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County of San Bernardino Grand Jury final report
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County of San Bernardino
Grand Jury Final Report
2004 - 2005
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
1
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
The Administrative Committee was responsible for reviewing the following boards,
departments and agencies:
Board of Supervisors
Boards, Committees and Commissions
Clerk of the Board
County Administrative Office
County Counsel
County Superintendent of Schools
Human Resources Department
Information Services Department
Local Agency Formation Commission ( LAFCo)
The chairman of the Administrative Committee attended all Board of Supervisors
meetings and reported on the actions taken and the community interaction with the Board.
The Administrative Committee established seven subcommittees to investigate and
review the functions and operations of selected departments. Department heads and key
staff members were interviewed and visitation reports were completed. Not all
investigations resulted in recommendations.
The subcommittee for the County Superintendent of Schools did visit with the
Superintendent and some of his key personnel. The visitation report was completed, but
is not included in this report because the funding of this department is through the State of
California.
The Local Agency Formation Commission ( LAFCo) was not visited. This was due
to their direct control and funding by the State of California.
The committee also reviewed two complaints, which ended without cause for
investigation.
The investigations completed by the Administrative Committee resulted in the
following final reports and recommendations.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
2
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
BACKGROUND
The Board of Supervisors adopted the 2004- 2005 final budget of $ 2.8 billion on
June 22, 2004. The budget was established while facing the potential of significant State
budget reductions. Each department was asked to consider “ its ability to satisfy its
customers by providing service that promotes the health, safety, well being, and quality of
life of its residents according to the County Charter, general laws, and will of the people it
serves”.
In addition, each department was asked to create “ a safe, clean, and healthy
environment that appeals to families and individuals, and attracts the best in business and
industry”. While the Board of Supervisors asked its employees to support this vision and
goals, they took the extra step to set aside $ 67.8 million to address potential unfunded
issues.
The Grand Jury took its oath and began investigations into all departments of
County government. The Administrative Committee accepted the challenge and began its
investigation of the Board of Supervisors.
FINDINGS
The Board of Supervisors ( BOS) directed the County Administrative Officer to
create a positive image for the County of San Bernardino. It is perceived that the Board is
willing to provide a new atmosphere, but the task seems difficult to communicate and
implement. Several department heads have been asked to resign or have been
terminated in the past twelve months. Even with these changes, the prevalent perception
is that the County is conducting “ business as usual.”
In addition to this perception, another major concern has been with the
responsibility of the Supervisors. During interviews with the Supervisors, it was
determined by their statements that it is “ difficult to run a campaign without special interest
money”. Some Supervisors emphasized that their “ friends are important to their
campaign’s success”. The hiring of friends and family exists throughout the County.
Currently there is no public oversight of the hiring practices by the individual members of
the Board of Supervisors.
With the increase in computer use, e- mails, instant communications and a constant
barrage from the media, it is difficult to keep local problems within the local environment.
San Bernardino County now has the new challenge to provide a positive image to the
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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national community. Our investigations also found that the Board has no jurisdiction over
who is hired by another elected official. Hiring individuals who are not qualified is only
subject to the citizens’ reactions and change can only occur from intense pressure by the
public.
For a variety of reasons, San Bernardino County has a difficult time attracting talent
to work in its governmental offices. One underlying reason is based on the past corruption
that has occurred, along with the accompanying negative publicity.
One major interest of concern for the Administrative Committee in its interviews
with the Supervisors was their assessment of the need for additional jail space. The
current facilities are overcrowded and subject to prisoner early release. The Supervisors
discussed this issue for a number of months and concluded that the County should
purchase a private prison in the upper desert in the City of Adelanto for a cost of $ 32
million. The purchase was completed, but the problem of overcrowded jails remains. This
additional prison space does not completely solve the immediate problem and does not
address the long- range concerns for space.
It is a known fact that County property has been set aside for a new jail in Apple
Valley adjacent to the newly completed Juvenile detention facility. Most of the off- site
infrastructure improvements have already been completed. The estimated cost to build a
new jail facility in Apple Valley is over $ 200 million and is a subject of discussions between
the BOS and Sheriff’s Department.
The Board is making a serious effort with the County’s Law and Justice Group to
curb the gang and drug problems in the Inland Empire. Initially, the increase in gang
enforcement will increase the need for jail space. That, coupled with population growth,
creates the continuing need for additional jail space.
The County of San Bernardino County has a gift policy for its elected officials and
employees covered by the County’s Conflict of Interest Code. Pursuant to Government
Code Section 89503 the overall gift limit for a calendar year is $ 360 from one source. This
must be declared and filed as a Statement of Economic Interest ( Form 700). Officials and
employees required to file a Form 700 must also declare any receipt of gifts of $ 50 or
more.
In recent years there have been problems with County officials accepting gifts
above the legal limit and not declaring the receipt of such gifts. In discussions about the
current gift policy with members of the County government, it was stated that a “ no gift”
policy may be good for the image of the County but difficult to enforce. Receipt of gifts by
public officials from those who do business with the County has the effect of eroding public
confidence.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 01 CREATE AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ALL HIRING
PRACTICES BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
05- 02 CONSTRUCT A NEW JAIL FACILITY IN APPLE VALLEY WHILE THE
CURRENT INTEREST RATES ARE AT A LOW LEVEL, TO ENSURE
ADEQUATE JAIL SPACE.
05- 03 ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE A “ NO GIFT POLICY” FOR COUNTY
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
5
COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
BACKGROUND
The County Administrative Officer ( CAO) is appointed by the Board of Supervisors
to implement Board decisions and manage the business of County government. The
CAO’s job is to manage the day- to- day affairs of the County and implement the policies
and decisions of the Board of Supervisors ( BOS). Nearly 40 departments work under the
supervision of the CAO, which provide approximately $ 2.8 billion worth of services to the
1.7 million residents of San Bernardino County.
The CAO prepares budget and operational recommendations for the Board of
Supervisors, monitors and controls Countywide expenditures, analyzes and advocates
legislation, coordinates capital improvement projects and debts, assesses leasing and
space management, performs demographic and geographic research, and monitors city
redevelopment activities to ensure legal conformance and mitigate negative impact on
County resources.
The CAO provides central coordination for the County’s strategic planning and
performance measurement efforts, coordinates emergency preparedness activities and
cost recovery efforts following major emergencies and disasters, administers insurance
management programs, addresses unincorporated area issues, collaborates with
departments to deliver exceptional service to children and their families. The CAO
coordinates centralized workplace programs and initiates and promotes activities which
provide information about the County to the public.
The CAO makes such studies and investigations as the administrator believes
necessary or desirable and makes any study or investigations the BOS requests. All
County officers and departments assist in the preparation of such studies as directed by
the CAO.
Before the Board makes any administrative appointment to a County office,
department or institution, the CAO recommends one or more qualified persons for the
position. The administrator may recommend that the BOS suspend or remove any person
holding an administrative position in cases where the Board has powers to appoint and
remove.
The CAO’s responsibilities are enormous as they relate to the efficiency and
effectiveness of its operations. After 15 years of unstable leadership and questionable
management, the Board of Supervisors appointed the current CAO to take charge of its
administrative offices, operations, budget ($ 2.8 billion) and 18,000 employees.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
6
FINDINGS
The frequent turnover in top administrators prompted the Grand Jury to review all
new operational policies and procedures. The Grand Jury was interested in finding out
what was being done to restore credibility to San Bernardino County.
Immediately, the Grand Jury found that the Coroner was unable to meet the
challenges of the Labor Day weekend ( September 2004), which resulted in overcrowding
and stacking of bodies. The Coroner did not implement several recommendations of
previous Grand Juries, which contributed to the merging of the Coroner’s office with the
Sheriff’s Department. This was followed by the requested resignation of the directors of
the Behavioral Health Department and the Architecture and Engineering Department. The
CAO then requested and received the resignation of the Registrar of Voters.
The relationship between the Human Resources Director and the president of the
Sheriff’s Employees Benefit Association added to the continuing scandals of the County.
The disclosure of having improper relations during negotiations of a new contract between
the County and Sheriff’s employees created the possibility of a conflict of interest. The
Grand Jury believes that this may have had a major impact on the County’s budget. The
CAO asked for the resignation of the Director of Human Resources.
Later, the CAO requested the Public Defender resign. The term “ error in judgment”
is prevalent in the reasons given by the administration for all of these resignations.
The CAO is making every effort to change the image of the County. With the
recent resignations of several major departmental personnel, it reflects the CAO’s strong
commitment to reflect a positive influence in the County. It will take a long time for
everyone to begin to change and follow County policy and regulations. It is the perception
of “ business continues as usual” that must be eliminated in order to restore sound
government. The CAO has proposed to implement a “ customer service” workshop for all
County employees.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 04 THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WORK TO RESTORE
INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY TO THE COUNTY OF SAN
BERNARDINO.
05- 05 THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER PREPARE AN
“ ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT” TO BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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05- 06 MONITOR “ CUSTOMER SERVICE” THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY BY
SOME INSTRUMENT TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
BACKGROUND
The Public Information Officer ( PIO) reports directly to the County Administrative
Officer ( CAO) and works closely with the Board of Supervisors ( BOS) and County
departments in the dissemination of County information. The job of the PIO is to promote
public understanding of County goals, programs, policies and services. The PIO acts as a
spokesperson for the County and arranges press conferences, tours and County
dedications.
FINDINGS
The Public Information Officer provides journalistic services to the Board of
Supervisors and the County Administrative Office. The PIO communicates with the media
about matters of special concern to the Board and the CAO. If requested, the PIO will
provide these same services to other County departments and special districts. Several
County departments have their own Public Information divisions and do not require the
assistance of the County PIO. There is no current coordination of these services and
media contact at the County level. There are no formal scheduled meetings with the
Board of Supervisors to discuss public information.
The Public Information Officer has no assigned staff. A secretary will occasionally
assist in event planning and answers the telephone when the PIO is out of the office.
Typing, newspaper clipping and Internet research are clerical tasks that are currently
performed by the PIO. A majority of the work time is consumed with responding to media
inquiries.
A goal of the office is to provide more direct communication with the public through
mailings, newsletters, County brochures, radio and local cable television. There is a
County newsletter, The Straight Arrow, which is offered on the County webpage; the last
publication available online is May, 2004. Local newspapers are the primary source of
getting the County message out. A second goal is to establish a toll free telephone
number for citizen use. This number would be a link for the public to get timely and
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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accurate information on County services. This would be of particular help to those who
reside a long distance from San Bernardino.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 07 THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS IN OTHER COUNTY
DEPARTMENTS TO COORDINATE THE COUNTY MESSAGE.
05- 08 ASSIGN A PERMANENT FULL- TIME CLERK TO ASSIST IN THE PUBLIC
INFORMATION OFFICE IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC.
05- 09 INCREASE EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH ALL
COUNTY CITIZENS REGARDING COUNTY ISSUES AND CONCERNS.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT
BACKGROUND
The Human Resources Department ( HRD) has 209 employees of the more than
16,000 San Bernardino County employees. The HRD is engaged in adjusting and
updating its personnel hiring practices with classified staffing, and rebuilding its leadership
teams. HRD is developing avenues to reestablish employee trust, refine hiring procedures
and working with the union to finalize the collective bargaining agreements.
The recent changes in leadership at the Human Resources Department initiated
the Grand Jury’s review of the department. Discussion with the new leadership of HRD
included inquiry relating to ongoing competitive hiring practices, vacancy rates and also
who the ultimate decision makers were in the hiring and release of County personnel.
