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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-18 Butte County Grand Jury Final Report BUTTECOUNTY 5a Y 1S K�y U ri T C7 ray JUN 05 ( L" SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA NP 43RG)'IL a COUNTY 1` BUTTE u 44. w ® Butte Coiunry Courthouse 0 North BMW COMIty COLH the2c e One C"cstdrt Street 1775 Concord Avc;nric; p'xwp"h°, Orovillc,CA 95965 Chico,CA 95928 (530)532-7002 (',530)532-7002 Juane 1, 2018. Butte County Board of Supervisors 25 County Center Thrive, Suite 2.00 Oroville, C.A 95965 Dear Butte County Board of Supervisors, The 1~inal. Report ofthe 2017-2018 Butte County Grand JL11y was tiled on May 30, 2018 and will be released to the public at the 2018-2.019 Grand Jury Impanelment ceremony on June 15, 2018, Per Penal Code§933.05(f).",A grand jury shall provide to the atf-ceted agency a copy of'the portion of the grandjury report relating to that person or entity two working clays prior to its public release and affer the approval of the presiding judge. No officer,agency, department, or governing body of a pu'b'lic agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report." As an affected person or entity named in the Final Report, please find enclosed a copy of the relevant sections of the report. This information remains confidential until the public release of the report in its entireq at the 2018-2019 Grand Jul 1m anelmennt cereniony,selneduled for Friday,june 15 201.8 at 9:00 a.m. The complete report:will be posted to the Butte County website for viewing;. Please note that all agencies listed as Reaquirecl Resj)ondenuls must adhere to the requirements of Penal Code§933/933.05. Please direct responses to: Hon..Tamara L.Mosbarger,Presiding,,Judge c/o Court,Administration Superior wart of California,County of Butte One Court Street,Oroville,C.A. 95965 Since ely, vm' 0DUqxj-- Kim Dionne Coru-t Services Specialist Superior Cotn't of California, County of Butte Ene. TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR DEPARTMENT SUMMARY The Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector Department {TTCD} is charged with the responsibility of billing and collection of property taxes; receiving, processing, investing, and safeguarding public funds; and functioning as the central bank for County departments, cities, school districts, and the court system. A critical function assigned to the TTCD is the investment of public funds to achieve maximum security of principal and preservation of capital; further the TTCD works to achieve a market rate of return and maintains liquidity for a percentage of the pool to ensure the smooth flow of business for the departments and districts in this investment pool. The Grand Jury found the TTCD highly organized and operating efficiently. Staff morale is high, and a significant percentage of staff is cross-trained to cover during periods of high volume or absences, The TTCD is able to achieve this high standard of performance despite its limited and non-secure office space. BACKGROUND The TTCD was last visited by the Grand Jury in 2007-2008. Based on the importance of the TTCD's role in the County, i.e. collection and management of cash and funds, the Grand Jury decided to conduct a review of the TTCD's operations and effectiveness. 37 METHODOLOGY The Grand Jury interviewed department management and staff, toured the offices during business hours, and reviewed procedure manuals, investment reports, and related resources. In addition, the Grand Jury researched the TTCD through the Butte County website. DISCUSSION The TTCD is comprised of three divisions: the Treasury Division, the Property Tax Division, and the Central Collections Division. Each division has distinct and unique responsibilities; yet, as a whole, the TTCD's purpose is the collection and cash management of revenues owed to the County, cities, special districts, school districts, and court system. Each division, and the distinct roles assigned, is highlighted, as follows: The Treasury Division: • Functions as a central bank to all County departments, Butte County school districts, special districts and the Superior Court System. The purpose is to maximize investment returns for pooled funds on deposits and consolidate banking activities to minimize operating expenses. • Manages funds to ensure cash is available to meet cash flow needs. • Invests the balance of funds to protect the principal while maximizing interest earnings for its depositors. 