Board discusses response to grand jury
The Plumas County Board of Supervisors is working on its response to three issues raised in the 2017-2018 Grand Jury Report after a discussion at the board meeting July 17. The issues relate to child protective services, animal services and the county jail.
The board has 90 days after the report is issued to respond. The report was issued June 26, which gives the board until the end of September.
The jury recommended that the Board of Supervisors direct Child Protective Services to create a policy allowing for a child’s immediate removal in certain cases.
In the case of Animal Services, it was the jury’s recommendation that the county should fix maintenance problems, clear up administrative inefficiencies, and hire more staff or volunteers to take the place of unsupervised jail inmates manning the facility.
The jail report included the oft-reported deficiencies at the jail, and recommends the county build a new one, while also commending the county for initiating the process of building a new jail, which is expected to be complete in 2020.
While the board already responded to the grand jury’s jail report, conducted as a requirement by the state, the supervisors have to respond to the jury’s recommendations on the other two county departments.
According to Assistant County Counsel Gretchen Stuhr, some of the issues with the animal control department are a repeat from another grand jury report completed in 2015-2016.
The board decided to wait on writing its response until the department heads of the facilities have a chance to respond. The timeline for response from department heads is only 60 days from June 26, which gives the board a month to review the department’s responses and then write its own.