FINDINGS
The Human Resources Department indicated a big improvement was made in the
competitive processes in hiring individuals. Standard procedural rules govern the hiring of
classified service employees. Non- classified employees are governed by department
requirements. It was stated that the Board of Supervisors ( BOS) is the ultimate decision
maker in the hiring and release of County employees. The HRD can make
recommendations on discipline of employees, but those decisions can be challenged
and/ or taken to a higher level. The HRD provides a modified process for those individual’s
slated for employment in the BOS office because Board staff is considered unclassified,
pursuant to the County Personnel Rules. Those particular employees have to qualify for
the job, but are not required to go through the entire HRD hiring processes. The Fair
Labor Standards Act is applied to all personnel hired, with the exception of exempt
employees. Exempt employees are those hired by the BOS and other elected officials of
the County.
Each department develops a background protocol based upon the scope of work
assigned to their employees. Some classifications require a more thorough background
assessment than others. The Sheriff’s Department, for example, has staff dedicated to
conducting rigorous checks of all applicants for safety positions and a less rigorous check
of civilian employees. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center ( ARMC) employees have
different background check procedures that meet hospital mandates on employee
accreditation. Other departments have different levels of checks dependent upon whether
the employee handles legal documents, cash, or highly confidential information.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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In the area of employee reclassification, a clear policy on procedures is adhered to.
In case of significant changes in an individuals or job classifications duties and
responsibilities, the change must receive approval from the BOS.
The process or procedure for soliciting persons for employment in a particular
department warrants that the department provides HRD with the minimum qualifications
candidates must possess. HRD starts the application process and proceeds to post the
job, take applications, determine qualifications, test applicants and establish eligibility lists.
The exam or tests applicants are administered help establish a list of the 10 top
candidates. The candidates’ names are then listed in alphabetical order and sent to the
requesting department for interview and final selection. According to Federal and State
Civil Service procedures, five candidates are referred in the hiring process.
Rules regarding the examination processes used by HRD are included in the
County Personnel Rules. Periodic changes to the rules are negotiated with the recognized
employee associations, reviewed by the County’s Civil Service Commission, and approved
by the Board of Supervisors.
Depending on classification, employees have a probationary period of six to nine
months, with most benefits becoming effective after two weeks of employment. Sick leave
and vacation leave accrual begin immediately upon hiring, but cannot be used until
probation is completed.
All County employee benefits are negotiated by collective bargaining agreements.
HRD believes giving employee benefits up front is a good recruitment tool. When an
employee leaves or retires from County employment, unused vacation and sick leave
hours are paid. The sick leave hours are determined on a pro- rated basis depending on
years of service.
HRD stated it posts an average of 275 eligibility lists per month in a 12- month
period. Each list is used to fill a vacant position( s). The number of vacancies for the 12-
month period March 2003 to March 2004 was approximately 3,300 positions. Vacancies
occur for several reasons such as employee promotions, lateral transfers and
terminations. The actual total cost for lateral changes, transfers and new employment is
unknown. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.6 percent of the American
work force left their jobs in 2004. The most recent figure in January 2005 indicates the
number has risen to 1.9 percent. Recent studies from the Angott Search Group estimate
turnover costs range from a conservative 30 percent of annual salary plus benefits, to as
much as 150 percent of a worker’s yearly pay.
Vacancies are advertised on an as needed basis. Specialized positions require
more targeted advertising in professional websites and publications. Other positions can
be readily filled through County website postings. Departments are billed for advertising
for positions in their departments. As employees leave a particular department, each
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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individual department, at its discretion, conducts an exit interview with those employees.
Recent studies show that retaining workers is going to get tougher for employers.
Employees are looking for better opportunities and better working conditions. Employees
are also interested in child care and other workplace perks.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 10 ALL EMPLOYEES HIRED BY THE COUNTY, WHETHER THE POSITION
IS UNDER A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT OR AN EXEMPT
POSITION, SHOULD GO THROUGH THE HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT’S REGULAR HIRING PROCESS.
05- 11 THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REVIEW THE PRESENT
SYSTEM OF REFERRING TEN ( 10) INDIVIDUALS TO DEPARTMENTS
FOR EACH JOB INTERVIEW, AS IT RELATES TO TIME AND COST.
05- 12 THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND DETERMINE
THE REASONS FOR SUCH A HIGH TURNOVER RATE AND THE
ACTUAL COST TO PROCESS AND HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT
GRAND JURY WEBPAGE
www. sbcounty. gov/ grandjury
BACKGROUND
The Information Services Department ( ISD) provides various communication and
information technology services to all County departments and special districts. The
department maintains a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week computer operations and systems
support help desk. The department is on the cutting edge of introduction and
implementation of new technologies including: Voiceover Internet Protocol ( VoIP),
Geographic Information Systems ( GIS), Storage Area Network, Asynchronous Transfer
Mode ( ATM) and fiber optics.
ISD is responsible for the administration of the WAN/ LAN for the County and the
maintenance of the County’s website. Upon request, the ISD will create a webpage to be
included on the County website.
FINDINGS
In the past, citizens had to call the Grand Jury office to request Grand Jury
volunteer applications, complaint forms, copies of the Grand Jury report, courthouse
location and any other information concerning the Grand Jury. The 2004- 2005 Grand Jury
requested ISD create a webpage to be incorporated into the County website to provide
better and immediate communication with the public. The ISD worked with the Grand Jury
and the Grand Jury Assistant to ensure all requested details of the page were included.
Content was directed by the Grand Jury and the graphic design and layout were
developed by ISD. The coordinated effort produced an effective webpage for the Grand
Jury.
COMMENDATION
THE 2004- 2005 GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE COOPERATION AND
PROFESSIONALISM OF THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE
CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GRAND JURY WEBPAGE
EXCEEDED THE GRAND JURY’S REQUESTS.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
13
AUDIT/ FISCAL COMMITTEE
The Audit/ Fiscal Committee reviewed the operations and functions of the following
County departments:
Assessor
Auditor/ Controller- Recorder
Treasurer- Tax Collector
The Audit/ Fiscal Committee appointed one subcommittee for the Assessor. The
full committee was used on reviews and investigations of other departments.
No contract audit was requested.
There were no significant findings or recommendations for the office of the
Treasurer- Tax Collector. Included in this report are the findings and recommendations of
the Audit/ Fiscal Committee.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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ASSESSOR
BACKGROUND
The Assessor determines the current assessed value of vacant land, improved real
estate, business property and certain manufactured homes, boats and aircraft for property
tax purposes.
The Assessor has nine ( 9) district offices for the convenience of the citizens of San
Bernardino County. Offices are located in Barstow, Big Bear, Fontana, Needles, Ontario,
San Bernardino, Twin Peaks, Victorville and Yucca Valley. At the present time the
Assessor is interested in adding a tenth district office in Rancho Cucamonga. The
Assessor is committed to providing various services that help provide information and
good will, including a website on the Internet. The department also uses newspapers,
seminars, tours, help week and speeches to schools, service organizations and local
businesses to promote the department. Assessor personnel provide assistance in tax
exemptions, exclusion relief and reappraisals. The department uses the Assistant
Assessor as the information services/ public information person.
Grand Jurors met with the Assessor and his key staff to review current assessment
processes and inquire into the integration of new computers and state- of- the- art software
appraisal/ assessment activities.
FINDINGS
Based upon Proposition 13 passed by the voters in June 1978, the Assessor is
required to appraise real property as of the date of the change in ownership or as of the
date of completion of any new construction. The property will be assessed on the basis of
the new valuation. The assessed value then may only be increased each year by an
inflationary rate not to exceed two percent ( 2%) per year unless there has been new
construction or a change in ownership.
The maximum amount of property tax cannot exceed one percent ( 1%) of the
property’s appraised value, plus any bonded indebtedness or fees as approved by the
voters, and special assessments fees approved by governing bodies.
When a change in ownership occurs, the Assessor receives a copy of the deed and
determines if an appraisal is required under State law. If it is required, an appraisal is
made to determine the current assessed value of the property. The property owner is then
notified of the new assessment and has the right to discuss the new value with the
Assessor and/ or appeal the value through the appeals process.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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Proposition 60 was a constitutional amendment approved by California voters in
1986. It allows the transfer of an existing Proposition 13 base year value from a former
residence to a replacement residence. This benefit is open to homeowners who are at
least 55 years old and meet the requirements outlined in the conditions below. If either
spouse is over age 55 or disabled, Proposition 60 allows replacement of a primary
residence with a new home of equal or lesser value within the same county and transfer of
the Prop. 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property.
Proposition 90 is a State law which allows anyone over age 55 to transfer the value
of their property between counties if Prop. 90 is approved by that county’s Board of
Supervisors. Only eight counties in the State have opted to adhere to the provisions of
Prop. 90. San Bernardino County’s Board of Supervisors has not approved the provisions
of Prop. 90.
New equipment and software has been acquired by the Assessor’s office that will
improve efficiency, accuracy and cost effectiveness of daily operations in the office. The
hardware includes 120 new desktop computers, all of which have been deployed and are
currently in use. The remainder of the computers are in the process of being distributed
and set up.
Along with the hardware, the Assessor has purchased a new program, called AES,
which deals with comparable sales. This program deals only with the sale of residences,
not new construction. Presently, all of the research dealing with comparison values of
property must be done manually. The new faster, more accurate program will provide the
comparisons automatically. An added benefit is that the same number of workers will be
able to handle the growing workload, thus reducing the need to hire more appraisers.
The Assessor’s office regularly receives data used for appraisals and assessments
from the Recorder’s office. This information must be downloaded and placed into the
Assessor’s database. This information includes copies of deeds, ownership records, etc.
The establishment of an online, real- time system of sharing this information with these
other agencies has been in development and is expected to be completed in the next
fiscal year. This would expedite the Assessor’s operations. Such a system would move
the department toward its goal of becoming a “ paperless” department.
The office utilizes the Geographical Information System ( GIS) to create Assessor’s
parcel maps used in the appraisals and assessments. Overhead high definition imagery
from aircraft and satellites would give the department the ability to assess homes
throughout the County.
An analysis of the workload generated by required audits mandated by State law
has shown a requirement for an additional six ( 6) positions in the Business Division of the
Assessor’s office. The plan is to hire lower level staff that can do the routine daily tasks
and take the pressure off those State certified auditors qualified to conduct the audits.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 13 PROPOSE TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THE ADOPTION AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION 90 INTO THE COUNTY OF SAN
BERNARDINO.
05- 14 THE ASSESSOR EMPLOY THE REQUIRED PERSONNEL IN ORDER TO
IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED AUDITS MANDATED BY STATE LAW.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
17
AUDITOR/ CONTROLLER- RECORDER
AND COUNTY CLERK
INTRODUCTION
The Auditor/ Controller- Recorder and County Clerk is an elected office. The mission
of the Auditor/ Controller- Recorder ( ACR) is to provide superior accounting, auditing and
recording services in accordance with legal requirements and professional standards.
The Audit/ Fiscal Committee looked at four areas within the ACR responsibility and each is
addressed separately.
CONTROLLER DIVISION
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
BACKGROUND
The Accounts Payable division audits claims then issues and mails warrants
( payments) for legal and valid claims, cancels all outdated ( stale) warrants and reissues on
request, issues stop payments and verifies reported forgeries on County warrants. The
Audit/ Fiscal Committee investigated this to determine the length of time for payments to be
made.
FINDINGS
The standard for processing payments is ten business days. Standards are not
always met. Staff estimates the standards are met 90 percent of the time. Timeline starts
when a form comes in and is time- stamped. When it is paid in the Fiscal Accounting
System ( FAS), it is again date stamped with an ending date. Each desk does not prioritize
work by date stamp to meet timelines. An Electronic Fund Transfer ( EFT) to an
individual’s bank is processed 2 to 3 days after the final date on the documents.
The method for assessing the volume of work on an employee’s desk is to use a
ruler and measure the width of documents in trays. Attention is paid if the measurement
becomes too large. Each desk has a different norm based on the type of work/ function
performed at that desk. These measurements are included in the Weekly Workload
Status Report which is used by the supervisor to give assistance in problem areas. Under
the present procedure, it is impossible for a supervisor to come up with a percentage of
on- time work using the Weekly Status Report.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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A complaints log is not maintained in the Accounts Payable Department. Most
complaints come in e- mail form, which the supervisor flags. The problem is immediately
corrected by the supervisor or directed to the appropriate individual. If the flagged e- mail
is not sent back with the corrective action, the supervisor will follow- up at that time to
ensure the problem gets resolved. There is no record other than incoming e- mail and
subsequent e- mail showing correction. E- mails are not saved. First- line supervision takes
all incoming complaints and corrects them.
