FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 20, 2024
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Interim City Manager Alex Posada
SUBJECT: Responses to 2023 -2024 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury Report – Individuals in Crisis
Description:
The City Council will review staff’s recommended responses to the 2023 -2024 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report titled “Individuals in Crisis | The Right Care at the Right Time”
RECOMMENDATION:
Review and approve staff’s recommended responses addressing the finding and recommendation from the Grand Jury report titled “Individuals in Crisis” and authorize the Mayor to sign and transmit the City’s Response to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court with a copy to the current impaneled Civil Grand Jury and file a copy with the City Clerk’s Office.
BACKGROUND:
On June 18, 2024, the City received the 2023 -2024 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report titled Individuals in Crisis | The Right Care at the Right Time (Attachment A). The City Council is required to respond to this report within 90 days of receiving it, which provides the City Council until September 18, 2024, to reply to the Grand Jury.
DISCUSSION:
The 2023-2024 Santa Barbara County G rand Jury issued a report about Individuals in Crisis | The Right Care at the Right Time. This report focuses on improving responses to addressing the mental health crisis throughout the County.
The report provides a detailed overview of the California St ate Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC), Division 5, Mental Health Services, Article 1 commonly referred to as “5150 holds” and agency responses to a 5150 hold within Santa Barbara County.
The Grand Jury report identified a finding with one recommendation for various agencies, including the City of Santa Maria, connected with the full implementation of the 5150 hold by trained law enforcement.
Pursuant to California Penal Code Section 933 and 933.05, the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury requests each entit y to respond to the enumerated finding and recommendations within the specified statutory time limit. 2 Responses to Findings shall be either:
Agree
Disagree wholly
Disagree partially with an explanation
Furthermore, responses to recommendations shall be one of the following:
Has been implemented, with a summary of implementation actions taken Will be implemented, with an implementation schedule
Requires further analysis, with an analysis completion date of no more than six months after the publication of the report
Will not be implemented, with an explanation of why
A draft response letter to the Grand Jury is attached (Attachment B).
Alternative(s)
California Penal Code 933c states “ no later than 90 days after the grand jury su bmits 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 the control of the governing body” and further states “all of these comments and reports shall forthwith be submitted to the presiding judge of the superior court who impaneled the grand jury.” Reponses are prescribed per Penal Code 933.05.
Fiscal Considerations
There are no fiscal impacts on the response or implementation of the recommendations.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Individuals in Crisis | The Right Care at the Right Time Attachment B: Draft Response letter to the Grand Jury