SUMMARY
The 2011-2012 Ventura County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) learned in August 2011 that the County of Ventura (County) contracted with the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) to lease the newly-constructed training academy in the city of Camarillo for a period of fifteen years at a total cost exceeding $2.6 million.
The lease was executed in 2010, eight years after the passage of Measure S: Ventura, Moorpark and Oxnard Community College Repair and Safety Ventura County Community College District (Bond) authorizing funds for the building of the Sheriff’s Academy (Academy), the Fire Academy, and the repair or replacement of other educational facilities. The lease was not authorized by the Bond and failed to appear as an estimated cost on the ballot.

Before the lease, the Ventura County Sheriff (Sheriff) was to provide the instructors and furniture for the Academy and pay rent of $1 per year. The partnership agreement, Affiliation/Institutional Services Agreement, between VCCCD and the Sheriff failed. That failure necessitated a lease agreement before the Sheriff could occupy the Academy.

The Grand Jury found that the Sheriff rent is currently $124,488 per year for the Academy built with Bond dollars. The Grand Jury found that the taxpayers of the County of Ventura (County) are paying for the Academy twice: through regular repayment of the Bond and additionally with the annual rent to VCCCD.

None of this information appeared in the June 2011 Annual Report of the Citizens Oversight Committee.

The Grand Jury recommends that the rental payments revert to $1 per year and that VCCCD transfer the Academy to the Sheriff’s control forthwith. The Grand Jury made other recommendations in the full body of the report that should facilitate the Sheriff’s ability to pursue collegiate partnerships in compliance with one of the Bond’s original purposes.

Go to the Grand Jury website to review the entire report http://grandjury.countyofventura.org