{"id":454,"date":"2026-07-09T22:01:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tuolumnenow.com\/?page_id=454"},"modified":"2026-07-09T22:25:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:25:29","slug":"behind-the-devastation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tuolumnenow.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Devastation"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\nBehind the Devastation \u2014 Tuolumne County CDD \u00b7 A reader's guide to the 2025\u20132026 Grand Jury report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A plain-language, navigable guide to the two 2025\u20132026 Tuolumne County Civil Grand Jury reports: 'Behind the Devastation' on the Community Development Department and the High School Road project, and 'Governance Practices Impacting Public Trust.'\">\n<link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\">\n<link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\" crossorigin>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Archivo:wght@400;500;600;700;800;900&family=Newsreader:ital,opsz,wght@0,6..72,400;0,6..72,500;1,6..72,400&family=JetBrains+Mono:wght@400;500;700&display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\">\n<style>\n:root{\n --paper:#F2EFE9;\n --paper-2:#EAE6DD;\n --ink:#1C1C1A;\n --ledger:#55524A;\n --stamp:#8B2E2A;\n --stamp-soft:#a9524e;\n --rule:#D2CCC0;\n --rule-strong:#B7B0A2;\n 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*\/\n.two-col{columns:2;column-gap:2.5rem;}\n@media(max-width:640px){.two-col{columns:1;}}\n.two-col p{break-inside:avoid;}\n<\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<a href=\"#main\" class=\"skip\">Skip to content<\/a>\n\n<header class=\"topbar\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <a href=\"#top\" class=\"brandmark\">CASE FILE<span> \u00b7 <\/span>HIGH SCHOOL RD<\/a>\n <nav class=\"topnav\" aria-label=\"Sections\">\n <a href=\"#cast\">Who's who<\/a>\n <a href=\"#storylines\">Two stories<\/a>\n <a href=\"#timeline\">Timeline<\/a>\n <a href=\"#findings\">Findings<\/a>\n <a href=\"#governance\">2nd report<\/a>\n <a href=\"#explainers\">Explainers<\/a>\n <a href=\"#documents\">Documents<\/a>\n <\/nav>\n <\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n<main id=\"main\">\n<a id=\"top\"><\/a>\n\n<!-- ============ HERO ============ -->\n<section class=\"hero\" style=\"border-top:none;\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <span class=\"filestamp\">\u25c6 Civil Grand Jury \u00b7 On the record<\/span>\n <h1>Behind the Devastation\n <span class=\"sub\">How a budget cut, a feud, and one storage yard hollowed out a county department<\/span>\n <\/h1>\n <p class=\"dek\">A reader's guide to the 2025\u20132026 Tuolumne County Civil Grand Jury report on the Community Development Department \u2014 and the supervisor's project that <em>went outside the county<\/em> for review.<\/p>\n\n <dl class=\"filemeta\">\n <div>\n <dt>Report issued<\/dt>\n <dd>June 26, 2026<small>2025\u20132026 Civil Grand Jury<\/small><\/dd>\n <\/div>\n <div>\n <dt>Subject<\/dt>\n <dd>Community Development Dept.<small>Building permits & inspections<\/small><\/dd>\n <\/div>\n <div>\n <dt>Investigation<\/dt>\n <dd>70+ hours<small>Interviews, records & a site visit<\/small><\/dd>\n <\/div>\n <div>\n <dt>Findings<\/dt>\n <dd>25 findings<small>Across two companion reports<\/small><\/dd>\n <\/div>\n <\/dl>\n\n <div class=\"deadline\">\n <span class=\"k\">90d<\/span>\n <p><strong>The Board of Supervisors must respond.<\/strong> Under Penal Code \u00a7\u00a7 933 & 933.05, the Board must answer every finding and recommendation in <em>both<\/em> June 26, 2026 Grand Jury reports \u2014 in writing, to the presiding judge of the Superior Court \u2014 within 90 days, by late September 2026.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ CAST ============ -->\n<section id=\"cast\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">Start here<\/span>\n <h2>Who's who in the file<\/h2>\n <p>The report is hard to follow partly because titles keep changing hands. This is the shortest path to keeping the players straight.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"cast-grid\">\n <article class=\"person\" data-cat=\"coi\" data-tag=\"Supervisor\">\n <h3>Mike Holland<\/h3>\n <div class=\"role\">Contractor \u2192 District 1 Supervisor<\/div>\n <p>Longtime developer with a contentious CDD history. Campaigned on \"restructuring\" the department, won a seat, and was sworn in Jan 2025. Owns the High School Road project through Granite Land Holdings.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"person\" data-cat=\"staff\" data-tag=\"Admin\">\n <h3>Roger Root<\/h3>\n <div class=\"role\">IT Dir. \u2192 Asst. CAO \u2192 CAO<\/div>\n <p>Rose from IT Director (2023) to Acting, then permanent, County Administrative Officer. At one point simultaneously acting CAO, CDD Director and Chief Building Official \u2014 despite lacking the technical certifications.