Lassen County Grand Jury releases its annual report
The 2018–2019 Lassen County Grand Jury recently released its final report. The major function of the local grand jury is to “oversee all aspects of the legislative and administrative departments that make up county, city and special district governments.”
Some entities must respond to the grand jury’s recommendations.
Investigations
The grand jury investigated the Lassen County Assessor’s Office, the county’s Sexual Abuse Response Team, the Clear Creek Community Services District, the city and county agency website compliance, the Intermountain Conservation Camp, the California Correctional Center, High Desert State Prison, the Lassen County Adult Detention Facility, the Lassen County Juvenile Detention Facility and the Federal Correctional Institution at Herlong.
Assessor’s office
The grand jury investigated the assessor’s office due to citizen concerns. While commending the office, the grand jury recommended site visits to property, reviews with owners regarding property values, more transparency regarding the Tax Assessment Appeals Board, more motor vehicles for the assessor’s office, more information for those purchasing distressed properties and a hope the high standards of the assessor’s office will be maintained in the future.
Sexual Abuse Response Team
The grand jury investigated the Sexual Abuse Response Team due to citizen complaints, and during the investigation the grand jury learned the investigation was beyond its scope of influence, however, the grand jury recommended the Lassen County Board of Supervisors develop a task force for SART; the county’s Health and Human Services Department recruit and pay for SART medical personnel; that the supervisors provide financial incentives for SART medical personnel to respond while off duty; that the county create a 24/7 call list of certified SART personnel; and that the county develop and fund SART.
Clear Creek Community Services District
The grand jury recommended the Clear Creek Community Services District continue to move forward seeking additional funding sources.
City and county website agency compliance
The grand jury recommended the county publish website information in ways to “make it easy to find, access, share, distribute and repurpose with content that’s accurate, relevant, easy-to-use and conveyed in plain language.”
The grand jury recommended that special districts that do not have a website become compliant with the law.
The grand jury recommended the Lassen Agency Formation Commission make all municipal services reviews available on its website with links to each individual special district’s website.
Detention facilities
The grand jury inquired into the conditions and management of all detention facilities in the county. It did not offer any findings or recommendations on the Intermountain Conservation Camp, the California Correctional Center, High Desert State Prison, the Lassen County Adult Detention Facility (although it noted a need for more space for special needs inmates), the Lassen County Juvenile Detention Facility and the Federal Correctional Institution at Herlong (even though it does not have jurisdiction over that facility).
Grand jury members
Members of the grand jury include Greg Sella (foreperson), Anthony Lares (foreperson pro-tem), Andy Beck (alternative foreperson pro-tem), Kimberly LaValleur (secretary) Benny Morrow (financial officer), Gary Bridges, Jesse Claypool, Jesse Davis, Earl Ehrlich, Andrew Haut, Terry Johnson, Amber Klinetobe, Mary Loflin, Eric Perry, Anita Payer and Joseph Turner.