News

Anything worthwhile in the partial 2008-09 Humboldt Grand Jury report released this morning?

A couple of things, maybe.

1. The GJ took a special look at the Assessor's Office this time around. It found: A) that the office isn't keeping up with scheduled employee personnel reviews; B). that some money might be saved by consolidating it with another county office, as happens elsewhere in the state; C). that there's a somewhat distateful practice of "grooming" certain staff members to run for Assessor, an elected position, when a vacancy arises at the top; and D). that the office could do a lot better with technology, including putting property records and other information up on the Web.

2. The GJ is skeptical of the county expense required to maintain the public animal shelter up by the Eureka/Arcata airport. Interesting nugget: All pet food at the shelter is donated by Science Diet, free of charge.

3. The Redway Solid Waste Transfer Station, located next to the Eel River Conservation Camp, isn't fenced on one side. Therefore it can be easily breached. Says the GJ:

Inmates from the Conservation Camp, as well as members of the general public, have been known to rummage through the station in search of alcohol or marijuana remnants. In the event of a personal injury to one of these trespassers, Humboldt County could be found liable.

Recommendation: Build a fence to wall off that unpleasant imagery from our minds.

Download the partial 2008-2009 Humboldt Grand Jury report (.pdf).