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"person\" data-cat=\"staff\" data-tag=\"Admin\">\n <h3>Tracie Riggs<\/h3>\n <div class=\"role\">County Administrative Officer<\/div>\n <p>The prior CAO, who resigned Jan 2025. The report notes she denied ever authorizing the fire hydrant that a later press release credited to her office.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"person\" data-cat=\"permit\" data-tag=\"Dept head\">\n <h3>Quincy Yaley<\/h3>\n <div class=\"role\">CDD Director (former)<\/div>\n <p>Led the department before 2025. Publicly rebutted Holland's Amador County comparison, then resigned in July 2025. The role has sat vacant for 11+ months.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"person\" data-cat=\"permit\" data-tag=\"Dept head\">\n <h3>Brian Bell<\/h3>\n <div class=\"role\">Acting CDD Director<\/div>\n <p>Stepped in after Yaley. Issued code-violation notices on the High School Road project \u2014 twice \u2014 despite being told to stand down, then resigned within weeks.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"person\" data-cat=\"outside\" data-tag=\"Outside\">\n <h3>Amador County CDA<\/h3>\n <div class=\"role\">Neighboring jurisdiction<\/div>\n <p>Agreed to \"review\" the project after the conflict-of-interest policy passed. Later told the Grand Jury it never issued a real building permit \u2014 only Tuolumne County can.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n <\/div>\n\n <div style=\"margin-top:2rem;\">\n <span class=\"label\" style=\"display:block;margin-bottom:.8rem;\">Shorthand you'll see<\/span>\n <div class=\"glossary\">\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>CDD<\/b> Community Development Dept.<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>CAO<\/b> County Administrative Officer<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>CBO<\/b> Chief Building Official<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>BOS<\/b> Board of Supervisors<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>COI<\/b> Conflict of interest<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>TUD<\/b> Tuolumne Utilities District<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>FPPC<\/b> Fair Political Practices Comm.<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>HSR<\/b> High School Road project<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>AG<\/b> California Attorney General<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>TPPA<\/b> Tuolumne Public Power Agency<\/span>\n <span class=\"gitem\"><b>MHPRCO<\/b> Mobile Home Park Rent Control Ord.<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ STORYLINES ============ -->\n<section id=\"storylines\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">The report braids two threads<\/span>\n <h2>Two stories, one department<\/h2>\n <p>The investigation started with a staffing crisis and ended up at a construction site. They're connected \u2014 the same feud runs through both.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"stories\">\n <article class=\"story\" data-cat=\"staff\">\n <div class=\"bar\"><\/div>\n <div class=\"body\">\n <span class=\"label\">Story one<\/span>\n <h3>The staffing collapse<\/h3>\n <p>A 15% budget cut to close a $6M shortfall collided with what staff described as a hostile new culture. Departures far outran the cuts.<\/p>\n <ul>\n <li>CDD lost at least <b>13 positions\/staff<\/b> \u2014 a 40%+ reduction from allocated levels.<\/li>\n <li>Many quit <em>before<\/em> layoffs, fearing cuts; the director resigned in July 2025 after a presentation the jury tied to a possible Brown Act problem.<\/li>\n <li>The CAO ended up filling the CDD Director and Chief Building Official roles himself, without the required certifications.<\/li>\n <li>The director's seat has been empty for <b>11+ months<\/b>.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"story\" data-cat=\"hsr\">\n <div class=\"bar\"><\/div>\n <div class=\"body\">\n <span class=\"label\">Story two<\/span>\n <h3>The High School Road project<\/h3>\n <p>An eight-building storage complex owned by a sitting supervisor, built with a running list of alleged permit problems.<\/p>\n <ul>\n <li>Grading may have hit <b>~50,000 cubic yards<\/b> against a permit for ~12,833.<\/li>\n <li>\"Building C\" had only a foundation permit but received structural and electrical work.<\/li>\n <li>A fire hydrant was installed in July 2025 <b>without a permit<\/b> and never properly classified or inspected.<\/li>\n <li>The project was routed to Amador County under a brand-new conflict-of-interest policy the supervisor voted for.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ TIMELINE ============ -->\n<section id=\"timeline\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">2019 \u2192 2026<\/span>\n <h2>The chronology<\/h2>\n <p>Filter by thread to isolate a single storyline. A <span style=\"color:var(--stamp);font-weight:700;\">\u2691<\/span> marks an event the Grand Jury flagged as a compliance or integrity concern.