To the Citizens of Solano County

Change was the promised mantra for 2012 as we continued the journey to become a more nimble organization, improving our capacity to react to challenges and the opportunities that came our way. This past year, we continued to experience downward changes in our revenues in the aftermath of the dissolution of redevelopment agencies and the continued foreclosure problem in our county. On the other hand, the passage of Proposition 30 by the voters and perceived improvements in the housing market and overall economy have been positives that helped us keep our revenue stream almost level. That’s good news all around. The downhill trend seems to be over and our local economy is growing. We continue to evaluate how we conduct business with an eye to streamlining our processes without compromising the services that we provide to so many county residents. For the past few years, we have been forced to chip away at an operational deficit by reducing programs and services that we could not afford. This year we had the luxury to concentrate instead on how we provide services more efficiently and how we might begin to rebuild some of our programs and services. We invested in equipment, technology and training to facilitate process changes—actions that will continue to reap benefits for years to come. Going forward we anticipate more change. The leadership and passion of Supervisors Barbara Kondylis and Michael Reagan, both tireless advocates for improving the lives of the men, women and children who live here, will be missed as they end their tenure on the Board. We welcome our incoming Board members and look forward to the challenges that 2013 is certain to bring.  Sincerely, Supervisor Linda J. Seifert, Chair Birgitta E. Corsello, County Administrator

The following items provide a glimpse into the various accomplishments and accolades that the County of Solano has received over the year. Click here for a printable executive summary of the 2012 Annual Report.

– Innovative –

Investing in changing how the County does business long-term
By strategically acquiring equipment and software and re-engineering the way services are delivered, the County has been investing in change. Here are a few of the new ways of conducting business that are improving the capacity of the organization to deliver services at a lower cost:

• Switching to desktop check imaging avoided replacing a $100,000 check processing machine, allowing for a migration to electronic check deposits and reduced staff time in handling checks for the Treasury. Based on the number of checks deposited and the cost savings per check, this change is estimated to generate $7,000 annually in direct savings plus the benefit of reduced transportation costs and more interest earning days.
• Implementing an automated data verification process called “live look up” enabled the Tax Collector’s Office to process check payments and verify them against the property tax system in real time, thereby providing a significant improvement in processing time and accuracy.
• As a test county for the web-based CalAgPermits, the Agriculture Department has reduced the number of paper forms growers have to submit and data entries for County staff.
• Family Health Services brought electronic health records online and implementation is under way in Mental Health and Substance Abuse. The health records are available to staff at the clinic or in the field. Records are also integrated into case management systems that improve client monitoring, billing and reporting requirements.
• Upgraded online payment systems for making park reservations, acquiring building permits and paying tax bills.
• Using self-scanning kiosks, clients dropping off required documentation can quickly input the forms, which are routed electronically in minutes to staff versus days.
• In other applications of electronic imaging, County staff inputs documents to quickly share information and reduce physical record storage requirements.
• Developed an “electronic poll book” for elections that speeds voter check-in at the polls and assists voters in finding their correct polling location.
• Deployed an electronic agenda processing system that automated the compilation reports going into the Board of Supervisors agenda, which is available for view online at www.solanocounty.com.
• Automated the procure-to-pay process and the payroll time reporting and time study system.
• Completed the automation and integration into Geographic Information System data into the Assessor’s map update process to improve overall accuracy and quality of the parcel fabric.
• In the process of deploying a database server and centralized reporting services among the law and justice departments (Sheriff, Probation, District Attorney, Public Defender, Child Support Services) and Solano Law Enforcement partners in Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Benicia, Dixon and Rio Vista). This will be used as a secure, collaborative work space to share common information on the state prison population now under the supervision of local law enforcement as a result of state realignment.
• In the design phase of a project to deploy a photo server interface between Solano County’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System and Sacramento’s regional mug shot and fingerprint system. This will allow Solano to share fingerprint and mug shot data with four surrounding counties.
• Initiated the automation of building and planning workflows in Resource Management that will allow the public to schedule inspections and submit building permit applications and architectural plans online.

