| Background
For several years, city and County leaders have explored consolidation of the numerous Joint Powers Authorities/Agencies (JPAs) countywide under an umbrella oversight structure. This concept dates back to at least 1995, when city/county managers issued a white paper analyzing the benefits and costs of JPA consolidation. More recently, the Yolo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) was tasked with creating such a structure but efforts have resulted in limited success for various reasons. Therefore, at LAFCo’s Shared Services Workshop on February 23, 2017, which included most of the city/county managers and at least one elected official from each city and Yolo County, the conversation shifted from consolidated governance to coordinated oversight.
The list of attendees included:
Dirk Brazil, City of Davis
Will Arnold, City of Davis
Babs Sandeen, City of West Sacramento
Bill Biasi, City of Winters
Howard Anderson, City of Winters
Wade Cowan, City of Winters
Angel Barajas, City of Woodland
Tom Stallard, City of Woodland
Paul Navazio, City of Woodland
Don Saylor, Yolo County
Duane Chamberlain, Yolo County
Jim Provenza, Yolo County
Matt Rexroad, Yolo County
Pat Blacklock, Yolo County
Olin Woods, LAFCo
Robert Ramming, LAFCo
Eric May, LAFCo
Christine Crawford, LAFCo
Sarah Kirchgessner, LAFCo
Terri Tuck, LAFCo
In order to achieve the shared goals of oversight, accountability, transparency, and shared services, the outcomes of the Shared Services Workshop included two new special projects for LAFCo:
- Conducting Municipal Service Reviews (MSRs) of selected types of JPAs (which occur once every five years on a schedule adopted by the Commission); and
- Completing a Web Transparency Scorecard for the County, cities, JPAs, and special districts (modeled after one completed by the Marin County Grand Jury in 2015/16).
MSRs of Selected Types of JPA's
Under the proposed action, LAFCo will apply the existing MSR framework already used for cities/special districts to selected types of JPAs. MSRs include standard determinations in seven areas: growth and population effects on agency services; services that could assist disadvantaged unincorporated communities; capacity and adequacy of services; financial ability to provide services; the status and opportunities for shared services; and agency accountability and structural/operational efficiencies.
The JPAs being considered are ones that either: (1) provide municipal services, (2) have their own staff, and/or (3) have JPA boards comprised of staff. These JPAs would be subject to a LAFCo MSR every five years. The JPAs that fall into these categories currently include:
- Valley Clean Energy Alliance
- West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency
- Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency
- Yolo County Public Agency Risk Management Insurance Authority
- Yolo Emergency Communications Agency
- Yolo Habitat Conservancy
- Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency
LAFCo does not have direct oversight responsibility over JPAs, therefore, it was suggested that the cities and County first endorse these initiatives to make it clear that LAFCo would undertake this effort at the member agencies’ request.
Each JPA was also provided an opportunity to provide input/comments. On May 22, 2017 LAFCo staff sent a letter to each of the seven JPA executive directors requesting feedback on the proposal that LAFCo begin conducting MSRs of his/her JPA. Feedback was provided to LAFCo staff either by conversation with the executive director, meeting with the board, or via letter. LAFCo staff received feedback from the subject JPAs across the spectrum as summarized below:
- Valley Clean Energy Alliance – LAFCo staff received feedback from the board chair that since this JPA was recently formed, LAFCo review should occur later in the five-year cycle.
- West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency – LAFCo staff met with the General Manager and Counsel to explain the MSR process. While they questioned the value, they agreed to participate in the process.
- Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency – LAFCo staff received a letter from the JPA’s (now former) General Manager indicating that he would be happy to provide information for the City of Davis and City of Woodland MSRs, but does not support a stand-alone MSR for WDCWA because it would be expensive, time consuming, and would not produce much helpful information beyond that found in the city MSRs (see attached).
- Yolo County Public Agency Risk Management Insurance Authority – LAFCo staff received a letter from the CEO welcoming an MSR and providing ideas for the review (see attached).
- Yolo Emergency Communications Agency – LAFCo staff presented to the YECA board. While there were concerns regarding expending YECA staff time, the board indicated that YECA would participate in an MSR process.
- Yolo Habitat Conservancy – LAFCo staff received an email from the Executive Director indicating that she did not think a LAFCo MSR review is necessary because the County Department of Financial Services auditors recently conducted an assessment, and that such an assessment could instead be continued annually.
- Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency – LAFCo staff spoke with Tim O’Halloran and he welcomed the MSR process for transparency purposes.
Since LAFCo does not have legal authority over JPAs, an endorsement from each city/county is requested before LAFCo undertakes such an effort.
Web Transparency Scorecard
Another tool to promote transparency and accountability is a web transparency scorecard, which would be modeled after one completed by the Marin County Grand Jury in 2015/16. The proposal is that this scorecard would review the websites of the County, cities, JPAs and special districts in the county using a pre-determined checklist of information. This scorecard could also provide quickly understandable information regarding the basic elements of good governance of an agency/organization.
It also should be noted that based on LAFCo staff’s initial review of independent special district websites, 75% of them currently do not have websites. And many of the 24 JPAs also do not have a website or webpage on the member agency’s site. Therefore, an initial hurdle of this process will be helping local agencies establish a website presence.
Yolo Accountability and Transparency Program
Attached is a vision, goals, and implementation approach that includes both the MSRs for selected types of JPAs and the Web Transparency Scorecard for agency endorsement and LAFCo implementation. A JPA best practices framework is also included which lists criteria for creating any new JPAs, budget integration with funding agencies, and determining city/county manager liaison assignments to each JPA. It is recommended that each agency adopt this shared vision as a model for transparency and accountability in local governmental agencies.
Next Steps
Upon adoption and endorsement from each city council and Yolo County Board of Supervisors, LAFCo will incorporate these new reports into its annual work plan.
City of Davis - Approved October 17, 2017
City of West Sacramento - Considered November 1, 2017
City of Woodland - Considered November 7, 2017
Yolo County Board of Supervisors - Considered November 7, 2017
City of Winters - Not yet agendized
The Program also suggests the City/County managers begin providing a budget preparation memo to the JPAs annually to improve budget integration with the City/County funding agencies.
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the Yolo Local Government Accountability and Transparency Program.
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