[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6604424,"mediaKeyId","2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49","parentId",2989052,"title","Independent Civilian Advisory Commission holds officer elections during orientation meeting","audioSeconds",182,"startMs",8788000,"endMs",8970000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49&start=8788&end=8970","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49/thumbnail_8788000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6604424/San-Mateo-County/California/Independent-Civilian-Advisory-Commission-holds-officer-elections-during-orientation-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604424-14105f05c0e53394cf6dcab704acd797/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442809&Signature=W1TuiLysUkbuafvgU2jGovBzwA5vx8K34AeGBEg8DgfgwWQgIKFEF7q2C8XtT5A6AtLlmCGU-v8HhZsA~3ujHOGMTuJTlHOM23Yo2LQRYv5NYIb4S~jKZoLkP17b-lhoyaes8mw4U0uPb3IK-4-gnpSC2XvZAHyYFnGE0FPzBv5W5Shw5ZD7PIvODJmjadhnL~QXTICWDRNCdQsppoSIpX4VBdObqpoUQ7T0FdI8tRtkUk-6xIXhwYuNp~BT5MF~rOD6NYqazfX0mvf-zUpsKShxj7E6V2znH5ZoWFf1dHLv9uUAy1owzTR~3Hx8uA9fiVHmV3JnRoxbyAegSjt18A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-15T06:54:38.89Z","article","During its orientation meeting, commissioners nominated and conducted elections for the commission’s leadership positions. Nominations came from commissioners for both chair and vice chair, and the commission used a roll‑call process for votes.

Nominations and voting: Commission members offered nominations from the floor. One commissioner nominated William (Bill) McClure for chair; other commissioners also nominated a fellow commissioner for chair during the discussion. The commission then conducted a roll‑call vote. The record shows each commissioner responding affirmatively during the roll call; the meeting chair announced “Great. Congratulations,” after votes were recorded.

Why it matters: Establishing a chair and vice chair is a routine but important step for the functioning of the new advisory body. The chair will work with staff to set agendas, coordinate with staff liaisons and represent the commission in presentations to the Board of Supervisors.

Procedural note: The meeting transcript includes roll‑call responses (each commissioner said “yes” during the recorded votes). The transcript does not include a repeated on‑the‑record, named proclamation of the final officeholders in a single adjacent line of the transcript that unequivocally links the roll‑call to a specific named office in every instance; staff confirmed during the meeting that nominations were accepted and votes recorded.

Ending: Commission staff will work with the newly selected leadership to refine the onboarding agenda and agenda items for future meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office, August 21, 2024 6:30pm","oneSentenceSummary","The commission accepted nominations and conducted roll‑call votes for leadership during the onboarding meeting; staff conducted nominations and a roll call. Commissioners voted by roll call; meeting record shows affirmative votes but does not include a transcribed, explicit declaration of officeholder names in all instances.","taxTitle","San Mateo County, California","taxId",3572,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6604429,"Elections officials, sheriff’s office outline inmate voting program and AB 544 pilot; county estimates $400,000 if funded",3588,3426000,7014000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49&start=3426&end=7014","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49/thumbnail_3426000.jpg","/articles/6604429/San-Mateo-County/California/Elections-officials-sheriffs-office-outline-inmate-voting-program-and-AB-544-pilot-county-estimates-400000-if-funded","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604429-9d9898ff19cd350e23df656c09cb7c2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442809&Signature=oGuPVzKF0cNvSqu316FgrdlYkSNdDfLMao0BTUIrjfr1qZfG5P2ne9ya-jBrqe8u-peP7sbR4ejRySlWTFBiiPfaa6IFdU3gP8SO~ah-jJJYVhH5n1d~4qyHZ82fRq60dWL~~FxDqWo1TzELtItpgXihJMDu0KOBry4wPlbhSNSPmS62fmX~0t6yXS6cjLUAF7xK2ck-j7fn9O2Pla6AGohlYJ29yzSq1nwTvT4AZOZU~ZvvhgfjZLsO~djH-lSrsp2COPeON4OW8kFSjx961p1Vwkk892pFV78B4-BWpcwfsug28-aJoLmZqH3wQ3lKcRPSp1g1fJAeXGuLKN-xoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Mateo County elections officials and sheriff’s office staff briefed the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on existing inmate‑voting procedures, new outreach partnerships and the state pilot program AB 544 that would expand in‑person voting in jails if funded.