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"tl-controls\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Filter timeline by category\">\n <span class=\"label\">Filter:<\/span>\n <button class=\"filter\" data-f=\"all\" aria-pressed=\"true\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>All events<\/button>\n <button class=\"filter\" data-f=\"permit\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>Permitting<\/button>\n <button class=\"filter\" data-f=\"staff\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>Staffing<\/button>\n <button class=\"filter\" data-f=\"coi\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>Conflict of interest<\/button>\n <button class=\"filter\" data-f=\"hydrant\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span>Hydrant<\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"timeline\" id=\"tl\">\n <!-- items injected by JS from data below; static fallback rendered too -->\n <\/div>\n <p class=\"tl-empty\" id=\"tlEmpty\" hidden>No events in this thread.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ FINDINGS ============ -->\n<section id=\"findings\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">What the jury concluded \u00b7 Report one<\/span>\n <h2>Findings & recommendations<\/h2>\n <p>The nineteen findings from <em>Behind the Devastation<\/em>, grouped by theme. Each expands to its recommendations and deadlines. The companion governance report's six findings follow in the next section. Every item requires a written Board response.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"findings-head\">\n <div class=\"legend\">\n <span><i class=\"pill pending\"><\/i> Awaiting Board response<\/span>\n <span><i class=\"pill responded\"><\/i> Responded<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div id=\"findingsList\"><!-- injected by JS --><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ GOVERNANCE (report two) ============ -->\n<section id=\"governance\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">The companion report \u00b7 Report two<\/span>\n <h2>Governance Practices Impacting Public Trust<\/h2>\n <p>Issued the same day, the jury's second and shorter report (26 pages) steps back from the department to the county's broader habits \u2014 ethics, conflicts of interest, cooperation with oversight, and public records. Several findings again center on Supervisor Holland. It began as a look at staffing, but the jury says closed-session confidentiality disputes forced it to widen the scope.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"deadline\" style=\"margin-bottom:2rem;\">\n <span class=\"k\">Sep 26<\/span>\n <p><strong>Six findings, six recommendations.<\/strong> The Board of Supervisors must respond to findings F1\u2013F6 and recommendations R1\u2013R6 no later than <strong>September 26, 2026<\/strong>. Individual officials have 60 days; the governing body has 90.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"findings-head\">\n <div class=\"legend\">\n <span><i class=\"pill pending\"><\/i> Awaiting Board response<\/span>\n <span><i class=\"pill responded\"><\/i> Responded<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div id=\"govFindingsList\"><!-- injected by JS --><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ EXPLAINERS ============ -->\n<section id=\"explainers\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">Two things worth understanding<\/span>\n <h2>The technical cruxes<\/h2>\n <p>Much of the report turns on two distinctions that are easy to blur. Here they are, plainly.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"explainers\">\n <article class=\"explainer\">\n <h3>Public vs. private hydrant<\/h3>\n <p>The label decides who permits it, who inspects it, and who's liable. The report found the High School Road hydrant fit neither box cleanly \u2014 and was never color-coded.<\/p>\n <table class=\"compare\">\n <thead>\n <tr><th scope=\"col\"> <\/th><th scope=\"col\">Public<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Private<\/th><\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n <tbody>\n <tr><th scope=\"row\">Owner<\/th><td>Public water agency (here, TUD)<\/td><td>Property owner or developer<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><th scope=\"row\">Protects<\/th><td>The community & water system<\/td><td>One specific property<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><th scope=\"row\">Permit<\/th><td>Often none required<\/td><td>Fire + building permits required<\/td><\/tr>\n <tr><th scope=\"row\">Inspected by<\/th><td>Public agencies<\/td><td>Authority Having Jurisdiction<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <p style=\"margin-top:1rem;font-size:.9rem;color:var(--stamp);\"><b>The catch:<\/b> \"Public\" means owned by the water district \u2014 not by the county. The supervisor called it public; the jury found it met neither standard.<\/p>\n <\/article>\n\n <article class=\"explainer\">\n <h3>What each permit actually allows<\/h3>\n <p>The buildings advanced through a ladder of permits. The dispute is about work that ran ahead of the rung it was on.