Top of Section

Top of Page

– Effective –

Solano County named 100 Best Communities for record 6th time
Solano County has been named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by the America’s Promise Alliance—the only California community to earn that distinction in every year of the competition. The 100 Best designation recognizes those communities that make youth a priority by implementing programs that help keep children in school and prepare them for college and the 21st century workforce.

Top of Section

William J. Carroll Government Center
A “one-stop” for health and social services for North County area residents opened in September at 1119 E. Monte Vista Ave. in Vacaville. The facility houses a Public Health Clinic, a Dental Clinic, Employment and Eligibility Services; Mental Health Services; Women, Infants and Children Services; Special Inspection Bureau; Substance Abuse Services; Child Welfare Services; and Older and Disabled Adult Services. The $19.1 million project was constructed in conjunction with the Napa-Solano Building Trades Council, which provided jobs for the local workforce during construction. The project included a $2.2 million state-of-the-art Dental Clinic funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funds. The facility was constructed to LEEDTM (Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design) Silver standards. 

Top of Section

Claybank Adult Detention Facility
Construction began in July on a 362-bed adult detention facility adjacent to the current facility on Clay Bank Road in Fairfield. This new facility will expand the capacity of the County to house the evolving and growing inmate population as a result of 2011 Public Safety Realignment. At the same time, the central control of the new podular maximum security housing units and enhanced security systems will minimize staffing requirements. The $89.3 million project is funded primarily with $61.5 million in state AB 900 local jail construction financing and the balance from local public facilities fee. Solano County is one of 11 counties receiving funding under AB 900. The facility will be LEEDTM Silver certified by the U.S. Green Building Council to demonstrate the environmental stewardship and sustainability of the project. 

Top of Section

Road, bridge improvements
A mixture of local, state and federal dollars was used to maintain and improve the County’s transportation infrastructure. Over $4.5 million was spent on County crew and contract work to overlay 4.2 miles, repair 4 miles of pavement, and chip seal 40 miles of rural roads. $3.7 million was spent to replace the Suisun Valley Road Bridge over Suisun Creek and the Gordon Valley Road Bridge at Gordon Creek. $1.1 million in road widening improvements were done to 2 miles of Hawkins Road and 0.3 miles of Gibson Canyon Road to improve safety and bicycle access. 

Top of Section

Integrated Care Pediatric Clinic
In July, the relocation of the Pediatric Clinic within the Health and Social Services campus in Fairfield consolidated children’s health services for improved and integrated service delivery. The project included renovations at 2101 Courage Drive to provide nine exam rooms, three treatment rooms, a behavioral therapy room, and workstations and offices for nurses and medical assistants. 

Top of Section

Airport Master Plan moving forward
The Nut Tree Airport completed a draft master plan identifying anticipated improvements to accommodate aviation growth and airport-related development through 2032. An environmental analysis under way evaluates the potential effects of implementing the plan’s preferred alternative. In addition, the runway and taxiways at the Airport were painted to improve visibility and safety for aircraft in the air and on the ground. 

Top of Section

Making more veteran connections
More than 800 local veterans signed up in the first week when the County Veterans Services Office (CVSO) started issuing Veterans Discount ID Cards in September. During their visit, the veterans were advised of the benefits that they had earned by serving in the military. This is one of a series of initiatives, including publishing a monthly column in local newspapers on veteran issues, which are resulting in more veterans using the CVSO to apply for state and federal benefits. More than 3,000 claims were processed in 2012, an increase of nearly 50% over the previous year. 

Top of Section

Improving veteran halls
Federal and local dollars were used for extensive renovations of the veteran memorial halls in Benicia and Suisun City. Renovations at the Benicia building, originally constructed circa 1949, were completed in June. The $2.3 million project included installing a new elevator and upgrading the overall access to the building, restrooms, heating and cooling systems, electrical, and windows. Originally constructed in 1926, the $2.7 million project in Suisun City was completed in November and included a new fire sprinkler system, upgrading the kitchen and overall access to the building, and increased parking. The City of Suisun provided sidewalk and crosswalk improvements. 

