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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260727_Exhibit HSubmitted April 27, 2026 1 2025-2026 COMPLIANCE REPORT PUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2026 The Compliance Report provides a summary and status of open recommendations from the 2024-2025 San Luis Obispo County Civil Grand Jury as well as three open items from 2023- 2024. INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE The 2025-2026 San Luis Obispo County Civil Grand Jury (Grand Jury) is charged with oversight of local government functions on behalf of its citizens. Its mission is to examine all aspects of local government, ensuring that the San Luis Obispo County (County) is being governed honestly and efficiently and that County monies are being handled judiciously. Its purpose is to shed light on issues within the County. While civil grand jury recommendations do not carry the force of law, their effectiveness depends on the willingness of responding agencies to address them and present their responses to the public in a transparent manner. The Compliance Report reviews and presents the requested agency responses to the previously published Grand Jury reports and focuses on non-compliant responses or uncompleted implementation of prior recommendations in accordance with established timelines and other requirements. This is an informational report which includes agency responses to the findings and recommendations made by prior grand juries. AUTHORITY California Penal Code Section 933.05 prescribes responses to grand jury findings and recommendations. Responding agencies are directed to report whether they agree or disagree (either partially or wholly) with a finding and whether a recommendation has been implemented, will be implemented, will not be implemented, or requires further analysis. An agency may reject a grand jury recommendation provided it includes an explanation of why the recommendation is either unwarranted or unreasonable. If a recommendation requires further analysis, it must be conducted within six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report. Submitted April 27, 2026 2 All grand jury reports and each agency’s responses are posted online each year at https://www.slo.courts.ca.gov/gi/jury-grandjury.htm NARRATIVE The 2024-2025 Grand Jury conducted and completed one investigative report which required responses from relevant agencies, as well as a continuity report, and an inspection report on County law enforcement and detention facilities. These reports are as follows: Report 1: Continuity Report Report 2: Round and Round with Town and Gown Report 3: Inspection Report for SLO County Law Enforcement and Detention Facilities The reports detailed in the Compliance Report Table, Appendix A, were met with timely responses to the recommendations, although some responses lacked the level of detail required. The 2025-2026 Grand Jury reviewed all responses from the agencies noted in these reports to prepare this follow-up Compliance Report. FINDINGS The County Board of Supervisors responded to three recommendations from the Continuity Report and all were deemed adequate. The City of San Luis Obispo (City) responded to the “Round & Round with Town & Gown” report on September 16, 2025. (Refer to attached link) Round & Round with Town & Gown - Google Drive. The City disagreed with all six of the findings in that report. Section 933.05 of the California Penal Code requires the responsible agency to respond to each recommendation of the report with one of four possible actions. This was done for all of the recommendations as summarized in Appendix A. Submitted April 27, 2026 3 The responses to Recommendations met the language requirements of the Penal Code and are deemed adequate. The Grand Jury commends the City for implementing these actions to try to improve the living conditions of its residents near the Cal Poly campus. As some of the recommendations required the City’s long-term effort and commitment, it is important that the City continues these efforts beyond the focus of the Grand Jury. In reviewing the backup to the City’s response, the Grand Jury observed from the agenda correspondence of the City Council meeting dated September 16, 2025, that Cal Poly submitted agenda correspondence logged as "9/16/2025 Item 7b, Kienow" titled "Corrections: Cal Poly - City of SLO Grand Jury Report," in which Cal Poly responded directly to the Grand Jury, dated June 16, 2025, a full week prior to the official release of the Report. The official public release date of the "Round and Round with Town and Gown" Report was June 23, 2025. Evidently Cal Poly was given a copy of the final report prior to its release date. This action is not in compliance with the procedure prescribed in the Penal Code. CONCLUSION The 2025/2026 SLO Grand Jury strongly recommends that the 2026/2027 SLO Grand Jury conduct a new investigation to determine whether the recommendations from the 2025 “Round & Round with Town & Gown” Grand Jury Report were implemented. The City states that recommendation R1 “has been implemented .” However, the City failed to address the portion of the recommendation that calls for a “multi-year plan” to ensure the elimination of such illegal and unsafe gatherings in the future. In its response, the City indicates that it will address recommendations R3 and R4 as part of its 2025-2027 Financial Plan as future tasks 4(b) and 4(d) under the Housing and Neighborhood Livability – Healthy, Safe and Affordable city goal. The estimated completion dates of both tasks are concurrent with the end of the 2025/2026 Grand Jury’s term leaving this body insufficient time to conduct a follow-up investigation. Submitted April 27, 2026 4 REQUIRED RESPONSES This is an informational report. No responses are required. Presiding Judge Grand Jury Presiding Judge Tana Coates Superior Court of California 1035 Palm Street Room 355 San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury P.O. Box 4910 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403 Submitted April 27, 2026 5 APPENDIX A - COMPLIANCE REPORT AGENCY RECOMMENDATIONS AGENCY RESPONSE 2025-2026 GRAND JURY EVALUATION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CONTINUITY REPORT SUBMITTED JUNE 16, 2025 Board of Supervisors Original recommendation from the 2023-2024 Report; Moving San Luis Obispo County from Homelessness to Hopefulness. R1 - Explain why a more detailed timeline on implementation of County Homelessness Plan will not be provided. Due Sept. 16, 2025 Received Sept. 9, 2025 Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. Board of Supervisors Original recommendation from the 2023-2024 Report; Moving San Luis Obispo County from Homelessness to Hopefulness. R3 - Explain why a more comprehensive public awareness campaign is not warranted or reasonable. Due Sept. 16, 2025 Received Sept. 9, 2025 Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. Board of Supervisors Original recommendation from the 2023-2024 report; "Annexation: A Taxing Dilemma". R1 - Provide an update of the status of amending the Master Tax Exchange Agreement and the anticipated date of completion. Due Sept. 16, 2025 Received Sept. 9, 2025 Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. (A master tax agreement is no longer utilized. Tax agreements for annexations are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.) RECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2024-2025 FINAL REPORT: "ROUND AND ROUND WITH TOWN & GOWN" SUBMITTED JUNE 23, 2025 SLO City Council R1 - Develop plan to eliminate completely the illegal street party known as "St. Fratty's Day". Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation has been implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. The Grand Jury strongly recommends that the 2026/2027 Grand Jury follow up to confirm implementation. SLO City Council R2 - Implement proactive measures to address future illegal street parties as they arise. Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation has been implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. SLO City Manager R3 - Develop and implement a formal process to identify illegal fraternities to bring them into compliance. Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation has been implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. The Grand Jury strongly recommends that the 2026/2027 Grand Jury follow up to confirm implementation. Submitted April 27, 2026 6 SLO City Council R4 - Initiate a task force to explore creation of a student overlay zone. Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation will not be immediately implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. The Grand Jury strongly recommends that the 2026/2027 Grand Jury follow up to confirm implementation. SLO City Council R5 - Consider adopting a tiered planning appeal fee structure to promote accessibility of community concerns by individual residents. Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation will not be implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. SLO City Manager R6 - Work with the Planning Commission to move toward adopting more uniform conditions for conditional use permits (CUPs). Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation has been implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements. SLO City Manager R7 - Create formal guidelines and training outline how the police department will respond to requests from the Grand Jury and other oversight entities. Received Sept. 17, 2025: This recommendation will not be implemented. Response submitted on time and meets language requirements.