<\/p>\n <ol class=\"ladder\">\n <li>\n <b>Foundation only<\/b>\n <span>Footings and the slab a building will sit on. Nothing above ground.<\/span>\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <b>Structural only<\/b>\n <span>The four exterior walls. No wiring, plumbing, interior walls, or sprinklers.<\/span>\n <span class=\"hsr-note\">Seven buildings got here \u2014 but electrical work was reportedly done anyway.<\/span>\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <b>Full building permit<\/b>\n <span>Everything else: electrical, water, interiors, life-safety systems.<\/span>\n <span class=\"hsr-note\">\"Building C\" never received one \u2014 yet was built and wired.<\/span>\n <\/li>\n <li>\n <b>Certificate of Occupancy<\/b>\n <span>Final sign-off that a building can be used. Only the county of record can issue it.<\/span>\n <\/li>\n <\/ol>\n <\/article>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- ============ DOCUMENTS ============ -->\n<section id=\"documents\">\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div class=\"sec-head\">\n <span class=\"eyebrow\">The paper trail<\/span>\n <h2>Key exhibits<\/h2>\n <p>The findings rest on primary documents. These are the appendices a skeptical reader would want to check.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"docs\">\n <article class=\"doc\"><span class=\"docnum\">Appendix A<\/span><h3>CDD organization chart<\/h3><p>Shows every eliminated, frozen, and filled position as of April 2026.<\/p><\/article>\n <article class=\"doc\"><span class=\"docnum\">Appendix D<\/span><h3>Conflict-of-interest policy<\/h3><p>The Governance Manual edit, with new language marked in red.<\/p><\/article>\n <article class=\"doc\"><span class=\"docnum\">Appendix E<\/span><h3>CAO press release<\/h3><p>Oct 10, 2025 statement the jury found \"misleading, inaccurate, or unsupported.\"<\/p><\/article>\n <article class=\"doc\"><span class=\"docnum\">Appendix F<\/span><h3>CAL FIRE letter<\/h3><p>2019 letter setting fire-flow and hydrant conditions before any building permit.<\/p><\/article>\n <article class=\"doc\"><span class=\"docnum\">Appendix G<\/span><h3>Amador County \"permit\" #256850<\/h3><p>The document Amador says was only for tracking \u2014 not a real building permit.<\/p><\/article>\n <article class=\"doc\"><span class=\"docnum\">Appendix H<\/span><h3>CAO-to-Amador memo<\/h3><p>July 1, 2025 request to send the supervisor's project to another county.<\/p><\/article>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/main>\n\n<!-- ============ FOOTER ============ -->\n<footer>\n <div class=\"wrap\">\n <div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.8rem;\">\n <a class=\"readfull\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov\/system\/files\/general\/2025-2026-tuolumne-county-civil-grand-jury-behind-devastation-tuolumne-county-community-development-department.pdf\" id=\"readFull\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2197 Read \u201cBehind the Devastation\u201d (PDF)<\/a>\n <a class=\"readfull\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov\/system\/files\/general\/2025-2026-tuolumne-county-civil-grand-jury-governance-practices-impacting-public-trust.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2197 Read \u201cGovernance Practices\u201d (PDF)<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"disclaim\">\n <p>This is an independent reader's guide that summarizes and reorganizes the two official Civil Grand Jury reports for easier navigation. It is <b>not<\/b> the report of record, and it paraphrases the jury's own findings \u2014 including its characterizations of named, currently serving officials, which are the jury's conclusions and not established legal determinations. Names not disclosed by the jury are drawn from public reporting by <i>The Union Democrat<\/i>. For any authoritative purpose, consult the original documents and the Board's forthcoming responses.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"foot-meta\">\n Sources: 2025\u20132026 Tuolumne County Civil Grand Jury \u00b7 \u201cBehind the Devastation: Tuolumne County Community Development Department\u201d (80 pp.) and \u201cGovernance Practices Impacting Public Trust\u201d (26 pp.) \u00b7 both issued June 26, 2026. All reports: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tuolumne.courts.ca.gov\/general-information\/grand-jury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tuolumne.courts.ca.gov\/general-information\/grand-jury<\/a>.<br>\n Grand Jury reports do not name individuals interviewed (Penal Code \u00a7929). Required responses are governed by Penal Code \u00a7\u00a7 933 & 933.05.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/footer>\n\n<script>\n\/* ---------------- Timeline data ---------------- *\/\nconst events = [\n {date:\"2019\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"Mike Holland acquires the property at 17411 High School Road.