38 • Manages the County's $430 million investment pool and generates earnings on a pro-rata basis for investment pool participants. • Handles large quantities of cash and oversees its safety using current security protocols. • Balances cash accounts daily; any discrepancy over$20 must be explained to the Board of Supervisors. The Property Tax Division: • Bills and collects taxes assessed on real and personal property in Butte County. • Works closely with the Auditor and the Assessor to ensure bilis to property owners are accurate and include direct charges, fees and/or special assessments. • Bills approximately 110,000 property owners and processes approximately $220 million in tax payments each year. • Distributes tax revenues to local schools, cities, special districts, and departments. • Actively works to collect delinquent taxes. Roughly 10% of property owners do not pay on time; after collection efforts, there remains only a 2% - 4% default rate. • Conducts auctions of tax-defaulted properties to recoup property taxes more than five years in arrears. 39 r� T r�'-y O ER i-rte Y AX ES The Department€ontributei 53r,o.:r'p,r�o ;:Snif:can;b;tothegeneral s23z,136,�30 FLr;d tllraU<f iFl Illi 4}II�CC23G+i1 and iowestn9dm fU6,;ton3 and offsets approximately rM� 836 of its 53.3 million in r ;? nF>watisrg es4ltl through d.�vrtma�i SptrCtftc foes a-�d pragra its 97'i6 dcpartmcnt requires Icss than$850,000 from the TJTAL genual hind to maintain its rurrrntlevelofwrvir.r. 1Y�roi�o7ii;InrJ u'YxrsL•fi7Cniirckc» FYaoa6h ?hfa9lr.trcl Source:Butte county'rreasurer-Tax Collector website-About tate Department The Central Collections Division: • Serves as the collection agency for Butte County departments and the Superior Court system. • Functions similarly to private enterprise collection agencies but adheres to compliance requirements for public entities; the program generates in excess of$S million annually. • Pursues delinquent fines and fees assessed by the court system and various County departments as well as delinquent unsecured property taxes. • Serves as the collection agency for various County programs. • Collects and distributes Victim Restitution payments. 40 CONCLUSION The TTCD is multi-faceted, performing a wide range of functions in support of County departments and outside entities needing a `central bank' function. The TTCD is highly organized and has developed an extensive collection of procedure manuals and reference materials to ensure duties are performed properly, within legal parameters, and employing sound financial business practices. Employees are cross-trained to improve the TTCD's efficiency. Training opportunities are available and the TTCD encourages staff to participate. Approximately 25% of all revenue collected directly benefits the County's General Fund. In the graph below, portfolio yields vary between counties by as much 1.5%_1 e, The TTCD manages investments on behalf of the County, school districts, special districts and various funds. All investment vehicles are AA-rated or higher. Investments are monitored on a daily basis and investment reports are prepared monthly. The office follows a five-year investment strategy. The Butte County Pooled Treasury Portfolio's investment strategy consistently outperforms the State of California's Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF). 41 The Grand Jury focused on the operations and management of the TTCD. Staff and management expressed safety and space issues to be of concern, especially during peak payment periods. A review of the 2007-2008 Grand Jury Treasurer-Tax Collector Report also cited space as an issue needing to be addressed. FINDINGS F 1. Treasurer-Tax Collector Department is run efficiently, staff morale is high, and staff is effectively cross-trained. F2. Treasurer-Tax Collector does an excellent job of managing the funds they are entrusted with. Investment vehicles are rated AA or higher. Investment growth is approximately 8% over time, consistently higher than LAIF. www.buttecoLiiity,nct/Poi.tals/25/lnvestliients F3. Office space is limited posing challenges during peak payment periods. RECOMMENDATIONS Rl. The Grand Jury recommends that County Administration collaborate with the Treasurer- Tax Collector Department in seeking additional office space for the TTCD by December 31, 2018. 42 R2. The Grand Jury recommends that County Administration collaborate with the Treasurer- Tax Collector Department to identify and implement additional safety and security measures by Fiscal Year end 2018-2019. REQUEST FOR RESPONSES Pursuant to Penal Code Section 933.05, the following response to the Grand Jury is required: • Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector respond to F3, R1, and R2 within 60 days. • Butte County Chief Administrative Officer respond to F3, R1, and R2 within 60 days. INVITED RESPONSES The Grand Jury invites the Butte County Board of Supervisors to respond to Fl, F2, F3, R1, and R2 within 90 days. The governing bodies indicated above should be aware that comment or response must be conducted subject to the notice, agenda, and open meeting requirements of the Brown Act. Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. 