From: Subject: Public Works Agency: Amador County 1999-2000 Grand Jury Final Report Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 15:55:34 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.amadorcourt.org/grandjury/gj9900/2000gj09.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 Public Works Agency: Amador County 1999-2000 Grand = Jury Final Report

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PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY

FOREWORD

Penal Code Section 925, authorizes the Grand Jury to review the = operations of=20 the Amador County Public Works Agency.

The Public Works Agency (PWA) is responsible for planning, = constructing,=20 operating and maintaining the County's roads and several water and = wastewater=20 systems owned by the County. The PWA's Road Department maintains = approximately=20 410 miles of County roads. Water and wastewater activities are organized = under=20 independent County Service Areas (CSA), each of which is a separate = entity,=20 owned by the County, but self-supported financially from revenues = generated by=20 the system's customers. A brief description of each CSA is given below: =

Because it touches the lives of every resident of the County, the = Public=20 Works Agency is one of the most important elements of County Government. = All who=20 live in the County are impacted in some way by the activities of the = PWA,=20 whether it be driving on County roads, drinking water supplied by the = CSAs, or=20 having snow plowed to enable one to travel safely in winter. The PWA is = also one=20 of the Counties largest agencies in terms of staff and budget. The 27 = employees=20 of the PWA are exceeded only by the Sheriff's Department and the = Department of=20 Social Services, while the PWA budget of $ 3,696,721 is topped by only = the=20 Sheriff's Department. It is for these reasons that the 1999-2000 Grand = Jury=20 elected to review the Public Works Agency.

The Grand Jury review of the PWA extended over a period of about = seven months=20 during which time more than 25 individuals were interviewed, all the = water and=20 wastewater facilities were visited, and literally hundreds of documents = were=20 examined. In short, all aspects of the agency's management and = operations were=20 investigated. During the course of that review, it was concluded that = the PWA=20 has serious management and operational problems, many of which need = immediate=20 attention. Because the problems are so widespread, it was difficult to = present=20 them under a single heading. Therefore, background information, facts,=20 conclusions and recommendations are presented separately for each of the = following four subjects:

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