\"},\n {date:\"Aug 22, 2019\", cat:\"hydrant\", flag:true, text:\"CAL FIRE letter sets 7 conditions before any building permit \u2014 including fire-flow testing and a TUD confirmation letter. The jury could not confirm either was met.\"},\n {date:\"Jan 14, 2021\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"CDD issues Conditions of Approval for the Site Development Permit.\"},\n {date:\"Apr 19, 2021\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"Site Development Permit SDP-19-004 approved with ~60 conditions of approval.\"},\n {date:\"Jan 26, 2022\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"Grading permit issued for \u00b112,833 cubic yards of earthwork.\"},\n {date:\"Apr 2023\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"Significant excavation and site prep begins.\"},\n {date:\"Sep 11, 2023\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"First public complaints: work allegedly obstructed an existing drainage ditch.\"},\n {date:\"Sep 29, 2023\", cat:\"coi\", flag:false, text:\"Holland announces his candidacy for the District 1 supervisor seat.\"},\n {date:\"Oct 13, 2023\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"Environmental Health flags the septic plan as insufficient for a residence in Building C.\"},\n {date:\"Nov 7\u20139, 2023\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"Eight building permits issued \u2014 foundation work only, one per structure.\"},\n {date:\"Jan 10, 2024\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"Public Works issues a Notice of Grading Permit Revocation: issued without all conditions met.\"},\n {date:\"Jan 12, 2024\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"Grading permit suspended after a complaint that a cross culvert was filled with concrete and debris.\"},\n {date:\"Feb 21, 2024\", cat:\"staff\", flag:false, text:\"The Public Works Director resigns, effective April 14, 2024.\"},\n {date:\"Apr 17, 2024\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"Internal memo: Holland reportedly has 'no intention' to build the required drainage ditch shown on his plans.\"},\n {date:\"May 16, 2024\", cat:\"hydrant\", flag:true, text:\"Asst. CAO emails Holland that the hydrant plan is concurred \u2014 but the sitting CAO later denies ever authorizing it.\"},\n {date:\"Nov 5, 2024\", cat:\"coi\", flag:false, text:\"Holland is elected to the Board of Supervisors.\"},\n {date:\"Jan 6, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:false, text:\"Holland is sworn in as a supervisor.\"},\n {date:\"Jan 15, 2025\", cat:\"staff\", flag:false, text:\"CAO Tracie Riggs resigns; Roger Root becomes Acting CAO.\"},\n {date:\"Mar 4, 2025\", cat:\"staff\", flag:false, text:\"First positions eliminated\/frozen under the 15% budget cut.\"},\n {date:\"Mar 18, 2025\", cat:\"staff\", flag:true, text:\"Holland's 'Maybe Time for a New Approach' presentation \u2014 delivered just before a closed-session review of the CDD Director. Jury flags a possible Brown Act issue.\"},\n {date:\"Apr 21, 2025\", cat:\"permit\", flag:false, text:\"Seven 'foundation only' permits reissued as 'structural only.' Building C stays foundation-only.\"},\n {date:\"May 5, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"Internal email references budget for 'outside planning services,' including '$20,000 for Supervisor Holland's projects' \u2014 before the policy exists.\"},\n {date:\"May 6, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"Holland debates and votes on mobile-home-park fees despite owning rental spaces at a park covered by the ordinance \u2014 recusing only on May 20, after he'd already argued against it. (Governance report)\"},\n {date:\"Jun 3, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"Board amends the Governance Manual to allow outside-agency review. Holland seconds the motion and votes yes, without recusing.\"},\n {date:\"Jul 1, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:false, text:\"Acting CAO formally asks Amador County to handle review, permitting, and inspection for the project.\"},\n {date:\"Jul 4, 2025\", cat:\"staff\", flag:false, text:\"CDD Director Quincy Yaley resigns; Brian Bell appointed Acting Director.\"},\n {date:\"Jul 12, 2025\", cat:\"hydrant\", flag:true, text:\"Holland installs an unpermitted fire hydrant to support the project.\"},\n {date:\"Jul 14, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"Acting Director Bell is instructed to stop all involvement with the project.\"},\n {date:\"Jul 28, 2025\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"Bell issues an Opportunity to Correct notice anyway \u2014 then is told again to withdraw it.\"},\n {date:\"Aug 5, 2025\", cat:\"staff\", flag:false, text:\"Bell tells the Board CDD has lost 14 employees in nine months; the last code compliance officer has quit.\"},\n {date:\"Aug 14, 2025\", cat:\"permit\", flag:true, text:\"Code Compliance issues a Notice and Order: Building C under construction without a permit; hydrant installed without one.