43 $U77EcoUNTY ADMINISTRATION JUN 0 5 2018 TO ATTAIN OR NOT TO ATTAIN, THAT IS THE QUESTION pP'OVILLE,CALIFORNIA SUMMARY Pursuant to California Penal Code Section 925(a), the 2017-2018 Butte County Grand Jury completed a review of the Butte County Air Quality Management District (BCAQMD) which is responsible for monitoring and maintaining air quality within the boundaries of Butte County, GLOSSARY BCAQMD - Butte County Air Quality Management District CAPCOA - California Air Pollution Control Officers Association Nonattainment - An area deemed to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard, Federal Clean Air Act 1970 BACKGROUND The Grand Jury chose to review the operations of the BCAQMD as it had not been investigated in close to 20 years. The air duality in Butte County is in a nonattainment status for State and/or Federal standards for ambient air quality. Butte County's geography is unique because it sits in a basin subject to the prevailing winds from the south where pollutants transported from the metropolitan areas of Sacramento and the Bay Area can have a profound effect. Clean air is 65 defined by Federal and State air quality standards. BCAQMD is a special district within Butte County and is the advocate for clean air. Butte County-State and Federal Ambient Air Quality Attainment Status: ___ Pollutant State Designation Federal Designation 1-hour ozone Nonattainment — 8-hour ozone Nonattainment Nonattainment Carbon monoxide Attainment Attainment/Maintenance (Chico) Nitrogen Dioxide Attainment Attainment Sulfur Dioxide Attainment Attainment 24-Hour PM10 Nonattainment Attainment 24-Hour PM2.5 No Standard Nonattainment Annual PM10 Attainment No Standard Annual PM2.5 Nonattainment Attainment Source: Butte County AQMD,2014 METHODOLOGY • Interviewed District personnel • Reviewed State of the District Report Butte County Air Quality Management District August 17. 2017 • Reviewed District budget 66 • Visited the BCAQMD website • Reviewed information from California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) DISCUSSION BCAQMD is governed by the Air Quality Management Governing Board that is comprised of the five Butte County Supervisors plus one elected representative from each of the five cities. The BCAQMD also appoints the Air Pollution Control Officer and District Hearing Board, which is a quasi-judicial body and is tasked with adjudicating three types of cases: variance petitions, abatement orders, and permit disputes. There are 35 air districts in California that make up CAPCOA in which BCAQMD is a member. CAPCOA was formed in 1976 to promote clean air and to provide an outlet for sharing experiences, knowledge, and information among the 35 air quality districts. CAPCOA promotes consistency in methods and practices of air pollution control. Each member district has one vote no matter what the population. BCAQMD sees itself as a health agency, works to reduce impacts to air quality, and is pro-active when dealing with businesses. In addition, BCAQMD does the following: • Monitors the county's air quality • Provides daily air duality information • Inventories and assesses the health risks of toxic air emissions • Interrupts and explains State and Federal air pollution control laws • Provides public education and outreach 67 • Responds to public complaints and inquiries • Administers grant programs for projects that reduce air pollution • Prepares implementation plans to bring BCAQMD into attainment • Adopts rules and regulations that reduce pollution • Issues permits and conducts inspections for businesses and industries which emit air pollutants • Analyzes the air quality impact of new businesses and land development projects • Implements the Sacramento Valley Air Basin Smoke Management Program that regulates agricultural burning • Works with other government agencies to coordinate air quality programs and regulations • Issues notices of non-compliance when appropriate Staffing BCAQMD is budgeted for 11 full-time employees. It utilizes part-time help and non-paid interns as needed. Staff attends training classes and seminars to remain current in their field. Staff are certified in Visible Emissions Evaluation in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements. Staff is also certified in responding to hazardous materials spills. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1910.120). 68 Staffing levels have not changed since 2001, however, there have been approximately ten unfunded mandated programs added since that time. These mandates have added complexity to BCAQMD. Management would like to increase their staffing level by one engineer and two inspectors to perform additional inspections and administer new programs. Since BCAQMD does not receive any County General Fund monies, they continually investigate new revenue sources to meet this end. BCAQMD Organizational Chart ------ Governing Board [:Hearing Board L APCO J Admin Services 5enlor AQ Assistant 7AterAQ Officer. Engineer APCone Accounting Senior AQCS Technician Administrative Senior AQCS Assistant l QCS I --------- ^-^--` x110=Air 1.11.1 on 1-1-1011111, f AQ=Air Qual,ty Administrative Q,alnv