Overtime reports for fiscal years 2003- 04, 2002- 03 and 2001- 02 were not readily
available. Overtime is not the first option when Accounts Payable or Data Entry falls
behind schedule, as far as processing and posting of payment documents are concerned.
At the beginning of the investigation, we were advised that a new accounting
system was scheduled for implementation in July 2005. The new system is an on- line
system that allows departments to electronically transmit payment requests. The new
system will check for errors, thus diminishing, but not eliminating, auditing. However,
current information is that the system will not be fully developed until July 2006.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 15 USE DATE STAMPS TO DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE OF ON- TIME
WORK FOR EACH EMPLOYEE TO BETTER IDENTIFY THOSE
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT MEETING STANDARDS AND NEED
ASSISTANCE.
05- 16 RECORD THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS BEING DATE STAMPED TO
ASCERTAIN THE VOLUME OF WORK RECEIVED ON A GIVEN DAY.
RECORD THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS GIVEN TO EACH DESK TO
PROCESS.
05- 17 AT THE END OF EACH WORK DAY, MOVE DOCUMENTS NOT
PROCESSED WITHIN TIMELINES TO A FIRST- TO- BE- PROCESSED
AREA FOR THE NEXT DAY’S WORK.
05- 18 MAINTAIN A LOG OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS WHICH WOULD
INCLUDE RESOLUTIONS AND PERTINENT INFORMATION TO
IDENTIFY REPEAT PROBLEM AREAS.
05- 19 MAINTAIN ACCURATE, TIMELY REPORTS ON THE USE OF OVERTIME
IN ORDER TO BUDGET CORRECTLY FOR KNOWN PERIODS OF HIGH
VOLUME.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
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DATA ENTRY
BACKGROUND
Data Entry keypunches all transactions and transmits all keyed batches to
Information Services. The Audit/ Fiscal Committee reviewed this unit after discovering ties
to timelines for Accounts Payable.
FINDINGS
There are five Data Entry employees. Each employee processes 30 to 40 batches
per day; each batch contains ten ( 10) documents. Employees’ type input from the first
page of documents, saving them from searching through a packet. At the beginning of the
day each employee takes five ( 5) batches from the bins for input. When completed, those
batches are returned and the employee takes five ( 5) batches to verify. This is done by
actually inputting all data as if it had not been input previously. This is how mistakes are
caught. No employee inputs and verifies the same batch, allowing for double- checking. A
log of batches is maintained.
The speed of data entry is based on key strokes which are counted by the
computer software. A report is generated once a month which shows key strokes and
errors. In March 2004 employees began using a Windows based program. This has
reduced the speed of data entry; prior speed levels have not yet been attained. The
speed measurements are frozen at this time until learning the new program is completed.
Employees earn higher compensation for being above the minimum key strokes expected.
Completed batches are transmitted into FAS ( Fiscal Accounting System) overnight,
between 6: 00 and 11: 00 p. m. Occasionally a payment will reject due to discrepancies
during the FAS nightly run. The documents will be pulled and the discrepancy corrected
and reprocessed. When the daily batches are complete and transmitted, they are date
stamped and stored in appropriate boxes and kept in Data Entry for two months. Then the
boxes are taken to a downstairs storage area and remain there for up to three years. The
boxes are then taken offsite to be stored until destruction, which is normally another two
years.
“ A new accounting system is in the building”, with a revised implementation goal of
mid- 2006. The new on- line system allows departments to access the system and
electronically transmit payment requests. There are some departments, such as small
special districts, that may not have the computers/ technology to access the system and
will continue submitting the payment requests the old way.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
20
Power outages in the ACR building are an ongoing problem, especially in the
summer. When a lengthy outage occurs, batteries can no longer sustain the building’s
needs. The ACR is looking into having generators installed for back- up.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 20 EVALUATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEES ONCE
THE NEW ACCOUNTING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED.
05- 21 ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR BACK- UP GENERATORS.
AUDITOR DIVISION
INTERNAL AUDITS
BACKGROUND
The Internal Audits Division of the ACR performs operational and financial audits of
departments, offices, agencies and special districts. It provides management with
objective appraisals as to the status of operations of the audited organizations. It
evaluates internal controls and assesses business risks.
FINDINGS
A list of audits completed by the Internal Audits Division and external auditors for
fiscal years 2001- 02, 2002- 03 and 2003- 04 was provided to the Grand Jury. These lists
are based on the issue dates of the reports and not the audit period. An example is the
audit reports issued by the external auditors on December 15, 2003 are for the fiscal year
ended June 30, 2003. The reports for school district audits started in fiscal year 2003-
2004 will not be issued until fiscal year 2004- 2005.
The Risk- Based Internal Audit Plan was submitted to the Board of Supervisors in
February of 2003. The plan had performance audits projected to start in fiscal year 2002-
2003. Needed startup procedures, staff turnover and mandated audits caused
performance audits to not fully begin until fiscal year 2003- 2004. Six performance audits
were started during July, 2003- June, 2004. As of November 4, 2005, the reports had not
yet been issued. The Auditor will continue to increase the number of performance audits
over time to meet the goals set in the Risk- Based Internal Audit Plan, as resources allow.
The plan has not been fully implemented. The significant number of mandated audits
impacts the ability to conduct periodic performance audits.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
21
RECOMMENDATION
05- 22 IMPLEMENT THE RISK- BASED INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN IN A MORE
TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER
RECORDER DIVISION
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
BACKGROUND
The ACR was given responsibility for the Records Management Program on July 1,
2001.
In 2001 the County Administrative Office ( CAO) did a survey of 33 departments on
document retention and found there are 57 different off- site storage areas, with no
particular safety or security measures. Each individual department negotiates their own
storage contract; therefore the ACR office does not know the location of these facilities.
The locations where ACR stores records are: Hall of Records, 222 West Hospitality
Lane, San Bernardino; Records Management Center and Central Stores, 777 East Rialto
Avenue, San Bernardino; Iron Mountain, 13379 Jurupa Avenue, Fontana.
FINDINGS
A consultant was contracted at a cost of $ 74,000 to help ACR employees develop a
retention schedule and records management policy for all County departments. The ACR
retention schedule is complete. The Treasurer/ Tax Collector and the District Attorney
have begun to develop their retention schedules. The next two departments to develop
their retention schedules will be Human Resources and Information Services. Each
department has to determine how long, for what reason and to what extent documents are
to be retained. Documents prior to 1992 are now scheduled to be shredded.
The County maintains documents and records from as far back as 1853. Original
documents from the formation of the County are maintained. Documents that relate to
legal obligations and/ or custodial issues are required to be maintained. There is no
current electronic technology that produces records of archival quality. There are boxes of
stored documents in a warehouse on Rialto Avenue. There are plans to move the
Archives to a more secure location. Approval from the CAO is needed to move Archives
to a different area/ building. This will open up approximately 5,000 square feet in the
warehouse.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
22
The consultant is knowledgeable of all requirements for retention and/ or
destruction. After the consultant makes recommendations, software systems can be
studied. The CAO is requiring each department designate a lead person for records
management. The consultant, along with two designated ACR employees, will assist
departments with training on records management responsibilities. The two ACR
employees have been assigned this project in addition to their regular job duties and are
not dedicated to only records management.
A new records retention center is needed for the ACR, but a site for that facility has
not been selected. The ACR is conducting an assessment of the existing Records
Management storage facilities. This will determine if the space requires remodeling or if
new construction will be required.
The Auditor stated the department is in the initial stages of a lengthy project. To
fully implement the project, a building, software, personnel and funding are required. Each
County department requires training in records management. The task of Records
Management has been a low priority for departments, so it is a challenge for the ACR to
change the mind- set of each department. This low priority has caused delays in
implementation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 23 THE AUDITOR/ CONTROLLER- RECORDER APPOINT TWO FULL- TIME
STAFF DEDICATED TO IMPLEMENTING THE COUNTY RECORDS
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
05- 24 EXPEDITE A DECISION ON A CENTRAL RECORDS RETENTION
CENTER.
05- 25 ACCELERATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM IN ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
23
COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE
One of the functions of the Grand Jury is to review complaints from the general
public. The Complaints Committee reviews all complaints submitted to the Grand Jury on
the standard complaint form.
Each complaint is treated in the strictest confidence and reviewed only by the
Complaints Committee, unless it is deemed appropriate to forward it to the proper
committee for action.
During the period July 1, 2004 to June 15, 2005 the Grand Jury received 17
complaints. One complaint was referred to the Administrative Committee, three were
assigned to the Law and Justice Committee and 13 resulted in no action being taken by
the Complaints Committee. Each complainant was informed of the action taken on their
complaint.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
25
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/
PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE
The Economic Development/ Public Services Committee was charged with the
review and investigation of the operations and functions of the following departments:
Agriculture/ Weights & Measures
Airports
County Fire
County Library
County Museum
Economic and Community Development
Jobs and Employment Services
Land Use Services
Public Works
Flood Control
Geographic Information Management System
Solid Waste Management
Surveyor
Transportation
Redevelopment Agency
Regional Parks
Registrar of Voters
Special Districts
The ED/ PS Committee established subcommittee teams to review the operation
and function of each department. Visitations were made to all departments of the sub-committees
responsibilities.
Findings and recommendations from investigations are detailed in this final report
for the following departments:
Airports
County Fire
Public Works Department – Flood Control District
Registrar of Voters
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
26
AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT
BACKGROUND
Grand Jurors interviewed the Director of Airports for the six County airports which
are located in Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow- Daggett, Chino, Needles and Twentynine
Palms. All are general aviation airports. The department has 27 employees: one director
with six administrative and fiscal employees and the remainder are maintenance
personnel. Funding for the Airports Department comes from user fees, tie- down fees,
parking fees, fuel fees and leases. The total operational budget for 2003- 2004 totaled
$ 1.9 million. In addition, Jurors made onsite visits to the Chino and Apple Valley airports
to observe first- hand the operations and facilities.
An overview of each of the six airports and the main reasons they are valuable to
the County was provided by the Director.
Apple Valley Airport serves the high desert and provides year- round flying
services, which include Airport Wings Cafe ´ , tie- downs, hangars,
maintenance, charters, rentals and flight training.
Baker Airport is an emergency airfield and a strategic location for flying in
parts for broken down trucks. The airport is unattended and offers no
services.
Barstow- Daggett is located near the city of Barstow. It was built in 1933 as
a CAA beacon site. Besides general aviation, the airport is used by the
military for landing and parking of military aircraft. Tie- down services,
hangars and fuel are the main sources of revenue.
Chino Airport is the largest airport operated by the Airports Department.
The FAA has designated the 1,100- acre facility a Level II control tower
operation. FAA has also selected it as a “ reliever airport” for Ontario and
John Wayne Airports. It has more than 400 leases and houses more than
1,000 aircraft, with 24- hour fuel service, hangars and tie- down services.
Needles Airport is located at the most eastern end of San Bernardino
County. The airport offers maintenance, fuel and pilot supplies through its
Fixed Base Operator ( FBO). It is also a full service airport.
Twentynine Palms Airport is located near Joshua Tree National Park. It
provides tie- down, fuel and FBO service.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
27
The airports are able to produce enough income to cover their budget. It is from
this account that improvements to the airports are funded. All excess funds are mandated
by law to remain with the Airports and become part of their contingency fund.