Top of Section

Library adds Nook E-book readers
In March, the Library began a pilot project to check out Nook e-book readers. Preloaded with ten titles from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bay Area Bestsellers list, the Nooks can be checked out for three weeks. Customer response has been positive and more titles for the Nooks are planned. This program was made possible through a partnership with Barnes & Noble Booksellers. 

Top of Section

Book inspires Compassion to Action
Solano County Library’s Compassion to Action project paired the reading and discussion of Karen Armstrong’s book, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, with an opportunity to volunteer for various projects supported by the library, including the Opportunity Conference for Solano County residents living in poverty. The conference, designed to build hope, motivation and skills necessary for moving out of poverty, was sponsored by a coalition of community groups, including United Way of the Bay Area, First 5 Solano, Community Action Program Solano, Children’s Network, Kaiser Permanente, and Alza Corp. In April, the Library held book discussions in Fairfield, Rio Vista, Vacaville and Vallejo. The book inspired participants to volunteer as “navigators” and receive training to guide people in their journey out of poverty by sharing their networks and knowledge of resources. 

Top of Section

Plan update protects Suisun Marsh
The Suisun Marsh Local Protection Program was updated by the Board of Supervisors to reflect the Water Dependent Industrial and Commercial Recreation land use changes in the Collinsville area adopted by the County as part of the 2008 General Plan. This update has been coordinated with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. 

Top of Section

Zoning regulations modernized
The development regulations in the zoning ordinance were updated to reflect the changing needs of agriculture and business and met three Board of Supervisors’ objectives: additional uses in agriculture-zoned districts, reduced permitting requirements, and improved usability of the code. 

Top of Section

Pest eradication earns award
Coordinated grower treatments and a quarantine of pest pathways resulted in zero European grapevine moths in Solano County since 2010, paving the way to a Declaration of Eradication in August and earning a U.S. Department of Agriculture Administrator’s Award for Deputy Agricultural Commissioner Linda Pinfold and Agricultural Commissioner Jim Allan. 

Top of Section

Community engagement leads to two new mental health options
The community engagement process that serves as a cornerstone of the delivery of mental health services led to two projects coming to fruition in 2012. A 23-hour Crisis Stabilization Unit opened in November to serve residents in a state of mental health crisis or suffering from an acute episode that poses a threat to themselves or others. Signature at Fairfield, the county’s first housing project funded with assistance from the Mental Health Services Act dollars, opened in February. All of the 92 units are for residents with severe mental illnesses and their families. Onsite supportive services are provided. Heritage Commons, a 60-unit development expected to open in Dixon in late 2013, will provide seven units for older adults with serious mental illness who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

Top of Section

Sheriff’s Enforcement Team
The creation of the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (SET) provides integrity of local public safety while expanding the Alternative to Custody program. The SET Team—four Deputy Sheriffs and one Sergeant-Sheriff —regularly completes field compliance checks of individuals on Post Release Community Supervision and pursues those individuals who are out of compliance with the terms of their probation, working in concert with local law enforcement agencies, County Probation and State Parole. 

Top of Section

Integrated Library System
In February, the Library upgraded its automated integrated library system from a legacy product to a contemporary and more robust product that serves the seven jurisdictions of the Solano, Napa & Partners Library Consortium. The new system provides a more useful visual interface to the Library’s online public access catalog, as well as enhanced the functionality of the system for staff. 

Top of Section

Truancy Court: kids in school
In its first year of existence, local school districts referred 41 parents to the Solano County Truancy Court because their child in kindergarten through sixth grade had five or more unexcused absences. The Truancy Court focuses on elementary school children to ensure positive attendance habits are created, which in turn will improve educational and job prospects and deter future teenage and adult criminal activity. Annually, the District Attorney sends letters to 30,000 parents of elementary school children in Solano County to advise them of the importance of regular school attendance and the consequences of truancy. 

Top of Section

Crime Laboratory fully accredited
The District Attorney’s Crime Laboratory achieved full accreditation in May from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board, validating the quality control processes the lab employs in testing samples. The lab conducts nearly 4,000 blood and urine analyses annually. 

