Skip to content
Grand Jury Hub
← Report overview
Response synthesis and audit

Water District response to The Cost of Water

The District welcomes the jury’s recognition of Proposition 218 compliance and outreach improvements, describes its communications activities, and commits to annual outreach reviews. It disputes aspects of the report’s framing of public complaints and proposed versus adopted rates.

Official response PDFOfficial report PDF

Response by Calaveras County Water District Board of Directors · 2025-09-04

0

Addressed

2

Partially addressed

2

Not addressed

0

Unclear

County's stated disposition

These categories reflect the County's response to each recommendation, separate from this audit's assessment.

0

Implemented

1

Will be implemented

0

Requires further analysis

0

Will not be implemented

1

Unclear

How to read this audit

This review assesses the response document, not the truth of agency claims, legal compliance, or verified implementation. The letter is organized narratively, not by finding number. F1 and R1 are included to make the absence of a direct response visible.

Commitments

Actions stated in the response

These are commitments extracted from the County's response. They describe what the response says will happen; they do not verify that implementation occurred.

1

Extracted commitments

1

Definite or bounded timing

0

Conditional timing

0

No timeframe

R2 · Bounded timeframe

Evaluate outreach channels, message clarity, and public feedback using External Affairs reports.

Annually; first review date not specified.

Item-by-item review

Findings and recommendations

Assessments describe whether the response engages each cited item. Finding scores separately describe statutory-elements completeness under California Penal Code § 933.05(a) and public usefulness. They do not independently verify the response or constitute a legal conclusion.

Showing 4 of 4 items

finding · F1

Timeliness and wording of the prior-year response

Audit: Not addressed

Response says

The letter does not state a position on the finding about the prior-year response’s timeliness and required wording.

Audit analysis

The introductory thanks and discussion of Proposition 218 concern other matters; they do not supply a position, reasoning, or evidence for F1.

Finding-response score

Document completeness and usefulness—not factual verification or a legal conclusion.

0/10

0/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
0/2
Applicable disagreement elements
0/2

0/6

Public usefulness

Coverage
0/2
Reason specificity
0/2
Support traceability
0/2

The introductory thanks and discussion of Proposition 218 concern other matters; they do not supply a position, reasoning, or evidence for F1.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 7Response page 2
Discuss finding and response

recommendation · R1

No further action on the prior-year report

County: UnclearAudit: Not addressed

Response says

The letter does not explicitly address the recommendation that no further action be required on the 2023-2024 report.

Audit analysis

General appreciation does not identify a disposition for this recommendation. No refusal or failure to act is inferred.

Report page 8Response page 2

finding · F2

Rate-change communication and continuing outreach

Audit: Partially addressed

Response says

The District welcomes recognition of compliance and improvements, agrees outreach is ongoing, and disputes treating social-media complaints as representative.

Audit analysis

The position is explicit on ongoing outreach but partly implied for the compound finding as a whole. The response identifies its disagreement about public sentiment and explains it with a named 2024 study and the September 13, 2023 hearing; additional outreach records appear on pages 3-4.

Finding-response score

Document completeness and usefulness—not factual verification or a legal conclusion.

9/10

3/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
1/2
Applicable disagreement elements
2/2

6/6

Public usefulness

Coverage
2/2
Reason specificity
2/2
Support traceability
2/2

The position is explicit on ongoing outreach but partly implied for the compound finding as a whole. The response identifies its disagreement about public sentiment and explains it with a named 2024 study and the September 13, 2023 hearing; additional outreach records appear on pages 3-4.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 8Response page 2
Discuss finding and response

recommendation · R2

Annual evaluation of outreach

County: Will be implementedAudit: Partially addressed

Response says

The District commits to annual reviews using External Affairs reports, messaging, channels, and feedback.

Audit analysis

The method and annual cadence directly engage the recommendation, but the requested first-review deadline of December 31, 2025 is not expressly adopted.

Extracted commitments

Evaluate outreach channels, message clarity, and public feedback using External Affairs reports.

Responsible party
Calaveras County Water District
Timing
Annually; first review date not specified. · Bounded timeframe
Report page 8Response page 4