FINDINGS
The Airports Department is able to generate operating funds, and is frugal in its
spending. The maintenance staff does the majority of capital improvements, thereby
cutting costs tremendously. The budget is watched very carefully. One “ line item” in the
budget stands out, and that is insurance premiums. When questioned about the high cost
of insurance, it was explained that the airport insurance rates are based upon the square
footage of hangars and nose docks, as well as other buildings. The County Risk
Management Department calculates the charges using the same formula that is used for
all other County facilities, including the County Government Center. The methods used
are unequal and unfairly calculated. The replacement cost per square foot for hangars
and nose docks is less than the cost to rebuild the Government Center building, yet the
insurance rate is the same.
An example is the nose dock at Barstow- Daggett Airport. It is nothing more than a
pole barn used to keep aircraft out of the sun while maintenance is being performed. It
would cost much less to replace such a structure if destroyed, compared to replacing one
of the County executive offices. This inequity must be addressed for two reasons: the
budget is totally funded by the airport- generated income, and it is an unfair practice.
RECOMMENDATION
05- 26 THE COUNTY RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT REVIEW THE
METHOD CURRENTLY BEING USED TO DETERMINE INSURANCE
COSTS TO THE AIRPORTS. ADJUST THE RATE AND CHARGE THE
AIRPORT A FAIR PREMIUM BASED ON ACTUAL REPLACEMENT
COSTS.
APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT ( APV)
Apple Valley Airport is owned by County Service Area 60. CSA 60 provides a tax
base for the airport’s operations and contributes in excess of $ 500,000 annually for capital
improvements. CSA 60 is an area approximately the size of the state of Rhode Island and
includes the towns of Apple Valley, Adelanto, Hesperia and Victorville as well as portions
of the unincorporated desert area. While CSA 60 owns the airport, it is located within the
town limits of Apple Valley and is governed by the Board of Supervisors.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
28
Regarding the Town of Apple Valley and its desire to acquire the airport for its own
use, it has not been clearly shown that some of the approved economic development is in
the best interest of the airport. The transfer of the airport’s ownership from the CSA to the
Town would create financial burdens for the airport and create major changes in the
operations of the airport. It will cause serious employment changes to the current staff
because the funding is now done with the CSA 60 funds that will be lost. This also means
that the employees would not be able to continue as County employees, thus causing
major benefit deficits. There is evidence of great pride in the present “ airport team”
organization. The on- again/ off- again negotiations to acquire the airport only promote
instability in the daily lives of the employees and hinder the filling of the vacant airport
manager position. This uncertainty has the potential to affect employee morale as well as
career status.
There have been some serious flaws in the ability to understand how to develop the
properties adjacent to the airport. For example, the Apple Valley Town Council approved
a heavy lift helicopter facility just a few miles off the north end of the main runway. This
facility is directly in the path of the only FAA approved instrument approach to the airport.
The Airports Department was not consulted nor advised or notified when the Council held
its meeting to approve the location of this facility.
The airport has two usable runways. The main north- south runway is 6,500 feet in
length and can easily handle large corporate jets. The crosswind runway ( 4,100’) runs
east- west at the base of the main runway and is primarily used when light aircraft are
unable to use the main runway due to high crosswinds. The only instrument approach to
the airport is at the north end of the main runway.
The airport has a large amount of recreational and sports aviation activity. The
Experimental Aircraft Association ( EAA) is very active and has many home- built aircraft
based at the airport as well as many “ on- site” aircraft being built. Aerobatic flying is a
major recreational activity and nearby there is a designated area that is FAA- certified
specifically for aerobatics. The area is west of and not a part of the airport.
There are several tenants that are part of the economic development of the airport.
One of the major tenants is Midfield Aviation Company ( MAC). MAC leases property and
in turn provides services to the flying public. MAC also leases/ rents hangar space and has
tie- down spaces available for rent. MAC does maintenance on aircraft and has a training
program to teach flying.
The County leases space to other flying services in competition with Midfield
Aviation. The County also has its own portable hangars and tie- downs as well as
permanent structures for lease. In addition, the County has full- hangars for lease or rent
for executive jets. The County has a fuel island that provides both aviation gas and jet
fuel. Aztec Aviation manages the gas sales. The County’s operations provide competition
for Midfield Aviation.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
29
The north- south runway is in need of a “ run up area” to allow aircraft to get off the
taxiway as soon as possible. With the increase in business in the surrounding cities,
more corporate jets are bringing more company executives to the area. Therefore, an
area for the parking of corporate jets is needed, which would allow jet blast to be diverted
away from the smaller aircraft parked in the area.
At the present time the County is building a facility that will house CHP offices,
helicopters and fixed aircraft hangars. The County Sheriff helicopters will also use this
facility.
With regard to plans for further development at the airport, parcels of land were
observed adjacent to the ramp area and taxiways that are ideal for new hangars,
executive aircraft facilities and potential aircraft maintenance operations. There has been
more interest shown lately in APV because of the increased development in the area and
congestion at other airports in the San Bernardino Valley. If Rialto Airport closes, APV
may benefit from some of its displaced aviation related businesses, activities and tenants.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 27 IMMEDIATELY HIRE AN AIRPORT MANAGER AT APPLE VALLEY
AIRPORT RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE
TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY’S EFFORTS TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE
AIRPORT.
05- 28 APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT WORK WITH THE FAA AND THE TOWN OF
APPLE VALLEY TO RELOCATE THE HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER
FACILITY TO ELIMINATE THE SERIOUS HAZARD IN THE ONLY
INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT.
05- 29 IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY
AND ITS LAND USE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO PREVENT
CONSTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AND STRUCTURES IN
THE LANDING APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT.
05- 30 APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT FUND A “ RUN- UP AREA” TO THEIR MAIN
RUNWAY IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT AND KEEP
TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS CLEAR.
05- 31 APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT PROVIDE AN AREA WHERE CORPORATE
JETS WOULD BE ABLE TO PARK AND LEAVE WITHOUT CAUSING
PROBLEMS DUE TO THEIR “ JET BLAST”.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
30
CHINO AIRPORT ( CNO)
Chino Airport is owned by San Bernardino County. Its revenue is generated by its
leases, rentals, and percentages of sales by some tenants. All income made at the airport
is spent on the County Airports system. Any profit goes back into the Airports system and
no money is budgeted from the General Fund of San Bernardino County. If the whole
process of running the County airports just breaks even, then this is considered a
successful support of the transportation system.
Chino Airport was formerly a base run by Cal Aero Academy to train pilots during
WWII. It consists of 1,100 acres and is now located within the city limits of Chino. Many of
the buildings are World War II vintage, but are serviceable. The airport has more than 400
leases and is home to more than 1,000 aircraft.
There is constant construction at the airport. Tenants sign long- term leases with
the County and build hangars and offices to meet their needs. Once the lease is
concluded, the building and the property revert to the County. The skills and experience
of six maintenance personnel are used to make renovations that meet requirements of
new tenants.
The airport houses the “ Planes of Fame” and “ Yanks Air” museums. Flo’s Café is
a flourishing business, but has been shut down on occasion due to maintenance and
safety problems. The Airports Department collects a percentage of their total business
operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) has designated the Chino Airport Tower
as a Level II FAA facility whose daily operations are from 7: 00 a. m. to 9: 00 p. m. It is also
designated as a “ reliever airport” for Orange County’s John Wayne Airport. That relieves
this commercial airport of having a large amount of general aviation traffic that conflicts
with commercial flights. The airport’s 7,000- foot runway is able to accommodate the latest
aircraft. It is important that Chino Airport operate its facilities with the understanding that
the economic development on airport property be related to aviation related industries.
Several executive and corporate hangars are being developed as part of a master-planned
operation at Chino Airport. Increasing economic and housing developments have
encouraged companies to be highly interested in Chino. As capacity at other LA area
airports fills, a greater demand for facilities is expected at Chino Airport. Turboprops and
mid- sized jets will fit in its flexible hangars floor plans and one of its runways is sufficient to
accommodate jets of any size. Optional features may include bathrooms, crew quarters,
loft areas, office space, air conditioning and security. Hangars can be as large as 80’ x
120’ in size.
The airport is secured by fence around the entire facility. Electronic gates require
special access cards and are limited to tenants and official personnel. A new asphalt
perimeter road has been completed to eliminate vehicle traffic crossing aircraft “ taxi”
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
31
and/ or landing areas. The Chino Police Department has an office at the airport and
provides additional security and service. The Chino Valley Fire Department provides the
necessary fire protection and also has a fire station at the airport.
Chino Airport is a busy airport with more than 165,000 annual operations ( an
operation is a takeoff or landing of an aircraft). To clarify, there were 82,500 aircraft
landings and 82,500 take- offs at Chino Airport. The field has instrument approaches and
its runway lights remain on even after the tower is shut down at 9: 00 p. m.
Corporate leases for housing of corporate jets are increasing due to the economic
development within the area, and several housing and commercial contractors are
developing the surrounding area. This will attract more businesses to the airport. Long-range
plans call for private companies to use the airport as a base of operations for their
corporate aircraft. More condo type hangars are anticipated. This will create the potential
of significant increases in the number of passengers using the airport facilities. There is
no passenger terminal building at this airport. Housing development is expected to
increase by more than 40,000 homes within the next 15 to 20 years.
Economic development at Chino Airport is vital to its operations. More important is
that these developments be aviation related. At the present time there are more than 395
jobs that have been created by 60 employers on the airport site, of which 46 employers
are aviation related. The other 14 employers who lease space at the airport, lease at the
will of the airport manager and can be terminated as new aviation tenants become
available.
RECOMMENDATIONS
05- 32 THE AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT REPAIR AND REMODEL FLO’S CAFE ´
AT CHINO AIRPORT TO CURRENT FOOD SERVICE AND
CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.
05- 33 CONSTRUCT A TERMINAL AT CHINO AIRPORT TO PROVIDE A SAFE
PLACE FOR PASSENGERS TO WAIT AND A BETTER PLACE FOR
AIRCRAFT TO PICK- UP AND DE- PLANE PASSENGERS.
05- 34 THE AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT CONTINUE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AT CHINO AIRPORT BASED UPON AIRCRAFT
RELATED BUSINESSES.
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
32
COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
BACKGROUND
The County Fire Department ( CFD) provides fire suppression and emergency
medical/ rescue services to County unincorporated areas and contract cities. The Fire
Department is a special district fire department. Employees are not County employees but
Special District employees. One of the main reasons for the special district structure is to
limit the liability to the County of San Bernardino.
The department’s responsibility covers 65 communities over 16,225 square miles
and consists of 67 fire stations, 35 fire districts, 469 employees, 421 paid- call firefighters,
with more than 500 vehicles. The current CFD operating budget is $ 86 million. The
department is funded by ad valorem property taxes, Federal and State grants, money from
Homeland Security, and $ 2.6 million from the County General Fund. Fiscal year 2005-
2006 funding will be critical as some of the grants will end and are not renegotiable or
renewable.
County Fire is divided into four ( 4) divisions: North Desert, South Desert, Mountain,
and Valley Divisions. The North and South Divisions cover vast territory where growth is
not occurring, except along the freeway corridors. The cost to provide service is a serious
challenge. In addition, nearby cities and adjoining states of Arizona and Nevada are paid
to provide needed additional service. Growth in the Valley and Mountain Divisions
continues and revenue for fire and emergency service are maintained. Several proposals
to consolidate the divisions into one fire district have been reviewed and presented to the
Board of Supervisors.
FINDINGS
San Bernardino County is so large that in some areas emergency services are
seriously limited. Because fire departments are generally the first to respond to
emergencies, two areas of the County are in desperate need of immediate attention:
Interstate 15 and Interstate 40.
Due to the long distances and the high traffic volume of these corridors, there is
extreme concern about the length of time it takes for medical services to reach accident
victims. No other state ( in the lower 48 states) has this amount of “ uncovered mileage”
along Federal and/ or state highways.