Top of Section

Healthy employee partnership
Visitors to Solano County buildings may have noticed signage promoting taking the stairs. The promotion is part of a three-year grant and partnership with Kaiser Foundation’s Health Works and Product Innovation program to promote healthy lifestyle choices and options for employees. At the end of the pilot, Kaiser will assess whether the programs it provided has made a measurable difference in absenteeism by virtue of a healthier workforce. In addition, employees could participate in an array of health education classes, a Wellness Challenge, Weight Watchers and access discounted rates at local health and fitness clubs. 

Top of Section

Records redaction project finished
Since 2009 the Recorder’s Office has been combing through more than 3.1 million documents dating back to 1980 to redact all but the last four digits of Social Security numbers from display on recorded documents, in accordance with AB 1168 requirements. The project was completed while existing staff was also recording new documents in two distinct areas: an “official record” and a “public record.” Maintaining a separate public record with redacted information is designed to protect citizens from identity theft. 

Top of Section

Solano Family Justice Center
The Board of Supervisors approved in December the relocation of the Solano Family Justice Center (SFJC) to 604 Empire St. in Fairfield, which will be collocated with the Safe Harbor Visitation Center and more than 20 different agencies providing services to victims of domestic violence. The SFJC is expected to be operational at the new location in early 2013. 

Top of Section

Protecting consumer equity
Solano County Weights and Measures was the lead agency in the organization and data collection of a statewide investigation into consumer equity loss through stored value cards at a major theater chain. County inspectors attempted to conduct various transactions with the cards and noted consumer losses, such as in redeeming balances. The Solano County District Attorney, working with the Shasta County District Attorney, secured a civil judgment against the firm using statewide data compiled by Solano County Weights and Measures following an inspection methodology also developed by Solano County. 

Top of Section

Inspecting commodities for export
Each year more than a thousand shipments of Solano agricultural commodities are inspected to meet the plant quarantine regulations of the destination country. Specially licensed biologists inspect the out-going products for insects, weed seeds and plant diseases and issue a Federal Phytosanitary Certificate that acts like a visa for shipment upon arrival at the foreign nation. Solano County was an early implementer of a new computer program—the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking system. The program facilitates document issuance, data collection and billing, saving county resources at each step. 

Top of Section

Partnership with Touro University
Solano County cemented its partnership with Touro University of California to provide health care services in the Family Health Services’ (FHS) clinics in Fairfield, Vacaville and Vallejo. As part of this partnership, Touro closed its primary care clinic in Glen Cove and collocated with FHS. This partnership increases the capacity of Family Health Services to meet the demands for primary care services in its clinics; introduces an educational, learning environment into the clinic settings; cultivates future medical professionals for the community; and efficiently utilizes community resources to provide health care services to target populations. 

Top of Section

County gains trauma centers
Solano County is now home to two Level III trauma centers: NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield and Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Vacaville. Most residents and visitors who may experience a traumatic injury can now be treated within the Solano area instead of being transported to Walnut Creek or Sacramento. The decreased transport times will result in saved lives and improved medical outcomes. 

Top of Section

Promoting community wellness
Solano Health Promotion and Community Wellness Bureau and community providers worked together to launch the Community Transformation Initiative, a nationally recognized chronic disease prevention program. They focused on decreasing access to sugar-sweetened beverages, decreasing exposure to secondhand smoke, increasing participation in Walking School Buses to encourage students to walk to school under the supervision of a parent or caregiver, sponsoring free chronic disease self-management workshops to lower rates of hypertension and cholesterol. 