Comp)bole Spen.11 Technician 69 Revenue and Funding The current BCAQMD budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 is $1,884,263. The budget fluctuates due to inconsistent funding streams. Revenue for the BCAQMD is generated through a variety of sources, however it does not receive Butte County General Fund money. Funding sources include: • Stationary Source permits • California DMV Registration fee, AB 2766, a $4.00 fee that is given directly to BCAQMD for those vehicles registered in Butte County. • Agricultural burn permits • Permits for portable equipment over 50 horsepower (i.e., generators, agricultural equipment such as trucks and tractors, etc.) • Penalties from non-compliance (i.e., trash burning, burning on a no-burn day, out of compliance equipment) • Grants o Carl Moyer: The Carl Moyer Program was established in 1998 as a partnership between the California Air Resources Board and local air districts. This grant program provides funding for replacing, repowering, or retrofitting eligible heavy-duty engines with cleaner-than-required technology. o California Air Resources Board: Offers a wood stove replacement program (with the Wood Smoke Reduction Program). Wood stoves are a more significant source of pollution than automobiles or combustion 70 engines in Butte County. This program has been very successful in replacing wood stoves with more environmentally efficient stoves. o State Subvention: Article 105 of the Clean Air Act to help fund enforcement to federal standards. BCAQMD: Public Outreach a i , a S > hk r ry ' II - 6 ;k r! it� "'•�� e4. November 14. 201 r 9�r+rornV V,�S www.bcagryid.oLg/check-before-you-light/` Public Outreach BCAQMD is proud to be responsible for the air that Butte County residents breathe. They are dedicated professionals with a mission "to protect the people and the environment of Butte 71 County from the harmful effects of air pollution. We work with our community to promote a better understanding of air pollution issues through a comprehensive program of planning, regulation, enforcement, technical innovation, and public education." They provide workshops, events, media coverage and Public Safety Announcements to promote programs like, ✓CHECK Before You Light. FINDINGS Ft. Butte County air quality has improved as a result of regulations adopted by the BCAQMD Board. F2. Air quality is impacted by influences from outside the County. F3. County residents have contributed to improved air quality by their participation and support of programs managed by the BCAQMD. F4. Inconsistent funding streams makes it difficult to hire additional staff. F5. Wood smoke is more polluting to Butte County air than all motor vehicle emissions combined. F6. Funding for the wood burning stove replacement program will resume in 2018. F7. Community education, outreach, and a very user-friendly website, promotes public understanding and involvement with BCAQMD. 72 RECOMMENDATIONS Rl. Develop a plan to meet additional staffing needs by December 31, 2018, REQUEST FOR RESPONSES Pursuant to Penal Code Section 933.05, the Grand Jury requests responses as follows: • Butte County Board of Supervisors respond to: F1, F3, and F7 within 90 days. • BCAQMD Governing Board respond to FI, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, and R1 within 90 days. • Butte County Air Pollution Control Officer respond to: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, and R 1 within 60 days. The governing bodies indicated above should be aware that comment or response must be conducted subject to the notice, agenda, and open meeting requirements of the Brown Act. Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. 73 Bum TY ADMINISTR 1�TION JUN 0 5 2018 PUBLIC WORKS — ROAD MAINTENANCE DIVISION OROWLLIr.CALIFORNIA SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to provide information about the Road Maintenance Division of the Butte County Public Works Department (PW). The Grand Jury investigated how roadwork is funded, prioritized, tracked, reported, and how complaints are processed. Many Butte County roadways were compromised as a result of the Oroville Dam Spillway emergency and the Ponderosa and Wall fires. Hard rains also damaged many local roadways creating mudslides and potholes. This report focuses on employee compensation and other issues that arose or were exacerbated by these severe conditions that impacted the roadways, which resulted in extended work beyond regularly scheduled work hours. GLOSSARY GPR-General Purpose Revenue; County funding used for discretionary programs PW - Public Works Department RMCs— Road Maintenance Crews 77 BACKGROUND The Grand Jury chose to investigate the Road Maintenance Division of the Public Works Department {PW} because it had not been reviewed for 15 years. Severe weather conditions in 2016 and 2017 resulted in an increase in road-related issues. METHODOLOGY The Grand Jury: • Conducted interviews with several PW staff. • Reviewed