\"},\n {date:\"Oct 7, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:false, text:\"Three citizens ask the Board to investigate Holland. Holland calls the hydrant 'a public hydrant\u2026 it belongs to the County.'\"},\n {date:\"Oct 10, 2025\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"CAO press release states Amador issued a permit for Building C \u2014 a claim Amador later denies.\"},\n {date:\"Nov 4, 2025\", cat:\"staff\", flag:false, text:\"Board appoints Roger Root as permanent County Administrative Officer.\"},\n {date:\"Feb 9, 2026\", cat:\"hydrant\", flag:false, text:\"District Attorney declines to file criminal charges over the hydrant \u2014 citing insufficient evidence of a crime.\"},\n {date:\"Mar 27, 2026\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"Holland conditions his Grand Jury testimony on removing two jurors he claims are biased from social media; the jury finds no basis but accommodates him, then reaffirms both jurors were impartial. (Governance report)\"},\n {date:\"Apr 20, 2026\", cat:\"coi\", flag:true, text:\"Amador County tells the jury it issued no building permits and only Tuolumne County can. Work continues on all eight buildings.\"},\n];\n\nconst catLabel = {permit:\"Permit\", staff:\"Staff\", coi:\"COI\", hydrant:\"Hydrant\"};\n\nconst tl = document.getElementById('tl');\nevents.forEach(e=>{\n const item = document.createElement('div');\n item.className = 'tl-item' + (e.flag ? ' flag':'');\n item.dataset.cat = e.cat;\n item.innerHTML = `<time>${e.date}<\/time> <span class=\"tag\">${catLabel[e.cat]}<\/span>\n <h4>${e.text}<\/h4>`;\n tl.appendChild(item);\n});\n\n\/* ---- filtering ---- *\/\nconst filters = document.querySelectorAll('.filter');\nconst tlEmpty = document.getElementById('tlEmpty');\nfilters.forEach(btn=>{\n btn.addEventListener('click',()=>{\n filters.forEach(b=>b.setAttribute('aria-pressed','false'));\n btn.setAttribute('aria-pressed','true');\n const f = btn.dataset.f;\n let shown = 0;\n document.querySelectorAll('.tl-item').forEach(it=>{\n const match = (f==='all' || it.dataset.cat===f);\n it.hidden = !match;\n if(match) shown++;\n });\n tlEmpty.hidden = shown>0;\n });\n});\n\n\/* ---------------- Findings data ---------------- *\/\nconst findings = [\n {group:\"Staffing\", items:[\n {n:\"F1\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Budget-cut fears drove staff to quit early; poor pay, degraded culture, and a lack of Board support have left CDD unable to hold minimum service levels without costly contractors.\",\n recs:[{id:\"1-1\",due:\"Aug 31, 2026\",t:\"Update and maintain public org charts to match real budgeted and vacant positions.\"},\n {id:\"1-2\",due:\"Sep 30, 2026\",t:\"Study the ILG 'Bridge Initiative' apprenticeship model and report on expanding internships.\"},\n {id:\"1-3\",due:\"Dec 31, 2026\",t:\"Run an anonymous, county-wide employee survey on morale and culture.\"}]},\n {n:\"F2\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Holland's 'Maybe Time for a New Approach' presentation drew a misleading comparison between Tuolumne and Amador County departments that have materially different structures and workloads.\", recs:[]},\n {n:\"F3\", status:\"pending\", title:\"With no defined metrics for permit-approval time, the county can't spot improvements \u2014 and public perception suffers.\",\n recs:[{id:\"2\/3-1\",due:\"Mar 31, 2027\",t:\"Set permit-approval goals by category and track them in OpenGov.\"},\n {id:\"2\/3-2\",due:\"Mar 31, 2027\",t:\"Publish target approval times by category.\"},\n {id:\"2\/3-3\",due:\"Dec 31, 2026\",t:\"Run a plan to publicly reinforce the value of CDD and the permit process.\"}]},\n {n:\"F4\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Using the 'Board Reports' slot for an extensive presentation criticizing CDD \u2014 right before the director's closed-session evaluation \u2014 created the appearance of improper, un-agendized personnel discussion.\", recs:[]},\n {n:\"F5\", status:\"pending\", title:\"The timing of that presentation, just before the director's evaluation, fed perceptions of intimidation and an inconsistent evaluation process.\",\n recs:[{id:\"5-1\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Adopt standards of conduct for professional, respectful treatment of staff.\"},\n {id:\"5-2\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Reinforce that employee-specific discussion belongs in closed session.\"},\n {id:\"5-3\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Define the permissible scope of 'Board Reports.'\"},\n {id:\"5-4\",due:\"Annual\",t:\"County Counsel to give annual Brown Act \/ governance training.\"},\n {id:\"5-5\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Require substantive department criticism to be properly agendized.\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"Community Development Department\", items:[\n {n:\"F6\", status:\"pending\", title:\"CDD applied unwritten 'Tuolumne County' requirements beyond adopted codes \u2014 never formally codified \u2014 causing delays, added cost, and inconsistency.