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APPROVE THE SECOND FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE TO THE 2023-24 SAN JOAQUIN CIVIL GRAND JURY CASE NUMBER 0123, CRISIS IN GOVERNMENT
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council, by motion:
1. Approve the City’s second, follow-up response to the 2023-24 San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury Case Number 0123, Crisis in Government.
2. Authorize the City Attorney to submit all approved responses to the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury on behalf of the City and Council.
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Summary
Each year it is the duty of the San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury to examine and investigate the activities of local government and agencies within San Joaquin County. The 2023-2024 Civil Grand Jury conducted a new investigation, entitled “Crisis in Government.”
This presented item is the City’s second, follow-up response to the 2023-24 Grand Jury’s Case No. 0123, “Crisis in Government” (Attachment A).
DISCUSSION
Background
California Penal Code section 933 requires that “a grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report relating to that person or entity […]” and “no later than 90 days after the grand jury submits a final report on the operations of any public agency subject to its reviewing authority, the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under control of the governing body […].”
The City received the Grand Jury’s notification of this report on June 10, 2024. The City Manager, City Attorney, Interim City Clerk and staff worked through the Council Legislative Committee to develop and make recommendations to the full Council responsive to the recommendations issued in this report.
On August 20, 2024, by motion 2024-08-20-1210, the City Council approved the City’s initial 90-day response to the full 2023-24 report. That response included responses to other, older Grand Jury reports as well as the 2023/24 report regarding case number 0123, Crisis in Government,” with information available at that time. The response confirmed the timelines for the City to provide additional information, as necessary, and as required by the Grand Jury (Attachment B).
On October 1, 2024, by motion 2024-10-01-1205, the City Council approved the City’s second follow-up response to the 2023-24 San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury’s Second Look at the 2018-19 Report, Case No. 0318, Cold Cases in San Joaquin County: On the Back Burner. While that report did not include a substantive response to Case No. 0123, within that response, the City agreed to provide the Grand Jury with a second follow-up response to Case No. 0123, Crisis in Government, in April 2025 (Attachment C).
***NOTE: The second response presented to the Council on October 1, 2024, did not include a substantive follow-up response to Case No. 0123, Crisis in Government. Instead, it provided a target date for a second follow-up response to Case No. 0123. Therefore, technically, the current follow-up response should be the first (substantive) follow-up response for Case No. 0123. However, to avoid confusion and provide consistency and continuity with previous responses, this response will continue to be referenced as the second follow-up response to Case No. 0123.
Present Situation
Due to staffing changes, the next follow-up response was not submitted in April 2025. This item is now presented for Council consideration so that the City may provide its second follow-up response.
City of Stockton: Crisis in Government - Case No. 0123
The City’s initial response to Case No. 0123, Crisis in Government (Attachment B), provided responses to already addressed recommendations and committed to follow-up responses for recommendations not yet addressed. This second follow-up response will update all remaining items that have been addressed. Grand Jury recommendations will continue to come to the full Council for consideration as staff continue to work through the remaining items.
The City anticipates the next update to the Grand Jury in September 2025.
If approved, the City Attorney will submit all responses, Attachment A to the Grand Jury on behalf of the City and Council.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Approving the City’s second, follow-up response to the 2023-24 Grand Jury’s Case
No. 0123, Crisis in Government, will not impact the City’s General or Special Funds in any way.
Attachment A - Second follow-up response to Case No. 0123, Crisis in Government
Attachment B - Initial response to Case No. 0123, Crisis in Government
Attachment C - October 10, 2024 Staff Report