Top of Section

Top of Page

– Fiscally Responsible –

Adopted budget for FY2012/13 The Revenues by Source chart describes the sources of governmental funds used to finance the FY2012/13 budget. The County’s single largest revenue source is intergovernmental revenue from state and federal agencies, which are generally restricted dollars to fund the County’s implementation of state and federal programs. The General Fund Revenue chart provides information on the use of funds to finance County operations, including property taxes and intergovernmental revenue, which come to the County without restrictions. The Spending Plan by Function chart shows where the County allocates its budget. Public Protection represents the single largest category of expenditures in both the total budget and Discretionary Spending. Top of Section Space consolidations save dollars, improve services One of the six strategies to reduce the General Fund’s operating deficit created by the recession is to maximize the use of County-owned buildings by reducing the amount of leased space. The net savings was nearly $500,000 in one example of relocating various operations at one leased property. Children’s Mental Health relocated its Fairfield services and integrated them into the services offered at the main Health and Social Services campus. The move also resulted in the children having medical, dental and nutritional services more readily available. Health and Social Services Special Investigations Bureau relocated to available space at the Department of Child Support Services. This reduced General Fund expenditures and freed up state resources that can be directed toward additional client services.  Top of Section Accolades for excellence in fiscal reporting For the tenth consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the County of Solano and the Auditor-Controller’s Office for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. The report also received the State Controller’s Award for Achieving Excellence in Financial Reporting.  Top of Section

Public Health Lab adds regional partners
In 2009 Solano County built a state-of-the-art public health lab to modernize the capabilities and capacity of the lab that served both Solano and Napa counties. Yolo County joined the partnership in 2012 and plans are under way to add Marin County in 2013. The expanded partnership is paying dividends:

• Successfully tested more than 12,000 patient specimens and environmental samples for approximately 7,000 clients.
• Awarded $105,500 in Public Health Emergency Preparedness funding to train three Public Health Microbiologist to identify early markers of outbreaks.
• Received a $69,000 Homeland Security Grant to purchase the GeneXpert System for rapid detection of agents of bioterrorism and infectious disease, a new technology that is just starting to be used in larger public health laboratories.

Top of Section


Top of Page

SOLANO FACTS

• $4.9 million invested in Benicia and Suisun City to modernize the veterans memorial buildings
• $38.7 million in child support payments collected by Child Support Services, an increase of $760,495
• $211,692 in restitution from bad check writers collected by the District Attorney’s Office
• 10,559 job applications processed and 482 positions filled by Human Resources, including 224 new hires, 97 rehires, 55 promotions, 99 transfers and seven voluntary demotions
• 68 kittens found forever homes thanks to the 4-H Orphan Kitty Project
• AA+ rating by Standard & Poor’s maintained on the Treasury Pool
• $3 million received in delinquent taxes from successful tax sale of 104 defaulted properties
• $583,000 from the sale of five properties no longer required by the County
• 48,759 vendor claims processed by the Auditor-Controller’s Office
• 85% of the County’s light equipment fleet is certified low-emission vehicles
• 250 homeless veterans received services at the 3-day North Bay Stand Down in October
• 259,451 visits to the Under the Solano Sun blog created by Solano County’s UC Master Gardeners
• $167,155 in restitution from people in diversion programs offered by the District Attorney’s Office
• 1,928 legal paternities established by Child Support Services, creating an important link between unmarried fathers and their children
• 4 awards earned in 2012 by the County’s exhibit at the California State Fair: Best in Show, Gold Award, Craftsmanship Award and People’s Choice Award
• 145 children received fluoride treatments and sealants at “Give Kids a Smile” event
• 73.5% of registered voters cast their ballot in the November presidential election
• 290 Solano Family Justice Center clients served by the Family Violence Intervention Team
• 15 workshops and informational sessions attracted more than 550 growers and producers to learn more on such topics as ranch water quality, oak woodland management, low-stress livestock handling and orchard management
• 1,161,575 visits to the County’s website solanocounty.com, an increase of 12%
• 1 point of contact is established for each project going through permitting process in Resource Management
• $7,000 in annual savings to Treasury by depositing checks electronically
• 78,000 properties were on temporary reduced assessed value status (Prop. 8)
• $36,100 is the savings from posting property valuation changes online versus mailed notices
• 175 work sites using electronic imaging to improve business processes, enhance document searchability, and reduce paper storage requirements
• 558 agenda items prepared by County departments for consideration and action by the Board of Supervisors
• $238,890 collected for victim restitution from offenders on probation
• 5,960 weighing and measure devices inspected by the Agriculture Department to ensure consumer equity
• 1.8 megawatt hours of green power produced from three solar arrays

Top of Page