\",\n recs:[{id:\"6\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Base all decisions on adopted codes; document and publish any local requirements.\"}]},\n {n:\"F7\", status:\"pending\", title:\"CDD routinely declined to rely on engineers' professional stamps, returning stamped plans for more information.\",\n recs:[{id:\"7\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Set clear plan-review guidelines defining the roles of design professionals vs. reviewers.\"}]},\n {n:\"F8\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Applicants received successive correction notices \u2014 new issues surfacing after earlier ones were fixed \u2014 driving repeated review cycles.\",\n recs:[{id:\"8\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Improve review procedures to surface all known deficiencies up front.\"}]},\n {n:\"F9\", status:\"pending\", title:\"CDD enforced the ordinance code and granted remediation leeway inconsistently.\",\n recs:[{id:\"9-1\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Keep an educational approach for honest mistakes; strengthen enforcement for repeat offenders.\"},\n {id:\"9-2\",due:\"Oct 1, 2026\",t:\"Track violations and apply progressive, uniform enforcement.\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"Conflict-of-interest policy\", items:[\n {n:\"F10\", status:\"pending\", title:\"The Board created an outside-agency review mechanism when multiple conflict-resolution paths already existed \u2014 and Holland took part in the vote despite an active project the policy would soon cover.\",\n recs:[{id:\"10-1\",due:\"60 days\",t:\"Reconsider the June 3, 2025 approval given Holland's participation.\"},\n {id:\"10-2\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Review whether existing safeguards were adequate before keeping the policy.\"},\n {id:\"10-3\",due:\"60 days\",t:\"Use existing contracted consultants to verify impartiality instead.\"},\n {id:\"10-4\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Require full COI disclosure before votes; recuse where required.\"}]},\n {n:\"F11\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Rules for delegating review, permitting, and inspection to an outside agency are undefined. In the Amador case, 'the solution was even more dysfunctional than the problem itself.'\",\n recs:[{id:\"11\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Adopt formal minimum requirements for inter-county service agreements.\"}]},\n {n:\"F12\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Sending work to an external jurisdiction produced little transparency or project tracking.\",\n recs:[{id:\"12\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Require written status updates and keep records in OpenGov.\"}]},\n {n:\"F13\", status:\"pending\", title:\"The jury could not find an active Code Compliance Board in the county's current framework.\",\n recs:[{id:\"13\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Review the board's status and decide whether to reactivate or replace it.\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"High School Road project\", items:[\n {n:\"F14\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Amador County issued no permit for the actual work \u2014 and never assumed responsibility for permits on work done in Tuolumne County.\",\n recs:[{id:\"14-1\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Retain independent experts to review the whole project for compliance.\"},\n {id:\"14-2\",due:\"\u2014\",t:\"Correct any deficiencies at the owner's expense before advancing.\"},\n {id:\"14-3\",due:\"\u2014\",t:\"Withhold the Certificate of Occupancy until county staff verify compliance.\"}]},\n {n:\"F15\", status:\"pending\", title:\"The fire hydrant was installed without a permit, and qualified personnel never documented the required inspections or testing.\",\n recs:[{id:\"15-1\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Comprehensively review the hydrant for permitting, engineering, and testing compliance.\"},\n {id:\"15-2\",due:\"\u2014\",t:\"Put review and remedial costs on the property owner.\"},\n {id:\"15-3\",due:\"\u2014\",t:\"Don't accept the hydrant 'donation' until permits, inspections, and fees are complete.\"}]},\n {n:\"F16\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Permitting and enforcement outside the normal jurisdictional structure reduced transparency and blurred accountability.\",\n recs:[{id:\"16\",due:\"Immediate\",t:\"Rescind the Amador agreement and return the work to Tuolumne County.\"},\n {id:\"16-2\",due:\"\u2014\",t:\"If not rescinded, ensure standard procedures and normal authority apply.\"}]},\n {n:\"F17\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Holland's actions as a supervisor raise concerns about compliance with county governance policies and ethical standards, undermining public confidence.