Assistant Chief Elections Officer Jim Irizarry said San Mateo has been an early adopter of the California Voter’s Choice Act model — mail ballots to all registered voters plus a network of vote centers — and described voter‑access services for people in county jails. “We send a ballot to every registered voter in the county and we open vote centers for in‑person services,” Irizarry said. He noted the county plans 49 vote centers and about 62 drop boxes for the upcoming presidential election and said there are roughly 435,000 registered voters countywide.

Current jail voting program: Irizarry and sheriff’s office staff described a long‑running collaboration in which the sheriff designates a jail coordinator to receive voter materials, distribute registration and ballot packets in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Chinese, and return completed ballots to the elections office. The sheriff’s speaker said the county pushes information on electronic tablets inside facilities, coordinates weekly updates with elections staff and physically safeguards and forwards ballots either by mail or direct delivery to the elections office.

Recent outreach and participation: Elections staff said 70 incarcerated people registered to vote during the June election cycle; community groups, including the League of Women Voters and San Francisco Peninsula People Power, said they will conduct voter‑education visits inside county facilities in coming weeks. Community advocates urged use of trusted messengers — people with lived experience — to encourage registration and turnout.

AB 544 pilot: Irizarry summarized AB 544, a state pilot to fund in‑person voting inside county jails. The bill had passed the Assembly and awaited Senate and gubernatorial action at the time of the meeting; funding also must be allocated in the 2025 state budget. If enacted and funded as proposed, Secretary of State documents and the county’s estimate indicate roughly $900,000 in statewide grant funds split among participating counties; San Mateo’s share was estimated at about $400,000 to cover in‑person voting logistics at two county jail facilities and program evaluation and reporting.

Concerns and next steps: Commissioners and advocates asked for better turnout metrics — number registered versus number who actually voted — and expressed concern about low historical turnout figures for incarcerated voters (public commenters cited as few as 9 to 28 ballots cast in prior local elections). Elections staff agreed to provide turnout counts for the jail population following the meeting. Staff said the AB 544 pilot would, if funded, require counties to provide a minimum eight hours of in‑person voting access in jail facilities during elections, and to report program data to the Secretary of State.

Ending: Elections and sheriff’s staff described current vote‑by‑mail operations for incarcerated people and new outreach partnerships while noting AB 544 remains conditional on state funding; staff agreed to return with more granular data on registered incarcerated voters and actual ballots cast.","San Mateo County elections staff and the sheriff’s office described current inmate registration and vote‑by‑mail operations, new outreach partnerships and the state AB 544 pilot that would fund in‑jail, in‑person voting if the legislature and governor fund the program.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6604433,"New civilian oversight commission receives overview of county boards, duties and onboarding curriculum",2434,1361000,3795000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49&start=1361&end=3795","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49/thumbnail_1361000.jpg","/articles/6604433/San-Mateo-County/California/New-civilian-oversight-commission-receives-overview-of-county-boards-duties-and-onboarding-curriculum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604433-a15c0116ebf71e26da435ad5e2dac256/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442809&Signature=AyhrG911yPZtoukfz7YE2NJgIVQidELBjQhZAT6vOKf5JgIhbCAoTlsPTXnnMoVScJ~Fqv0e6ypCW-Zer8nxUsSv8zsx3offKcITGAgyg-m0k-1BmP~NHIywuYAM3KMTy3s7CWic2qiYLpLb7-iGBb-uBViA6maepcc7yMpFRKDS~HKAxHA-JQs-IjtQ1siHdP1CKB77Ix3NvQ5F4QnOarT1LaWFnzJ4jhk-dBMgE7XL2T-GIDgtJSOcr7bDypgPnB2MmuWxs09PvKtX4FFppE6WfcaPAzp5ueYIMXoMsxErKmtvXAJ8tvEtFShGnIKDH5Ym9OEsKT9WERimr~Wg6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff gave the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission (ICAC) a detailed orientation on the legal role, staff support and operational norms that govern county boards and commissions, and presented a proposed onboarding curriculum designed to inform the commission’s first work plan.

