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Response synthesis and audit

Board response to Friend or Foe

Five finding answers and six recommendation answers. The Board claims R3/R5/R6 implemented and refuses R1/R2/R4 as written; R4 also describes conditional future polling.

Official response PDFOfficial report PDF

Response by Humboldt County Board of Supervisors · 2026-09-01

9

Addressed

2

Partially addressed

0

Not addressed

0

Unclear

County's stated disposition

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

3

Implemented

0

Will be implemented

0

Requires further analysis

3

Will not be implemented

0

Unclear

How to read this audit

Assessment concerns response position, explanation and coverage, not whether the jury or agency is factually correct. Implementation claims are not independently verified. Unchanged original files and distinct scans remain available; variants are not counted as extra replies. Finding scores use statutory clarity separately from coverage and support. Recommendation answers have dispositions, not finding scores. Signed September 1 cover adopts the attached memorandum. Website and complaint-record implementation claims have not been independently tested. Source chronology about the 2019–20 report and a 2019 system change is retained as the Board’s account, not silently repaired.

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

0

Definite or bounded timing

1

Conditional timing

0

No timeframe

R4 · Conditional timing

Conduct customer surveys or polls before significant service changes, with CAO distribution assistance as needed.

As needed, as staff capacity and budget allow; no fixed completion date.

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 11 of 11 items

finding · F1

Budgetary constraints on the County of Humboldt impact the ability for the County Planning and Building Department to successfully recruit and retain qualified staff. The resulting loss of experienced staff, turnover and longer vacancies make it difficult for the Department to adequately serve the public. (R1)

Audit: Partially addressed

Response says

Partly agrees; accepts budget pressures and emphasizes staff effort.

Audit analysis

The Board accepts recruitment and retention constraints, then praises staff service. It does not clearly identify which part of the finding is disputed or explain how staff effort resolves the asserted service effects. A partial position is stated, but the disputed portion remains under-specified.

Finding-response score

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

5/10

3/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
2/2
Applicable disagreement elements
1/2

2/6

Public usefulness

Coverage
1/2
Reason specificity
1/2
Support traceability
0/2

The Board accepts recruitment and retention constraints, then praises staff service. It does not clearly identify which part of the finding is disputed or explain how staff effort resolves the asserted service effects. A partial position is stated, but the disputed portion remains under-specified.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 13Response page 2
Discuss finding and response

finding · F2

Records of complaints are not being retained as prescribed by the County Planning and Building Department’s Customer Feedback System. This results in reduced transparency, accountability, independent oversight, and missed operational improvements that could be possible by analyzing customer feedback for trends or patterns. (R2, R3)

Audit: Addressed

Response says

Disagrees; says the earlier feedback system was replaced and records are retained.

Audit analysis

Pages 2–3 identify a countywide Customer Satisfaction Survey, the named 2019–20 jury report, website access and routing/retention by IT and the relevant department. This directly explains disagreement; the claimed records and chronology are not independently verified.

Finding-response score

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

10/10

4/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
2/2
Applicable disagreement elements
2/2

6/6

Public usefulness

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

Pages 2–3 identify a countywide Customer Satisfaction Survey, the named 2019–20 jury report, website access and routing/retention by IT and the relevant department. This directly explains disagreement; the claimed records and chronology are not independently verified.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 13Response page 2
Discuss finding and response

finding · F3

The County Planning and Building Department does not appear to have a procedure for surveying or polling its customers in advance of making impactful changes. This reduces the ability of the Department to use customer input to improve the Department’s performance and reputation. (R4)

Audit: Partially addressed

Response says

Partly agrees; no formal advance polling procedure, but describes other consultation and notice.

Audit analysis

The Board acknowledges absent formal polling and cites customer-contact data, comparisons with other jurisdictions and the June 11, 2024 public meeting. These explain its view of decision-making, but do not clearly isolate a disputed portion of the finding about advance customer polling and its effect.

Finding-response score

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

8/10

3/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
2/2
Applicable disagreement elements
1/2

5/6

Public usefulness

Coverage
1/2
Reason specificity
2/2
Support traceability
2/2

The Board acknowledges absent formal polling and cites customer-contact data, comparisons with other jurisdictions and the June 11, 2024 public meeting. These explain its view of decision-making, but do not clearly isolate a disputed portion of the finding about advance customer polling and its effect.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 14Response page 3
Discuss finding and response

finding · F4

The County Planning and Building Department’s homepage does not prominently and clearly display its hours of operation. This reduces public access to services, extends processing times, and delays or impedes completion of projects. (R5)

Audit: Addressed

Response says

Partly agrees with the historical concern; claims current public hours are now on the homepage.