\",\n recs:[{id:\"17-1\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Evaluate whether administrative, legal, or corrective measures are warranted.\"},\n {id:\"17-2\",due:\"Sep 1, 2026\",t:\"Strengthen oversight, ethics training, and COI safeguards.\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"County Administrative Officer\", items:[\n {n:\"F18\", status:\"pending\", title:\"County leadership showed a recurring lack of understanding of permitting and code \u2014 e.g. the public-vs-private hydrant distinction \u2014 raising public-safety and liability risk.\",\n recs:[{id:\"18\",due:\"Immediate\",t:\"CAO should stop making independent technical determinations and defer to qualified staff.\"}]},\n {n:\"F19\", status:\"pending\", title:\"The CAO's Oct 10, 2025 press release contained statements the jury found misleading, inaccurate, or unsupported.\",\n recs:[{id:\"19\",due:\"Aug 1, 2026\",t:\"Issue a corrected public statement, fact-checked by the relevant departments.\"}]}\n ]}\n];\n\n\/* ---------------- Governance report (report two) findings ---------------- *\/\nconst govFindings = [\n {group:\"Ethical behavior\", items:[\n {n:\"F1\", status:\"pending\", title:\"On May 6, 2025, Holland debated and voted on mobile-home-park fees despite a direct financial conflict \u2014 he owns rental spaces and a leased mobile home at Hill Haven, a park covered by the county's rent-control ordinance. His recusal two weeks later, after he'd already argued against the fee, was 'effectively futile.'\",\n recs:[{id:\"1\",due:\"Within 90 days\",t:\"All elected county officials must complete Political Reform Act, Levine Act, \u00a71090, and FPPC training within 90 days, and retake AB 1234 ethics training (new members within 6 months of taking office).\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"Clash of duties or loyalties\", items:[\n {n:\"F2\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Holland may hold two incompatible offices \u2014 county supervisor and Sonora Union High School District trustee \u2014 creating clashes over budgets, land use, and litigation. The overlap is sharpest at the Tuolumne Public Power Agency, whose board is the Board of Supervisors and whose members include the school district. An FPPC complaint was dismissed as outside its jurisdiction.\",\n recs:[{id:\"2-1\",due:\"Within 90 days\",t:\"County Counsel should refer the incompatible-offices question to the state Attorney General for a formal opinion.\"},\n {id:\"2-2\",due:\"60\u201390 days\",t:\"All elected officials and the CAO must certify they've read the governance manual (60 days); new supervisors must complete CSAC's New Supervisors Institute or equivalent within 90 days of taking office.\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"Procedural understanding\", items:[\n {n:\"F3\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Board members gave inconsistent, incomplete answers about what closed-session information they could lawfully share, hindering the investigation. The jury estimates it lost several weeks and had to redirect its inquiry away from the underlying staffing concerns.\",\n recs:[{id:\"3\",due:\"By Dec 31, 2026\",t:\"County Counsel should train the Board on Government Code \u00a754963 and its exceptions \u2014 emphasizing cooperation with Grand Jury investigations and the confidential\/non-confidential distinction.\"}]}\n ]},\n {group:\"Transparency & accountability\", items:[\n {n:\"F4\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Holland hindered a Grand Jury interview by conditioning his testimony on removing two jurors he alleged were biased based on their social media. There was no statutory basis, and witnesses have no right to remove jurors. The jury accommodated him in good faith, then reaffirmed both jurors were impartial.\",\n recs:[{id:\"4\",due:\"By Dec 31, 2026\",t:\"County Counsel should arrange training on the Civil Grand Jury's oversight role and witnesses' obligation to cooperate with investigations and interviews.\"}]},\n {n:\"F5\", status:\"pending\", title:\"The county's 90-day automatic email-deletion policy destroys potential public records, conflicts with the state's two-year retention guidance, and hampered the investigation. Two senior employees told the jury that keeping fewer records reduces the county's liability. Prior grand juries flagged the same issue in 2012\u201313 and 2016\u201317.\",\n recs:[{id:\"5\",due:\"By Dec 31, 2026\",t:\"Amend the automatic email-deletion policy (or adopt retention requirements) to keep potential public records for two years, in line with state law.\"}]},\n {n:\"F6\", status:\"pending\", title:\"Board-meeting records are hard to access \u2014 often video-only, with only intermittent transcripts \u2014 burdening the public and raising ADA concerns. Reviewing video cost the jury roughly six extra weeks versus searchable text.\",\n recs:[{id:\"6\",due:\"Within 90 days\",t:\"Publish full transcripts of all open Board meetings on the county agenda website. 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