REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Al Zelinka, City Manager
VIA: Capt. Ryan Reilly and Ingrid Ono
PREPARED BY: Eric Parra, Chief of Police
Subject:
title
Approve Responses to the 2022-2023 Orange County Grand Jury Reports Related to Animal Welfare
body
Statement of Issue:
In June 2023, the Orange County Grand Jury released a report entitled “Gimme Shelter and a Pound of Advice - The State of Animal Welfare Overseen by the County of Orange.” The City of Huntington Beach is required by California Penal Code Section 933.05 to respond to certain findings and recommendations in this report. A draft letter provided proposed responses for the City Council’s consideration.
Financial Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Approve the City’s responses to findings and recommendations posed by the Orange County Grand Jury related to animal welfare; and
B) Authorize the City Manager to submit the City’s responses to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court.
end
Alternative Action(s):
Revise draft language in the City’s responses prior to submitting them to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. The City is required to submit a response to the findings and recommendations specified.
Analysis:
Each year, a new Orange County Grand Jury is impaneled to investigate complaints about local governmental agencies within Orange County, to audit those agencies, and to publish the findings and recommendations resulting from its investigations. The grand jury also assists the District Attorney by hearing criminal cases for indictment.
The Grand Jury is a judicial body empowered with investigative duties by the Superior Court of California and is composed of local citizens whose principal role is to be a “watchdog” over local government agencies, including special districts, to ensure that the County is being governed honestly and efficiently.
For its 2022-2023 term, the Grand Jury investigated and issued a report entitled “Gimme Shelter and a Pound of Advice - The State of Animal Welfare Overseen by the County of Orange,” requires a response from the City within 90 days of its release. The City previously sought an extension, providing additional time to provide a response, which has been drafted for Council approval.
With City Council approval, staff will submit the responses to Presiding Judge of the Superior Court Maria Hernandez by the required deadline.
Environmental Status:
The requested action is an administrative activity of the City Council that would not result in direct or indirect physical environmental effects. As such, the requested action is not a project pursuant to Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and no further CEQA review is required.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Orange County Grand Jury Report: “Gimme Shelter and a Pound of Advice - The State of Animal Welfare Overseen by the County of Orange”
2. Draft Response to “Gimme Shelter and a Pound of Advice - The State of Animal Welfare Overseen by the County of Orange”