organization charts, studies, budgets, and funding sources. • Reviewed copies of Butte County Connect complaint logs from November 2017 to February 2018. • Observed how complaints are processed from receipt to completion. • Visited the PW website. DISCUSSION Road Maintenance, one of the seven PW divisions, is charged with maintaining approximately 1,300 miles of roadway, including over 500 bridges and drainage structures, and more than 18,000 road signs. The Road Maintenance Division is divided into seven crews: four road crews 78 (Chico, Gridley, Oroville, and Paradise) with a total of 36 employees; one crew for trees and signage with seven employees; one for bridges with six employees; and two Inmate Crew employees. PW coordinates with Cal Fire, Butte County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, and Caltrans on emergency situations to assure public safety on a 2417 basis. The Road Maintenance Crews (RMCs) clear downed trees and roads blocked by mudslides, place traffic and road closure signage, and temporarily divert traffic. RMCs also fill potholes, maintain bridges, trim or remove trees, and supervise inmate road crews. PW contracts out for specialized equipment during emergency situations and on an as-needed basis. Funding The operational budget for the seven divisions of PW is $39 million. Funding comes largely from intergovernmental revenues including ongoing State Gas Tax revenues, Forest Service timber sale revenues, Regional Surface Transportation Program federal exchange funds, unexpended transit funds, State Highway grants, and Federal Highway grants. .79 Table from Butte County Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 100% 80% 75% 60% 40% 20% 8% 6% 9% `Z% 0% Intergovernmental Charges For Other Financing GPR Road Fund Balance Revenues Services Sources Butte County's General Purpose Revenue (GPR) supplements the PW budget by two percent. The GPR is used to fulfill state mandated maintenance, provide required matching funds, and cover unfunded mandates. The GPR comes from property tax, Proposition 172 Sales Tax for Public Safety, local sales tax, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and other revenues. Additional funding may become available for major road projects through Senate Bill 1 (Beall, The Road Repair and Accountability Act, 2017). Butte County Connect Butte County Connect is a web-based complaint log that allows citizens to report items of concern such as flooding, downed trees, blocked culverts, potholes, and other road-related issues directly to the County. The complaint is automatically routed to the appropriate County department. 80 I, f i♦,I I♦ i i i :;� • � 1 , y •"� GM'l y .JOA!, ZoR approptfzite County departrrient where It will be revj6we�during normal 6unty hours.You will be able track your submission nghtas the County works toward its% 'To report a life-threatening emergency,dial 9-1-1.Please do not use Butte County Connect to report a crime.To report nonlife threatening law enfant matters,gall the Butte County Sheriff's Office at 530.533.7322.For technical issues,submit details to wra) It: four ihaO, Butte County Improve your community. Report an issue and watch it get fixed. . Map :f.ar.IL!r ,S Creak - hlintiwP . . ria � ti t 5V ..... e$1Ni0ad nd WO,PIJtn kl Rl ln9r`117 Garbage and Recyclin,,:; 1 uff.. Grces n e - Gradin( Viola"iwis C`J: - - eadcrra Ta repos l any activity on PRIVATE PROPE927Y resldlirsg in fnoviny,50 cubic Ena ASohnnn Beldef} C� yards of earth and Inaienals willrCU'I'a perailt.(W)t for requesiirf,gradkil; services on public roadc9quit mnul9 'Venn Riahurd:on - RucXr.Iak illt!gal Camping E� ;:�� $Priny9 It7a nl;a Report recreational vehicles and Camping in violation of the Countys Zoning Ordl ranee(Chapter 7.4,b0che.1.5). llmd li3m1ltc -ty touch©rn r.'f - Marijuana C:titivation Bois �: •� Iteport rnarl;uana growing in Violation of the County's Marijuana Culliv;jOcn yyum (la�r1 Restrictions(Chapter 34A&34C). ih0ws Ro<id related Sc-r`JIL2 Camplanvilla All road-I e3atetl iNsmis in f w Cnunry right of w,ry ``such as potholes, I PC neel9n �qqll�r1 Gt1�?i bridges,signs,etc. _ iri:elt (f�71 Nevtiir;,Cily Unsafe S0ticuirc'. CrusaV n«•, ` Coluu� -i�7, . Reporr a property with unsafe structures. - - $ w iii ma fr7)-- Yuha aty ohiuFi,:Vruti r�',� Iii WaterConservatior > Kip data 0*1018Gwrgfn VMSISUIU5 stOMAunmpwwr 9Submitte4 ;r{Received 191n Progress Completed 7rtr ' • litti)://www.btittCCoLinty.iiet/BLIttCCOLIfltVCOIIIIeCt 81 Identification of road issues comes from several sources: inspection or observation by PW staff, requests from the public, and calls from emergency services. They are then prioritized for response and batched by area for efficiency. Road repair complaints can be reported online, by phone, or in person. Complainants can register to receive updates by email. To receive an update by phone, the complainant must call the office to leave a call back number. Reported complaints and completion