Citizen Investigators To Share Findings

The Grand Jury, a group of residents who volunteer to investigate problems in the community, will release its annual report Thursday.

Though the findings are still top secret, the Grand Jury did announce the titles of its eight investigations. They are:

• Pathways for English Learners: Giving Parents the Right Information;
• Protecting Our Special Districts: Is There Any Oversight?;
• The Power and Privilege of Transparency;
• Known Soil Contamination and Building Permit Applications: Who Asks? Who Should Ask? Who Knows?;
• Learning the Lessons of a Tragedy;
• Jails and Juvenile Hall Inspection Report: Status of Inmate Management in Santa Cruz County;
• Treasurer-Tax Collector & Sheriff’s Office Responses to the Santa Cruz County 2010-2011 Grand Jury Report - Improvement: Where the Code Stops and Performance Starts;
• RTC, County & PVUSD Responses to the Santa Cruz County 2010-2011 Grand Jury Report - A Tale of Two Approaches to Responses.

The Grand Jury is comprised of randomly chosen local volunteers impaneled by the Superior Court of Santa Cruz two perform three duties. They randomly audit local governmental agencies and officials; investigate citizens complaints and publish its investigative findings and recommendations to improve governmental operations.

Last year, the Grand Jury investigated five facets of Watsonville city government, as well as how the Pajaro Valley Unified School District awards. contract work.

Here are links to the 2011 reports about Watsonville city business:

• Fire Truck Investigation
• Environmental Health Investigation
• Airport Investigation
• Redevelopment Agency Investigation
• Manabe-Ow Investigation

This year's information comes out Thursday. It appears a lot of it will be relevant to the Pajaro Valley. Check back to Patch for the scoop.