According to the California Highway Patrol Department ( CHP), vehicles traveling on
Interstate 15 totaled more than 4,700 per hour and on Interstate 40, 1,500 per hour. As of
July 2004 traffic volume has increased, which is directly responsible for nearly 2,100
collisions on Interstate 15 and 300 on Interstate 40 ( See Tables 1 & 2). As a result, 2,075
2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report
33
people were injured and 122 people were killed in this two- year period. CHP reports that
the first hour after an injury occurs, known as the “ golden hour”, is the most critical time.
Emergency services on these highways are more than that “ golden hour” away.
County Fire Department is always the first called on all emergency problems in the
desert. Whether dealing with fire, accidents or other emergencies, these two interstate
highways are seriously limited in coverage. Interstate 15 from Baker to the Nevada State
line is served by one captain and two paid- call firefighters out of Baker. The County must
pay the motel costs for the accommodations of these two firefighters. The equipment is
left out in the elements. CFD has a working agreement with a nearby prison to use
inmates to help with fire and emergency se
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| Rating | |
| Title | County of San Bernardino Grand Jury final report |
| Subject | California. Grand Jury (San Bernardino County)--Periodicals.; San Bernardino County (Calif.)--Politics and government--Periodicals. |
| Description | Description based on: 2003/2004; title from opening screen of PDF.; Harvested from the web on 2/14/07 |
| Creator | California. Grand Jury (San Bernardino County) |
| Publisher | San Bernardino County Grand Jury] |
| Type | Text |
| Identifier | http://digitalarchive.oclc.org/request?id%3Doclcnum%3A144613424; http://www.sbcounty.gov/grandjury/splash.asp |
| Language | eng |
| Relation | http://worldcat.org/oclc/144613424/viewonline |
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| Relation-Requires | Mode of access: Internet.; System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. |
| Transcript | County of San Bernardino Grand Jury Final Report 2004 - 2005 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 1 ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE The Administrative Committee was responsible for reviewing the following boards, departments and agencies: Board of Supervisors Boards, Committees and Commissions Clerk of the Board County Administrative Office County Counsel County Superintendent of Schools Human Resources Department Information Services Department Local Agency Formation Commission ( LAFCo) The chairman of the Administrative Committee attended all Board of Supervisors meetings and reported on the actions taken and the community interaction with the Board. The Administrative Committee established seven subcommittees to investigate and review the functions and operations of selected departments. Department heads and key staff members were interviewed and visitation reports were completed. Not all investigations resulted in recommendations. The subcommittee for the County Superintendent of Schools did visit with the Superintendent and some of his key personnel. The visitation report was completed, but is not included in this report because the funding of this department is through the State of California. The Local Agency Formation Commission ( LAFCo) was not visited. This was due to their direct control and funding by the State of California. The committee also reviewed two complaints, which ended without cause for investigation. The investigations completed by the Administrative Committee resulted in the following final reports and recommendations. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 2 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BACKGROUND The Board of Supervisors adopted the 2004- 2005 final budget of $ 2.8 billion on June 22, 2004. The budget was established while facing the potential of significant State budget reductions. Each department was asked to consider “ its ability to satisfy its customers by providing service that promotes the health, safety, well being, and quality of life of its residents according to the County Charter, general laws, and will of the people it serves”. In addition, each department was asked to create “ a safe, clean, and healthy environment that appeals to families and individuals, and attracts the best in business and industry”. While the Board of Supervisors asked its employees to support this vision and goals, they took the extra step to set aside $ 67.8 million to address potential unfunded issues. The Grand Jury took its oath and began investigations into all departments of County government. The Administrative Committee accepted the challenge and began its investigation of the Board of Supervisors. FINDINGS The Board of Supervisors ( BOS) directed the County Administrative Officer to create a positive image for the County of San Bernardino. It is perceived that the Board is willing to provide a new atmosphere, but the task seems difficult to communicate and implement. Several department heads have been asked to resign or have been terminated in the past twelve months. Even with these changes, the prevalent perception is that the County is conducting “ business as usual.” In addition to this perception, another major concern has been with the responsibility of the Supervisors. During interviews with the Supervisors, it was determined by their statements that it is “ difficult to run a campaign without special interest money”. Some Supervisors emphasized that their “ friends are important to their campaign’s success”. The hiring of friends and family exists throughout the County. Currently there is no public oversight of the hiring practices by the individual members of the Board of Supervisors. With the increase in computer use, e- mails, instant communications and a constant barrage from the media, it is difficult to keep local problems within the local environment. San Bernardino County now has the new challenge to provide a positive image to the 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 3 national community. Our investigations also found that the Board has no jurisdiction over who is hired by another elected official. Hiring individuals who are not qualified is only subject to the citizens’ reactions and change can only occur from intense pressure by the public. For a variety of reasons, San Bernardino County has a difficult time attracting talent to work in its governmental offices. One underlying reason is based on the past corruption that has occurred, along with the accompanying negative publicity. One major interest of concern for the Administrative Committee in its interviews with the Supervisors was their assessment of the need for additional jail space. The current facilities are overcrowded and subject to prisoner early release. The Supervisors discussed this issue for a number of months and concluded that the County should purchase a private prison in the upper desert in the City of Adelanto for a cost of $ 32 million. The purchase was completed, but the problem of overcrowded jails remains. This additional prison space does not completely solve the immediate problem and does not address the long- range concerns for space. It is a known fact that County property has been set aside for a new jail in Apple Valley adjacent to the newly completed Juvenile detention facility. Most of the off- site infrastructure improvements have already been completed. The estimated cost to build a new jail facility in Apple Valley is over $ 200 million and is a subject of discussions between the BOS and Sheriff’s Department. The Board is making a serious effort with the County’s Law and Justice Group to curb the gang and drug problems in the Inland Empire. Initially, the increase in gang enforcement will increase the need for jail space. That, coupled with population growth, creates the continuing need for additional jail space. The County of San Bernardino County has a gift policy for its elected officials and employees covered by the County’s Conflict of Interest Code. Pursuant to Government Code Section 89503 the overall gift limit for a calendar year is $ 360 from one source. This must be declared and filed as a Statement of Economic Interest ( Form 700). Officials and employees required to file a Form 700 must also declare any receipt of gifts of $ 50 or more. In recent years there have been problems with County officials accepting gifts above the legal limit and not declaring the receipt of such gifts. In discussions about the current gift policy with members of the County government, it was stated that a “ no gift” policy may be good for the image of the County but difficult to enforce. Receipt of gifts by public officials from those who do business with the County has the effect of eroding public confidence. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 01 CREATE AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ALL HIRING PRACTICES BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 05- 02 CONSTRUCT A NEW JAIL FACILITY IN APPLE VALLEY WHILE THE CURRENT INTEREST RATES ARE AT A LOW LEVEL, TO ENSURE ADEQUATE JAIL SPACE. 05- 03 ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE A “ NO GIFT POLICY” FOR COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 5 COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER BACKGROUND The County Administrative Officer ( CAO) is appointed by the Board of Supervisors to implement Board decisions and manage the business of County government. The CAO’s job is to manage the day- to- day affairs of the County and implement the policies and decisions of the Board of Supervisors ( BOS). Nearly 40 departments work under the supervision of the CAO, which provide approximately $ 2.8 billion worth of services to the 1.7 million residents of San Bernardino County. The CAO prepares budget and operational recommendations for the Board of Supervisors, monitors and controls Countywide expenditures, analyzes and advocates legislation, coordinates capital improvement projects and debts, assesses leasing and space management, performs demographic and geographic research, and monitors city redevelopment activities to ensure legal conformance and mitigate negative impact on County resources. The CAO provides central coordination for the County’s strategic planning and performance measurement efforts, coordinates emergency preparedness activities and cost recovery efforts following major emergencies and disasters, administers insurance management programs, addresses unincorporated area issues, collaborates with departments to deliver exceptional service to children and their families. The CAO coordinates centralized workplace programs and initiates and promotes activities which provide information about the County to the public. The CAO makes such studies and investigations as the administrator believes necessary or desirable and makes any study or investigations the BOS requests. All County officers and departments assist in the preparation of such studies as directed by the CAO. Before the Board makes any administrative appointment to a County office, department or institution, the CAO recommends one or more qualified persons for the position. The administrator may recommend that the BOS suspend or remove any person holding an administrative position in cases where the Board has powers to appoint and remove. The CAO’s responsibilities are enormous as they relate to the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations. After 15 years of unstable leadership and questionable management, the Board of Supervisors appointed the current CAO to take charge of its administrative offices, operations, budget ($ 2.8 billion) and 18,000 employees. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 6 FINDINGS The frequent turnover in top administrators prompted the Grand Jury to review all new operational policies and procedures. The Grand Jury was interested in finding out what was being done to restore credibility to San Bernardino County. Immediately, the Grand Jury found that the Coroner was unable to meet the challenges of the Labor Day weekend ( September 2004), which resulted in overcrowding and stacking of bodies. The Coroner did not implement several recommendations of previous Grand Juries, which contributed to the merging of the Coroner’s office with the Sheriff’s Department. This was followed by the requested resignation of the directors of the Behavioral Health Department and the Architecture and Engineering Department. The CAO then requested and received the resignation of the Registrar of Voters. The relationship between the Human Resources Director and the president of the Sheriff’s Employees Benefit Association added to the continuing scandals of the County. The disclosure of having improper relations during negotiations of a new contract between the County and Sheriff’s employees created the possibility of a conflict of interest. The Grand Jury believes that this may have had a major impact on the County’s budget. The CAO asked for the resignation of the Director of Human Resources. Later, the CAO requested the Public Defender resign. The term “ error in judgment” is prevalent in the reasons given by the administration for all of these resignations. The CAO is making every effort to change the image of the County. With the recent resignations of several major departmental personnel, it reflects the CAO’s strong commitment to reflect a positive influence in the County. It will take a long time for everyone to begin to change and follow County policy and regulations. It is the perception of “ business continues as usual” that must be eliminated in order to restore sound government. The CAO has proposed to implement a “ customer service” workshop for all County employees. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 04 THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WORK TO RESTORE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY TO THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO. 05- 05 THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER PREPARE AN “ ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT” TO BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 7 05- 06 MONITOR “ CUSTOMER SERVICE” THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY BY SOME INSTRUMENT TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER BACKGROUND The Public Information Officer ( PIO) reports directly to the County Administrative Officer ( CAO) and works closely with the Board of Supervisors ( BOS) and County departments in the dissemination of County information. The job of the PIO is to promote public understanding of County goals, programs, policies and services. The PIO acts as a spokesperson for the County and arranges press conferences, tours and County dedications. FINDINGS The Public Information Officer provides journalistic services to the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrative Office. The PIO communicates with the media about matters of special concern to the Board and the CAO. If requested, the PIO will provide these same services to other County departments and special districts. Several County departments have their own Public Information divisions and do not require the assistance of the County PIO. There is no current coordination of these services and media contact at the County level. There are no formal scheduled meetings with the Board of Supervisors to discuss public information. The Public Information Officer has no assigned staff. A secretary will occasionally assist in event planning and answers the telephone when the PIO is out of the office. Typing, newspaper clipping and Internet research are clerical tasks that are currently performed by the PIO. A majority of the work time is consumed with responding to media inquiries. A goal of the office is to provide more direct communication with the public through mailings, newsletters, County brochures, radio and local cable television. There is a County newsletter, The Straight Arrow, which is offered on the County webpage; the last publication available online is May, 2004. Local newspapers are the primary source of getting the County message out. A second goal is to establish a toll free telephone number for citizen use. This number would be a link for the public to get timely and 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 8 accurate information on County services. This would be of particular help to those who reside a long distance from San Bernardino. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 07 THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS IN OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO COORDINATE THE COUNTY MESSAGE. 05- 08 ASSIGN A PERMANENT FULL- TIME CLERK TO ASSIST IN THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC. 05- 09 INCREASE EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH ALL COUNTY CITIZENS REGARDING COUNTY ISSUES AND CONCERNS. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 9 HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND The Human Resources Department ( HRD) has 209 employees of the more than 16,000 San Bernardino County employees. The HRD is engaged in adjusting and updating its personnel hiring practices with classified staffing, and rebuilding its leadership teams. HRD is developing avenues to reestablish employee trust, refine hiring procedures and working with the union to finalize the collective bargaining agreements. The recent changes in leadership at the Human Resources Department initiated the Grand Jury’s review of the department. Discussion with the new leadership of HRD included inquiry relating to ongoing competitive hiring practices, vacancy rates and also who the ultimate decision makers were in the hiring and release of County personnel. FINDINGS The Human Resources Department indicated a big improvement was made in the competitive processes in hiring individuals. Standard procedural rules govern the hiring of classified service employees. Non- classified employees are governed by department requirements. It was stated that the Board of Supervisors ( BOS) is the ultimate decision maker in the hiring and release of County employees. The HRD can make recommendations on discipline of employees, but those decisions can be challenged and/ or taken to a higher level. The HRD provides a modified process for those individual’s slated for employment in the BOS office because Board staff is considered unclassified, pursuant to the County Personnel Rules. Those particular employees have to qualify for the job, but are not required to go through the entire HRD hiring processes. The Fair Labor Standards Act is applied to all personnel hired, with the exception of exempt employees. Exempt employees are those hired by the BOS and other elected officials of the County. Each department develops a background protocol based upon the scope of work assigned to their employees. Some classifications require a more thorough background assessment than others. The Sheriff’s Department, for example, has staff dedicated to conducting rigorous checks of all applicants for safety positions and a less rigorous check of civilian employees. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center ( ARMC) employees have different background check procedures that meet hospital mandates on employee accreditation. Other departments have different levels of checks dependent upon whether the employee handles legal documents, cash, or highly confidential information. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 10 In the area of employee reclassification, a clear policy on procedures is adhered to. In case of significant changes in an individuals or job classifications duties and responsibilities, the change must receive approval from the BOS. The process or procedure for soliciting persons for employment in a particular department warrants that the department provides HRD with the minimum qualifications candidates must possess. HRD starts the application process and proceeds to post the job, take applications, determine qualifications, test applicants and establish eligibility lists. The exam or tests applicants are administered help establish a list of the 10 top candidates. The candidates’ names are then listed in alphabetical order and sent to the requesting department for interview and final selection. According to Federal and State Civil Service procedures, five candidates are referred in the hiring process. Rules regarding the examination processes used by HRD are included in the County Personnel Rules. Periodic changes to the rules are negotiated with the recognized employee associations, reviewed by the County’s Civil Service Commission, and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Depending on classification, employees have a probationary period of six to nine months, with most benefits becoming effective after two weeks of employment. Sick leave and vacation leave accrual begin immediately upon hiring, but cannot be used until probation is completed. All County employee benefits are negotiated by collective bargaining agreements. HRD believes giving employee benefits up front is a good recruitment tool. When an employee leaves or retires from County employment, unused vacation and sick leave hours are paid. The sick leave hours are determined on a pro- rated basis depending on years of service. HRD stated it posts an average of 275 eligibility lists per month in a 12- month period. Each list is used to fill a vacant position( s). The number of vacancies for the 12- month period March 2003 to March 2004 was approximately 3,300 positions. Vacancies occur for several reasons such as employee promotions, lateral transfers and terminations. The actual total cost for lateral changes, transfers and new employment is unknown. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.6 percent of the American work force left their jobs in 2004. The most recent figure in January 2005 indicates the number has risen to 1.9 percent. Recent studies from the Angott Search Group estimate turnover costs range from a conservative 30 percent of annual salary plus benefits, to as much as 150 percent of a worker’s yearly pay. Vacancies are advertised on an as needed basis. Specialized positions require more targeted advertising in professional websites and publications. Other positions can be readily filled through County website postings. Departments are billed for advertising for positions in their departments. As employees leave a particular department, each 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 11 individual department, at its discretion, conducts an exit interview with those employees. Recent studies show that retaining workers is going to get tougher for employers. Employees are looking for better opportunities and better working conditions. Employees are also interested in child care and other workplace perks. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 10 ALL EMPLOYEES HIRED BY THE COUNTY, WHETHER THE POSITION IS UNDER A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT OR AN EXEMPT POSITION, SHOULD GO THROUGH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT’S REGULAR HIRING PROCESS. 05- 11 THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REVIEW THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF REFERRING TEN ( 10) INDIVIDUALS TO DEPARTMENTS FOR EACH JOB INTERVIEW, AS IT RELATES TO TIME AND COST. 05- 12 THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND DETERMINE THE REASONS FOR SUCH A HIGH TURNOVER RATE AND THE ACTUAL COST TO PROCESS AND HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 12 INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT GRAND JURY WEBPAGE www. sbcounty. gov/ grandjury BACKGROUND The Information Services Department ( ISD) provides various communication and information technology services to all County departments and special districts. The department maintains a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week computer operations and systems support help desk. The department is on the cutting edge of introduction and implementation of new technologies including: Voiceover Internet Protocol ( VoIP), Geographic Information Systems ( GIS), Storage Area Network, Asynchronous Transfer Mode ( ATM) and fiber optics. ISD is responsible for the administration of the WAN/ LAN for the County and the maintenance of the County’s website. Upon request, the ISD will create a webpage to be included on the County website. FINDINGS In the past, citizens had to call the Grand Jury office to request Grand Jury volunteer applications, complaint forms, copies of the Grand Jury report, courthouse location and any other information concerning the Grand Jury. The 2004- 2005 Grand Jury requested ISD create a webpage to be incorporated into the County website to provide better and immediate communication with the public. The ISD worked with the Grand Jury and the Grand Jury Assistant to ensure all requested details of the page were included. Content was directed by the Grand Jury and the graphic design and layout were developed by ISD. The coordinated effort produced an effective webpage for the Grand Jury. COMMENDATION THE 2004- 2005 GRAND JURY COMMENDS THE COOPERATION AND PROFESSIONALISM OF THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GRAND JURY WEBPAGE EXCEEDED THE GRAND JURY’S REQUESTS. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 13 AUDIT/ FISCAL COMMITTEE The Audit/ Fiscal Committee reviewed the operations and functions of the following County departments: Assessor Auditor/ Controller- Recorder Treasurer- Tax Collector The Audit/ Fiscal Committee appointed one subcommittee for the Assessor. The full committee was used on reviews and investigations of other departments. No contract audit was requested. There were no significant findings or recommendations for the office of the Treasurer- Tax Collector. Included in this report are the findings and recommendations of the Audit/ Fiscal Committee. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 14 ASSESSOR BACKGROUND The Assessor determines the current assessed value of vacant land, improved real estate, business property and certain manufactured homes, boats and aircraft for property tax purposes. The Assessor has nine ( 9) district offices for the convenience of the citizens of San Bernardino County. Offices are located in Barstow, Big Bear, Fontana, Needles, Ontario, San Bernardino, Twin Peaks, Victorville and Yucca Valley. At the present time the Assessor is interested in adding a tenth district office in Rancho Cucamonga. The Assessor is committed to providing various services that help provide information and good will, including a website on the Internet. The department also uses newspapers, seminars, tours, help week and speeches to schools, service organizations and local businesses to promote the department. Assessor personnel provide assistance in tax exemptions, exclusion relief and reappraisals. The department uses the Assistant Assessor as the information services/ public information person. Grand Jurors met with the Assessor and his key staff to review current assessment processes and inquire into the integration of new computers and state- of- the- art software appraisal/ assessment activities. FINDINGS Based upon Proposition 13 passed by the voters in June 1978, the Assessor is required to appraise real property as of the date of the change in ownership or as of the date of completion of any new construction. The property will be assessed on the basis of the new valuation. The assessed value then may only be increased each year by an inflationary rate not to exceed two percent ( 2%) per year unless there has been new construction or a change in ownership. The maximum amount of property tax cannot exceed one percent ( 1%) of the property’s appraised value, plus any bonded indebtedness or fees as approved by the voters, and special assessments fees approved by governing bodies. When a change in ownership occurs, the Assessor receives a copy of the deed and determines if an appraisal is required under State law. If it is required, an appraisal is made to determine the current assessed value of the property. The property owner is then notified of the new assessment and has the right to discuss the new value with the Assessor and/ or appeal the value through the appeals process. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 15 Proposition 60 was a constitutional amendment approved by California voters in 1986. It allows the transfer of an existing Proposition 13 base year value from a former residence to a replacement residence. This benefit is open to homeowners who are at least 55 years old and meet the requirements outlined in the conditions below. If either spouse is over age 55 or disabled, Proposition 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value within the same county and transfer of the Prop. 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property. Proposition 90 is a State law which allows anyone over age 55 to transfer the value of their property between counties if Prop. 90 is approved by that county’s Board of Supervisors. Only eight counties in the State have opted to adhere to the provisions of Prop. 90. San Bernardino County’s Board of Supervisors has not approved the provisions of Prop. 90. New equipment and software has been acquired by the Assessor’s office that will improve efficiency, accuracy and cost effectiveness of daily operations in the office. The hardware includes 120 new desktop computers, all of which have been deployed and are currently in use. The remainder of the computers are in the process of being distributed and set up. Along with the hardware, the Assessor has purchased a new program, called AES, which deals with comparable sales. This program deals only with the sale of residences, not new construction. Presently, all of the research dealing with comparison values of property must be done manually. The new faster, more accurate program will provide the comparisons automatically. An added benefit is that the same number of workers will be able to handle the growing workload, thus reducing the need to hire more appraisers. The Assessor’s office regularly receives data used for appraisals and assessments from the Recorder’s office. This information must be downloaded and placed into the Assessor’s database. This information includes copies of deeds, ownership records, etc. The establishment of an online, real- time system of sharing this information with these other agencies has been in development and is expected to be completed in the next fiscal year. This would expedite the Assessor’s operations. Such a system would move the department toward its goal of becoming a “ paperless” department. The office utilizes the Geographical Information System ( GIS) to create Assessor’s parcel maps used in the appraisals and assessments. Overhead high definition imagery from aircraft and satellites would give the department the ability to assess homes throughout the County. An analysis of the workload generated by required audits mandated by State law has shown a requirement for an additional six ( 6) positions in the Business Division of the Assessor’s office. The plan is to hire lower level staff that can do the routine daily tasks and take the pressure off those State certified auditors qualified to conduct the audits. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 16 RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 13 PROPOSE TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION 90 INTO THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO. 05- 14 THE ASSESSOR EMPLOY THE REQUIRED PERSONNEL IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED AUDITS MANDATED BY STATE LAW. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 17 AUDITOR/ CONTROLLER- RECORDER AND COUNTY CLERK INTRODUCTION The Auditor/ Controller- Recorder and County Clerk is an elected office. The mission of the Auditor/ Controller- Recorder ( ACR) is to provide superior accounting, auditing and recording services in accordance with legal requirements and professional standards. The Audit/ Fiscal Committee looked at four areas within the ACR responsibility and each is addressed separately. CONTROLLER DIVISION ACCOUNTS PAYABLE BACKGROUND The Accounts Payable division audits claims then issues and mails warrants ( payments) for legal and valid claims, cancels all outdated ( stale) warrants and reissues on request, issues stop payments and verifies reported forgeries on County warrants. The Audit/ Fiscal Committee investigated this to determine the length of time for payments to be made. FINDINGS The standard for processing payments is ten business days. Standards are not always met. Staff estimates the standards are met 90 percent of the time. Timeline starts when a form comes in and is time- stamped. When it is paid in the Fiscal Accounting System ( FAS), it is again date stamped with an ending date. Each desk does not prioritize work by date stamp to meet timelines. An Electronic Fund Transfer ( EFT) to an individual’s bank is processed 2 to 3 days after the final date on the documents. The method for assessing the volume of work on an employee’s desk is to use a ruler and measure the width of documents in trays. Attention is paid if the measurement becomes too large. Each desk has a different norm based on the type of work/ function performed at that desk. These measurements are included in the Weekly Workload Status Report which is used by the supervisor to give assistance in problem areas. Under the present procedure, it is impossible for a supervisor to come up with a percentage of on- time work using the Weekly Status Report. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 18 A complaints log is not maintained in the Accounts Payable Department. Most complaints come in e- mail form, which the supervisor flags. The problem is immediately corrected by the supervisor or directed to the appropriate individual. If the flagged e- mail is not sent back with the corrective action, the supervisor will follow- up at that time to ensure the problem gets resolved. There is no record other than incoming e- mail and subsequent e- mail showing correction. E- mails are not saved. First- line supervision takes all incoming complaints and corrects them. Overtime reports for fiscal years 2003- 04, 2002- 03 and 2001- 02 were not readily available. Overtime is not the first option when Accounts Payable or Data Entry falls behind schedule, as far as processing and posting of payment documents are concerned. At the beginning of the investigation, we were advised that a new accounting system was scheduled for implementation in July 2005. The new system is an on- line system that allows departments to electronically transmit payment requests. The new system will check for errors, thus diminishing, but not eliminating, auditing. However, current information is that the system will not be fully developed until July 2006. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 15 USE DATE STAMPS TO DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE OF ON- TIME WORK FOR EACH EMPLOYEE TO BETTER IDENTIFY THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT MEETING STANDARDS AND NEED ASSISTANCE. 05- 16 RECORD THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS BEING DATE STAMPED TO ASCERTAIN THE VOLUME OF WORK RECEIVED ON A GIVEN DAY. RECORD THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS GIVEN TO EACH DESK TO PROCESS. 05- 17 AT THE END OF EACH WORK DAY, MOVE DOCUMENTS NOT PROCESSED WITHIN TIMELINES TO A FIRST- TO- BE- PROCESSED AREA FOR THE NEXT DAY’S WORK. 05- 18 MAINTAIN A LOG OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS WHICH WOULD INCLUDE RESOLUTIONS AND PERTINENT INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY REPEAT PROBLEM AREAS. 05- 19 MAINTAIN ACCURATE, TIMELY REPORTS ON THE USE OF OVERTIME IN ORDER TO BUDGET CORRECTLY FOR KNOWN PERIODS OF HIGH VOLUME. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 19 DATA ENTRY BACKGROUND Data Entry keypunches all transactions and transmits all keyed batches to Information Services. The Audit/ Fiscal Committee reviewed this unit after discovering ties to timelines for Accounts Payable. FINDINGS There are five Data Entry employees. Each employee processes 30 to 40 batches per day; each batch contains ten ( 10) documents. Employees’ type input from the first page of documents, saving them from searching through a packet. At the beginning of the day each employee takes five ( 5) batches from the bins for input. When completed, those batches are returned and the employee takes five ( 5) batches to verify. This is done by actually inputting all data as if it had not been input previously. This is how mistakes are caught. No employee inputs and verifies the same batch, allowing for double- checking. A log of batches is maintained. The speed of data entry is based on key strokes which are counted by the computer software. A report is generated once a month which shows key strokes and errors. In March 2004 employees began using a Windows based program. This has reduced the speed of data entry; prior speed levels have not yet been attained. The speed measurements are frozen at this time until learning the new program is completed. Employees earn higher compensation for being above the minimum key strokes expected. Completed batches are transmitted into FAS ( Fiscal Accounting System) overnight, between 6: 00 and 11: 00 p. m. Occasionally a payment will reject due to discrepancies during the FAS nightly run. The documents will be pulled and the discrepancy corrected and reprocessed. When the daily batches are complete and transmitted, they are date stamped and stored in appropriate boxes and kept in Data Entry for two months. Then the boxes are taken to a downstairs storage area and remain there for up to three years. The boxes are then taken offsite to be stored until destruction, which is normally another two years. “ A new accounting system is in the building”, with a revised implementation goal of mid- 2006. The new on- line system allows departments to access the system and electronically transmit payment requests. There are some departments, such as small special districts, that may not have the computers/ technology to access the system and will continue submitting the payment requests the old way. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 20 Power outages in the ACR building are an ongoing problem, especially in the summer. When a lengthy outage occurs, batteries can no longer sustain the building’s needs. The ACR is looking into having generators installed for back- up. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 20 EVALUATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEES ONCE THE NEW ACCOUNTING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED. 05- 21 ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR BACK- UP GENERATORS. AUDITOR DIVISION INTERNAL AUDITS BACKGROUND The Internal Audits Division of the ACR performs operational and financial audits of departments, offices, agencies and special districts. It provides management with objective appraisals as to the status of operations of the audited organizations. It evaluates internal controls and assesses business risks. FINDINGS A list of audits completed by the Internal Audits Division and external auditors for fiscal years 2001- 02, 2002- 03 and 2003- 04 was provided to the Grand Jury. These lists are based on the issue dates of the reports and not the audit period. An example is the audit reports issued by the external auditors on December 15, 2003 are for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003. The reports for school district audits started in fiscal year 2003- 2004 will not be issued until fiscal year 2004- 2005. The Risk- Based Internal Audit Plan was submitted to the Board of Supervisors in February of 2003. The plan had performance audits projected to start in fiscal year 2002- 2003. Needed startup procedures, staff turnover and mandated audits caused performance audits to not fully begin until fiscal year 2003- 2004. Six performance audits were started during July, 2003- June, 2004. As of November 4, 2005, the reports had not yet been issued. The Auditor will continue to increase the number of performance audits over time to meet the goals set in the Risk- Based Internal Audit Plan, as resources allow. The plan has not been fully implemented. The significant number of mandated audits impacts the ability to conduct periodic performance audits. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 21 RECOMMENDATION 05- 22 IMPLEMENT THE RISK- BASED INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN IN A MORE TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER RECORDER DIVISION RECORDS MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND The ACR was given responsibility for the Records Management Program on July 1, 2001. In 2001 the County Administrative Office ( CAO) did a survey of 33 departments on document retention and found there are 57 different off- site storage areas, with no particular safety or security measures. Each individual department negotiates their own storage contract; therefore the ACR office does not know the location of these facilities. The locations where ACR stores records are: Hall of Records, 222 West Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino; Records Management Center and Central Stores, 777 East Rialto Avenue, San Bernardino; Iron Mountain, 13379 Jurupa Avenue, Fontana. FINDINGS A consultant was contracted at a cost of $ 74,000 to help ACR employees develop a retention schedule and records management policy for all County departments. The ACR retention schedule is complete. The Treasurer/ Tax Collector and the District Attorney have begun to develop their retention schedules. The next two departments to develop their retention schedules will be Human Resources and Information Services. Each department has to determine how long, for what reason and to what extent documents are to be retained. Documents prior to 1992 are now scheduled to be shredded. The County maintains documents and records from as far back as 1853. Original documents from the formation of the County are maintained. Documents that relate to legal obligations and/ or custodial issues are required to be maintained. There is no current electronic technology that produces records of archival quality. There are boxes of stored documents in a warehouse on Rialto Avenue. There are plans to move the Archives to a more secure location. Approval from the CAO is needed to move Archives to a different area/ building. This will open up approximately 5,000 square feet in the warehouse. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 22 The consultant is knowledgeable of all requirements for retention and/ or destruction. After the consultant makes recommendations, software systems can be studied. The CAO is requiring each department designate a lead person for records management. The consultant, along with two designated ACR employees, will assist departments with training on records management responsibilities. The two ACR employees have been assigned this project in addition to their regular job duties and are not dedicated to only records management. A new records retention center is needed for the ACR, but a site for that facility has not been selected. The ACR is conducting an assessment of the existing Records Management storage facilities. This will determine if the space requires remodeling or if new construction will be required. The Auditor stated the department is in the initial stages of a lengthy project. To fully implement the project, a building, software, personnel and funding are required. Each County department requires training in records management. The task of Records Management has been a low priority for departments, so it is a challenge for the ACR to change the mind- set of each department. This low priority has caused delays in implementation. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 23 THE AUDITOR/ CONTROLLER- RECORDER APPOINT TWO FULL- TIME STAFF DEDICATED TO IMPLEMENTING THE COUNTY RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 05- 24 EXPEDITE A DECISION ON A CENTRAL RECORDS RETENTION CENTER. 05- 25 ACCELERATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 23 COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE One of the functions of the Grand Jury is to review complaints from the general public. The Complaints Committee reviews all complaints submitted to the Grand Jury on the standard complaint form. Each complaint is treated in the strictest confidence and reviewed only by the Complaints Committee, unless it is deemed appropriate to forward it to the proper committee for action. During the period July 1, 2004 to June 15, 2005 the Grand Jury received 17 complaints. One complaint was referred to the Administrative Committee, three were assigned to the Law and Justice Committee and 13 resulted in no action being taken by the Complaints Committee. Each complainant was informed of the action taken on their complaint. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 25 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/ PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE The Economic Development/ Public Services Committee was charged with the review and investigation of the operations and functions of the following departments: Agriculture/ Weights & Measures Airports County Fire County Library County Museum Economic and Community Development Jobs and Employment Services Land Use Services Public Works Flood Control Geographic Information Management System Solid Waste Management Surveyor Transportation Redevelopment Agency Regional Parks Registrar of Voters Special Districts The ED/ PS Committee established subcommittee teams to review the operation and function of each department. Visitations were made to all departments of the sub-committees responsibilities. Findings and recommendations from investigations are detailed in this final report for the following departments: Airports County Fire Public Works Department – Flood Control District Registrar of Voters 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 26 AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND Grand Jurors interviewed the Director of Airports for the six County airports which are located in Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow- Daggett, Chino, Needles and Twentynine Palms. All are general aviation airports. The department has 27 employees: one director with six administrative and fiscal employees and the remainder are maintenance personnel. Funding for the Airports Department comes from user fees, tie- down fees, parking fees, fuel fees and leases. The total operational budget for 2003- 2004 totaled $ 1.9 million. In addition, Jurors made onsite visits to the Chino and Apple Valley airports to observe first- hand the operations and facilities. An overview of each of the six airports and the main reasons they are valuable to the County was provided by the Director. Apple Valley Airport serves the high desert and provides year- round flying services, which include Airport Wings Cafe ´ , tie- downs, hangars, maintenance, charters, rentals and flight training. Baker Airport is an emergency airfield and a strategic location for flying in parts for broken down trucks. The airport is unattended and offers no services. Barstow- Daggett is located near the city of Barstow. It was built in 1933 as a CAA beacon site. Besides general aviation, the airport is used by the military for landing and parking of military aircraft. Tie- down services, hangars and fuel are the main sources of revenue. Chino Airport is the largest airport operated by the Airports Department. The FAA has designated the 1,100- acre facility a Level II control tower operation. FAA has also selected it as a “ reliever airport” for Ontario and John Wayne Airports. It has more than 400 leases and houses more than 1,000 aircraft, with 24- hour fuel service, hangars and tie- down services. Needles Airport is located at the most eastern end of San Bernardino County. The airport offers maintenance, fuel and pilot supplies through its Fixed Base Operator ( FBO). It is also a full service airport. Twentynine Palms Airport is located near Joshua Tree National Park. It provides tie- down, fuel and FBO service. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 27 The airports are able to produce enough income to cover their budget. It is from this account that improvements to the airports are funded. All excess funds are mandated by law to remain with the Airports and become part of their contingency fund. FINDINGS The Airports Department is able to generate operating funds, and is frugal in its spending. The maintenance staff does the majority of capital improvements, thereby cutting costs tremendously. The budget is watched very carefully. One “ line item” in the budget stands out, and that is insurance premiums. When questioned about the high cost of insurance, it was explained that the airport insurance rates are based upon the square footage of hangars and nose docks, as well as other buildings. The County Risk Management Department calculates the charges using the same formula that is used for all other County facilities, including the County Government Center. The methods used are unequal and unfairly calculated. The replacement cost per square foot for hangars and nose docks is less than the cost to rebuild the Government Center building, yet the insurance rate is the same. An example is the nose dock at Barstow- Daggett Airport. It is nothing more than a pole barn used to keep aircraft out of the sun while maintenance is being performed. It would cost much less to replace such a structure if destroyed, compared to replacing one of the County executive offices. This inequity must be addressed for two reasons: the budget is totally funded by the airport- generated income, and it is an unfair practice. RECOMMENDATION 05- 26 THE COUNTY RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT REVIEW THE METHOD CURRENTLY BEING USED TO DETERMINE INSURANCE COSTS TO THE AIRPORTS. ADJUST THE RATE AND CHARGE THE AIRPORT A FAIR PREMIUM BASED ON ACTUAL REPLACEMENT COSTS. APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT ( APV) Apple Valley Airport is owned by County Service Area 60. CSA 60 provides a tax base for the airport’s operations and contributes in excess of $ 500,000 annually for capital improvements. CSA 60 is an area approximately the size of the state of Rhode Island and includes the towns of Apple Valley, Adelanto, Hesperia and Victorville as well as portions of the unincorporated desert area. While CSA 60 owns the airport, it is located within the town limits of Apple Valley and is governed by the Board of Supervisors. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 28 Regarding the Town of Apple Valley and its desire to acquire the airport for its own use, it has not been clearly shown that some of the approved economic development is in the best interest of the airport. The transfer of the airport’s ownership from the CSA to the Town would create financial burdens for the airport and create major changes in the operations of the airport. It will cause serious employment changes to the current staff because the funding is now done with the CSA 60 funds that will be lost. This also means that the employees would not be able to continue as County employees, thus causing major benefit deficits. There is evidence of great pride in the present “ airport team” organization. The on- again/ off- again negotiations to acquire the airport only promote instability in the daily lives of the employees and hinder the filling of the vacant airport manager position. This uncertainty has the potential to affect employee morale as well as career status. There have been some serious flaws in the ability to understand how to develop the properties adjacent to the airport. For example, the Apple Valley Town Council approved a heavy lift helicopter facility just a few miles off the north end of the main runway. This facility is directly in the path of the only FAA approved instrument approach to the airport. The Airports Department was not consulted nor advised or notified when the Council held its meeting to approve the location of this facility. The airport has two usable runways. The main north- south runway is 6,500 feet in length and can easily handle large corporate jets. The crosswind runway ( 4,100’) runs east- west at the base of the main runway and is primarily used when light aircraft are unable to use the main runway due to high crosswinds. The only instrument approach to the airport is at the north end of the main runway. The airport has a large amount of recreational and sports aviation activity. The Experimental Aircraft Association ( EAA) is very active and has many home- built aircraft based at the airport as well as many “ on- site” aircraft being built. Aerobatic flying is a major recreational activity and nearby there is a designated area that is FAA- certified specifically for aerobatics. The area is west of and not a part of the airport. There are several tenants that are part of the economic development of the airport. One of the major tenants is Midfield Aviation Company ( MAC). MAC leases property and in turn provides services to the flying public. MAC also leases/ rents hangar space and has tie- down spaces available for rent. MAC does maintenance on aircraft and has a training program to teach flying. The County leases space to other flying services in competition with Midfield Aviation. The County also has its own portable hangars and tie- downs as well as permanent structures for lease. In addition, the County has full- hangars for lease or rent for executive jets. The County has a fuel island that provides both aviation gas and jet fuel. Aztec Aviation manages the gas sales. The County’s operations provide competition for Midfield Aviation. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 29 The north- south runway is in need of a “ run up area” to allow aircraft to get off the taxiway as soon as possible. With the increase in business in the surrounding cities, more corporate jets are bringing more company executives to the area. Therefore, an area for the parking of corporate jets is needed, which would allow jet blast to be diverted away from the smaller aircraft parked in the area. At the present time the County is building a facility that will house CHP offices, helicopters and fixed aircraft hangars. The County Sheriff helicopters will also use this facility. With regard to plans for further development at the airport, parcels of land were observed adjacent to the ramp area and taxiways that are ideal for new hangars, executive aircraft facilities and potential aircraft maintenance operations. There has been more interest shown lately in APV because of the increased development in the area and congestion at other airports in the San Bernardino Valley. If Rialto Airport closes, APV may benefit from some of its displaced aviation related businesses, activities and tenants. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 27 IMMEDIATELY HIRE AN AIRPORT MANAGER AT APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY’S EFFORTS TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPORT. 05- 28 APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT WORK WITH THE FAA AND THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY TO RELOCATE THE HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER FACILITY TO ELIMINATE THE SERIOUS HAZARD IN THE ONLY INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT. 05- 29 IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY AND ITS LAND USE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO PREVENT CONSTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AND STRUCTURES IN THE LANDING APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT. 05- 30 APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT FUND A “ RUN- UP AREA” TO THEIR MAIN RUNWAY IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT AND KEEP TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS CLEAR. 05- 31 APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT PROVIDE AN AREA WHERE CORPORATE JETS WOULD BE ABLE TO PARK AND LEAVE WITHOUT CAUSING PROBLEMS DUE TO THEIR “ JET BLAST”. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 30 CHINO AIRPORT ( CNO) Chino Airport is owned by San Bernardino County. Its revenue is generated by its leases, rentals, and percentages of sales by some tenants. All income made at the airport is spent on the County Airports system. Any profit goes back into the Airports system and no money is budgeted from the General Fund of San Bernardino County. If the whole process of running the County airports just breaks even, then this is considered a successful support of the transportation system. Chino Airport was formerly a base run by Cal Aero Academy to train pilots during WWII. It consists of 1,100 acres and is now located within the city limits of Chino. Many of the buildings are World War II vintage, but are serviceable. The airport has more than 400 leases and is home to more than 1,000 aircraft. There is constant construction at the airport. Tenants sign long- term leases with the County and build hangars and offices to meet their needs. Once the lease is concluded, the building and the property revert to the County. The skills and experience of six maintenance personnel are used to make renovations that meet requirements of new tenants. The airport houses the “ Planes of Fame” and “ Yanks Air” museums. Flo’s Café is a flourishing business, but has been shut down on occasion due to maintenance and safety problems. The Airports Department collects a percentage of their total business operations. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) has designated the Chino Airport Tower as a Level II FAA facility whose daily operations are from 7: 00 a. m. to 9: 00 p. m. It is also designated as a “ reliever airport” for Orange County’s John Wayne Airport. That relieves this commercial airport of having a large amount of general aviation traffic that conflicts with commercial flights. The airport’s 7,000- foot runway is able to accommodate the latest aircraft. It is important that Chino Airport operate its facilities with the understanding that the economic development on airport property be related to aviation related industries. Several executive and corporate hangars are being developed as part of a master-planned operation at Chino Airport. Increasing economic and housing developments have encouraged companies to be highly interested in Chino. As capacity at other LA area airports fills, a greater demand for facilities is expected at Chino Airport. Turboprops and mid- sized jets will fit in its flexible hangars floor plans and one of its runways is sufficient to accommodate jets of any size. Optional features may include bathrooms, crew quarters, loft areas, office space, air conditioning and security. Hangars can be as large as 80’ x 120’ in size. The airport is secured by fence around the entire facility. Electronic gates require special access cards and are limited to tenants and official personnel. A new asphalt perimeter road has been completed to eliminate vehicle traffic crossing aircraft “ taxi” 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 31 and/ or landing areas. The Chino Police Department has an office at the airport and provides additional security and service. The Chino Valley Fire Department provides the necessary fire protection and also has a fire station at the airport. Chino Airport is a busy airport with more than 165,000 annual operations ( an operation is a takeoff or landing of an aircraft). To clarify, there were 82,500 aircraft landings and 82,500 take- offs at Chino Airport. The field has instrument approaches and its runway lights remain on even after the tower is shut down at 9: 00 p. m. Corporate leases for housing of corporate jets are increasing due to the economic development within the area, and several housing and commercial contractors are developing the surrounding area. This will attract more businesses to the airport. Long-range plans call for private companies to use the airport as a base of operations for their corporate aircraft. More condo type hangars are anticipated. This will create the potential of significant increases in the number of passengers using the airport facilities. There is no passenger terminal building at this airport. Housing development is expected to increase by more than 40,000 homes within the next 15 to 20 years. Economic development at Chino Airport is vital to its operations. More important is that these developments be aviation related. At the present time there are more than 395 jobs that have been created by 60 employers on the airport site, of which 46 employers are aviation related. The other 14 employers who lease space at the airport, lease at the will of the airport manager and can be terminated as new aviation tenants become available. RECOMMENDATIONS 05- 32 THE AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT REPAIR AND REMODEL FLO’S CAFE ´ AT CHINO AIRPORT TO CURRENT FOOD SERVICE AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS. 05- 33 CONSTRUCT A TERMINAL AT CHINO AIRPORT TO PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR PASSENGERS TO WAIT AND A BETTER PLACE FOR AIRCRAFT TO PICK- UP AND DE- PLANE PASSENGERS. 05- 34 THE AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT CONTINUE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT CHINO AIRPORT BASED UPON AIRCRAFT RELATED BUSINESSES. 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 32 COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND The County Fire Department ( CFD) provides fire suppression and emergency medical/ rescue services to County unincorporated areas and contract cities. The Fire Department is a special district fire department. Employees are not County employees but Special District employees. One of the main reasons for the special district structure is to limit the liability to the County of San Bernardino. The department’s responsibility covers 65 communities over 16,225 square miles and consists of 67 fire stations, 35 fire districts, 469 employees, 421 paid- call firefighters, with more than 500 vehicles. The current CFD operating budget is $ 86 million. The department is funded by ad valorem property taxes, Federal and State grants, money from Homeland Security, and $ 2.6 million from the County General Fund. Fiscal year 2005- 2006 funding will be critical as some of the grants will end and are not renegotiable or renewable. County Fire is divided into four ( 4) divisions: North Desert, South Desert, Mountain, and Valley Divisions. The North and South Divisions cover vast territory where growth is not occurring, except along the freeway corridors. The cost to provide service is a serious challenge. In addition, nearby cities and adjoining states of Arizona and Nevada are paid to provide needed additional service. Growth in the Valley and Mountain Divisions continues and revenue for fire and emergency service are maintained. Several proposals to consolidate the divisions into one fire district have been reviewed and presented to the Board of Supervisors. FINDINGS San Bernardino County is so large that in some areas emergency services are seriously limited. Because fire departments are generally the first to respond to emergencies, two areas of the County are in desperate need of immediate attention: Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Due to the long distances and the high traffic volume of these corridors, there is extreme concern about the length of time it takes for medical services to reach accident victims. No other state ( in the lower 48 states) has this amount of “ uncovered mileage” along Federal and/ or state highways. According to the California Highway Patrol Department ( CHP), vehicles traveling on Interstate 15 totaled more than 4,700 per hour and on Interstate 40, 1,500 per hour. As of July 2004 traffic volume has increased, which is directly responsible for nearly 2,100 collisions on Interstate 15 and 300 on Interstate 40 ( See Tables 1 & 2). As a result, 2,075 2004- 2005 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 33 people were injured and 122 people were killed in this two- year period. CHP reports that the first hour after an injury occurs, known as the “ golden hour”, is the most critical time. Emergency services on these highways are more than that “ golden hour” away. County Fire Department is always the first called on all emergency problems in the desert. Whether dealing with fire, accidents or other emergencies, these two interstate highways are seriously limited in coverage. Interstate 15 from Baker to the Nevada State line is served by one captain and two paid- call firefighters out of Baker. The County must pay the motel costs for the accommodations of these two firefighters. The equipment is left out in the elements. CFD has a working agreement with a nearby prison to use inmates to help with fire and emergency se |
| PDI.Date | 2005 |
| PDI.Date.Issued | 2005 |
| PDI.Title | Final Report. 2004-2005. |
| OCLC number | 144613424 |
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