status updates can be viewed online at the Butte County Connect website. Complaints are usually addressed within a few days, although some road repairs, e.g. potholes, cannot be completed in wet conditions. RMCs can update the status of complaints in the log by calling office staff, or by using their computer or smart phone. Not all RMCs routinely update the complaint log when the job is completed, making online status less reliable. Employee Turnover Low compensation, particularly for entry-level employees, makes PW a training ground for higher paying jobs elsewhere. Previously, the benefits package offset the pay differential. Due to the increased cost of the employee's share of the health insurance, what once was an attractive benefit is no longer attractive enough to retain entry-level employees. The Roads Maintenance Division is challenged by high employee turnover reportedly due primarily to low compensation. In 2016, 10% of RMC employees resigned. In 2017, 15% resigned. 82 RMCs were called in beyond regularly scheduled work hours during the Oroville Dam Spillway evacuation and the Ponderosa and Wall fires. One issue contributing to employee frustration was the calculation of straight time pay and overtime pay when employees worked from one pay period directly into the next, as a result of being called in for an emergency. The RMCs employees Skilled Trade Units' Memorandum of Understanding does not specifically address this scenario. Embracing Technology PW is embracing new technology to improve the way it conducts business. The Grand Jury experienced firsthand how easy it is to communicate with RMCs in the field. A combination of smart phones and radios ensures that the RMCs can effectively be reached even when in remote areas. Determination of accurate boundaries between the incorporated cities and the County can be very confusing. If RMCs are in doubt regarding a boundary, they consult an app on their smart phones using Geographic Information Systems Mapping Technology to verify correct jurisdiction. htta://www,bLIttecount .iiet/itis/Honie.as)x Blocked culverts in steep terrain, mudslides, and downed trees can create situations where inspections are difficult or hazardous. Drone technology may offer better visual inspection of a worksite with less danger to staff. Kudos to the Road Maintenance Division Crews During the course of the investigation, the Grand Jury learned of the extraordinary efforts taken by the Road Maintenance Division over the past year. Butte County was declared a disaster area 83 because of flooding, erosion and mudslides caused by two consecutive years of exceptionally heavy rainfall. In addition, the Oroville Crew of the Road Maintenance Division played an active role in assuring public safety during the Oroville Dam Spillway evacuation and with the recent major wild fires. The RMCs are responsible for implementing road closures as well as providing staff for the Emergency Action Committee during emergency situations. The crews were called out repeatedly for this purpose. PW oversaw the maintenance and repair of access roads during the Oroville Darn Spillway emergency. Movement of the many overweight trucks over access roads, already saturated by rainfall, caused some of these roads to fail. PW contracted for steel plating to be placed on damaged roads to allow continual accessibility. PW performed admirably during these emergencies without receiving any publicity. The Grand Jury commends the Department for the work it does which assures the safety and comfort of the citizens of this County. 84 FINDINGS Fl, Online complaint form is user friendly but is not consistently updated. F2. Proper calculation of employee overtime pay is unclear in certain scenarios. F3. Low compensation package contributes to increased turnover for entry-level positions. F4. Assessing hazards can put employees in danger. F5. Appropriate mapping applications are used to determine city versus County jurisdiction. RECOMMENDATIONS R1. Effective immediately, RMC Supervisors must update the complaint log upon completion of a job. R2. County must address recruitment and employee retention policies by October 31, 2018, R3. Investigate the use and implementation of drone technology by December 31, 2018. 85 REQUEST FOR RESPONSES Pursuant to Penal Code Section 933.05, the Grand Jury requests responses as follows: • The Butte County Board of Supervisors respond to: F2, F3, F4, R2, and R3 within 90 days. • The Butte County Chief Administrative Officer respond to: F t, F2, F3, R2, and R3 within 60 days. • The Butte County Public Works Director respond to: F 1, F2, F3, F4, R1, R2, and R3 within 60 days. The governing bodies indicated above should be aware that comment or response must be conducted subject to the notice, agenda, and open meeting requirements of the Brown Act. Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the naive of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. 86