Audit analysis

The response distinguishes conditions at report preparation from its claimed website correction. That temporal distinction identifies the disputed portion; the live homepage and effect on processing times were not independently checked.

Finding-response score

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

8/10

4/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
2/2
Applicable disagreement elements
2/2

4/6

Public usefulness

Coverage
1/2
Reason specificity
2/2
Support traceability
1/2

The response distinguishes conditions at report preparation from its claimed website correction. That temporal distinction identifies the disputed portion; the live homepage and effect on processing times were not independently checked.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 14Response page 3
Discuss finding and response

finding · F5

The County Planning and Building Department’s homepage does not state that appointment times are available during non-public hours. This reduces public access to services, extends processing times, and delays or impedes completion of projects. (R6)

Audit: Addressed

Response says

Partly agrees with the historical concern; claims non-public-hours appointments are now advertised.

Audit analysis

Pages 3–4 distinguish possible past omission from current homepage information. The response clarifies the temporal disagreement but does not independently establish service outcomes.

Finding-response score

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

8/10

4/4

Statutory elements

Stated position
2/2
Applicable disagreement elements
2/2

4/6

Public usefulness

Coverage
1/2
Reason specificity
2/2
Support traceability
1/2

Pages 3–4 distinguish possible past omission from current homepage information. The response clarifies the temporal disagreement but does not independently establish service outcomes.

Scoring confidence: high

Report page 14Response page 3
Discuss finding and response

recommendation · R1

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors direct the Planning and Building Department Director to evaluate and report whether positions could be consolidated or currently vacant positions could be eliminated, allowing the resulting budget savings to be used to increase compensation for positions that are difficult to recruit for and retain. This report is to be completed and presented to the Board of Supervisors by January 1, 2027. (F1)

County: Will not be implementedAudit: Addressed

Response says

Will not implement the proposed staffing-consolidation report.

Audit analysis

The Board explains permit-revenue uncertainty, flexibility from budgeted vacancies, planner-specific turnover and salary-study complexity. Existing ongoing review is not treated as adoption of the requested dated report.

Report page 14Response page 4

recommendation · R2

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors direct the Planning and Building Department Director to reinstitute, maintain, and publicize the Department’s Customer Feedback System. This system should be re-implemented by December 31, 2026. (F2)

County: Will not be implementedAudit: Addressed

Response says

Will not restore the prior departmental feedback system.

Audit analysis

Pages 4–5 rely on the countywide survey and claimed record-routing/retention process described under F2. Refusal of the older system is distinct from claiming no feedback mechanism exists.

Report page 14Response page 4

recommendation · R3

If the existing Customer Feedback System is not reinstituted, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors should direct the Planning and Building Department Director to implement a new complaint management system, and inform the public of its existence and how to access it. This system should be implemented by March 31, 2027. (F2)

County: ImplementedAudit: Addressed

Response says

Claims the alternative countywide survey and complaint-routing process already implement this recommendation.

Audit analysis

The Board identifies website access, IT routing and record retention and attributes implementation to 2019. This is its account, not a verified test of the system or reconciliation of the source’s chronology.

Report page 15Response page 5

recommendation · R4

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors direct the Planning and Building Department Director to create and implement a method to survey or poll customers prior to implementing departmental changes that significantly impact the community, by no later than March 31, 2027. (F3)

County: Will not be implementedAudit: Addressed

Response says

Will not implement as written; describes future polling when needed and resources allow.

Audit analysis

Pages 5–6 reject the recommendation as written and do not accept its March 31, 2027 deadline. The Department describes conditional future polling, with CAO distribution assistance. Public-meeting processes are additional context, not proof formal polling is already implemented.

Extracted commitments

Conduct customer surveys or polls before significant service changes, with CAO distribution assistance as needed.

Responsible party
Humboldt County Planning and Building Director
Timing
As needed, as staff capacity and budget allow; no fixed completion date. · Conditional timing
Report page 15Response page 5

recommendation · R5

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors direct the Planning and Building Department Director to update the Department’s homepage to prominently display public hours, by no later than December 31, 2026. (F4)

County: ImplementedAudit: Addressed

Response says

Claims the homepage now displays public hours.

Audit analysis

The Board identifies an existing homepage change without supplying an implementation date or independent service-effect evidence.

Report page 15Response page 6

recommendation · R6

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors direct the Planning and Building Department Director to update the Department’s homepage to prominently inform the public it can schedule appointments to occur during non-public hours, by no later than December 31, 2026. (F5)

County: ImplementedAudit: Addressed

Response says

Claims the homepage now explains appointments during non-public hours.

Audit analysis

The Board identifies current homepage information. No implementation date or independent verification is supplied.

Report page 15Response page 6