorted
out and recycled.
4. Update the overhead lighting in the patrons’ reading area and repair the door to the outside storage locker at the Jackson facility.
Response by General Services Director:
The overhead lighting
is currently being updated. The
door to the outside storage locker is scheduled to be repaired by the
Sheriff’s work crew.
5. Clean the restroom at the Plymouth Branch.
Response by General Services Director:
The restroom has been
cleaned and is inspected regularly and has been found to be clean.
6. Install an alarm system to improve employee safety at the Pine Grove and Sutter Creek Branches.
Response by General Services Director:
A door buzzer alarm has
been installed at the Pine Grove Branch and a latch has been installed on the
restroom door. Cordless telephones have been issued to both branches
allowing for better communications when requesting law enforcement and 911
assistance for employee safety.
7. The Branch Librarians should participate in staff meetings. Reduce the Administrator’s visits to the branches.
Response by General Services Director:
The Branch Librarians
participate in staff meetings at the Jackson Main Library every 3 months.
I feel that the Administrator’s visits to the branches is an important
task and should continue. It is
important that someone visit the branches regularly to inspect them and to
evaluate the services being provided to the community.
It would be very difficult to perform Employee Evaluations on the Branch
Librarians if the Administrator did not visit the branches on a regular basis.
8. Provide staff with additional computer training and encourage daily use.
Response by General Services Director:
Computer training is
being provided and we are encouraging daily use of the computers.
9. Assign a Microcomputer Technician to the library part time.
Response by General Services Director:
The Data Processing
Department is providing a Microcomputer Technician to the library on a part-time
basis 2 to 3 days per week. Future
hiring of library staff should emphasize hiring new employees that have adequate
computer technology skills to assist library staff.
10. Assess the need for a Library Branch in Amador City and take appropriate action.
Response by General Services Director:
We have conducted
studies in the past and found that the cost to operate the Amador City Branch
Library are so minimal that it would be best to continue the operation of that
branch to better serve the community of Amador City.
11. Dispose of all obsolete equipment throughout the County Library System.
Response by General Services Director:
The only obsolete equipment in the library system are one computer monitor and one printer at the Jackson Library and one copier at the Pioneer Branch Library all of which will be delivered to GSA to be sold in the next surplus sale.
MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The Mental Health
Department (MHD), a branch of the Health and Human Services Agency, has operated
in the County for 25 years. Employees
include 5 clerical, one of which is the office administrator, and 5 mental
health workers. A registered nurse
is shared with the Public Health Department.
A contract psychiatrist has been on staff since 1990.
The lack of a psychiatrist, living in the County, and the disagreement of the department to the recommendations of the 1996-1997 Amador County Grand Jury, influenced the 1999-2000 Grand Jury to include this department in this year’s routine review.
1. The MHD should continue its efforts to enlist the services of a full time, locally based, psychiatrist.
Response from Mental Health Director:
Per your request, the
following is my response to the Recommendations made by the Grand Jury
concerning the Mental Health Department:
Psychiatric services
continue to be an issue of concern to this Agency as well as the Mental Health
Department staff, and were mentioned in the last two Grand Jury reports.
Although we continue to contract with 2 psychiatrists for coverage on a
24 hour basis, there are none living within Amador County.
The Grand Jury’s recommendation is that we should continue efforts to enlist the services of a full-time, locally based, psychiatrist. As is previous years, we will continue to do so. In the meantime, we will maintain our current system of coverage that is in compliance with State Mental Health standards.
CITIZEN COMPLAINTS
A citizen’s
complaint was filed with the 1998-1999 Amador County Grand Jury by three County
residents who claimed they were denied access to the Drytown Cemetery.
The complaint was filed too late in the jury’s term of office, so it
was referred to the 1999-2000 Grand Jury for investigation.
The Drytown
Cemetery, one of Amador County’s oldest pioneer cemeteries, was established
during the gold rush era and contains the remains of many of Amador County’s
earliest residents. The cemetery is
a 1.54 acre parcel of land owned by the County of Amador, and is completely
surrounded by privately owned property. There
is no publicly owned right of way giving access to the cemetery.
Sometime in the
early 1990’s, the owner of the surrounding property began locking the gate at
State Route 49 on the only road leading to the cemetery.
Over the next few years, the County Board and the property owner
conducted a series of negotiations to try to find a way to guarantee
unrestricted public access to the cemetery.
The negotiations proved unsuccessful, so in 1996, the County filed a
lawsuit in Superior Court asserting that long-term use of the property owner’s
road by the public implied dedication of a public right-of-way.
During the trial, three residents of Amador County, who had been instrumental in bringing this matter to the attention of the County Board, were subpoenaed to testify on the County’s behalf. After hearing the testimony, the Court ruled against the County and declared that the property owner’s title “shall be quieted against a claim of a public right-of-way”. Subsequently, the property owner denied access to the cemetery, over his property, to the three individuals who testified at the trial. Because there is no other accessible route to the cemetery, the property owner’s denial of access has made it impossible for them to visit their ancestor’s graves. While denying entry by those three individuals, the property owner has stated that any other person may use his road, providing they first obtain his permission.
The Grand Jury has
concluded that the County should ensure that all persons have unrestricted
access to the Drytown Cemetery. Furthermore,
the solution should be a permanent one. A
simple agreement with the present property owner is not sufficient, because the
same problem could reoccur should the property be sold or transferred to another
person. The Grand Jury recommends
the following actions:
1. The Board should publicly state their commitment to preserve the rights of everyone to unrestricted access to the Drytown Cemetery.
2. The Board should enter into meaningful negotiations with the property owner in an attempt to establish a legal public easement along the alignment of the existing access road.
3. Should such a negotiation fail,