Connie Horace DeRolle, the county’s chief legislative officer, told commissioners that most county boards are advisory and that the Board of Supervisors is the county’s primary policymaking body. “Boards and commissions are put together to gather and analyze public input and make recommendations to the board of supervisors,” she said, explaining that only a small subset of county bodies have decision‑making authority established by state law or county charter.

Staff and liaison roles: County staff and board liaisons will support the ICAC. DeRolle described the Office of Community Affairs as the administrative lead for ICAC support; board liaisons assigned to individual supervisors will act as conduits to the Board of Supervisors. Commissioners were reminded that staff provide subject‑matter expertise, help develop agendas and coordinate presentations, and that the commission’s formal recommendations typically are routed to the Board of Supervisors.

Powers and limits: Staff emphasized limits on investigatory and personnel authority. The commission’s founding resolution, staff said, bars members from interfering with active criminal investigations or participating in personnel disciplinary decisions. Staff also said the commission should seek input from the county executive’s office, county counsel and the budget office before forwarding policy recommendations so that proposals are informed by legal, fiscal and operational implications.

Onboarding curriculum: Debbie Schechter, the facilitator hired to support the ICAC, presented a multi‑meeting onboarding curriculum and a retreat framework. The proposed schedule covers foundational topics such as the county sheriff’s operations, correctional health and suicide prevention, behavioral health and crisis‑response alternatives, use‑of‑force and “less‑lethal” devices, civilian grievance processes and state investigatory authorities. Commissioners were invited to suggest additions; several asked to add jail mail policy, in‑custody death investigations and staffing/training topics.

Why it matters: The orientation clarified what the ICAC can and cannot do and mapped out a process for developing the commission’s annual work plan. Commissioners were repeatedly reminded that the commission’s value is advisory: it can request information from departments and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, but it cannot direct county departments or conduct parallel investigations of active cases.

Ending: Staff committed to refine the schedule with the newly elected chair and vice chair and to provide presentations at future meetings on investigations, complaint pathways and departmental practices. The commission set its next meeting and will use the onboarding materials to prepare a work plan for the board of supervisors.","County staff walked the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission through the county’s boards and commissions framework, the ICAC’s advisory role and limits, and a proposed onboarding curriculum and retreat designed to inform the commission’s first-year work plan.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6604439,"Residents urge San Mateo sheriff to allow personal mail, call for independent complaint process after jail deaths",691,562000,1253000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49&start=562&end=1253","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989052-f0c99afe06245b023c8d04fb4e2b5e49/thumbnail_562000.jpg","/articles/6604439/San-Mateo-County/California/Residents-urge-San-Mateo-sheriff-to-allow-personal-mail-call-for-independent-complaint-process-after-jail-deaths","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604439-afc262b41cbf78625c870bba00fbfea8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442809&Signature=SKLo~ZWxyWV9ZvnOptIs2bzm0FRSDpKOaPC4CGKdMvQrn9dSGpkjm0eGyQQiIRxOXmWnPA4Bjk3SjuHZdpWVPDaWlLdojbPOz8EvhydrSMXx2Je~cApofqwk6Fhu8r7LupCLdBrSRF04Za8TwQVlvWBWrDOk7A3A-OJrlWJo8KIo5nddKnf4PQST3ep3g~oS2RjCMi2TV35ZIHn~MJIJ0sP7GPnq35sgVoBQGI9SQZfewbkaw7ojvwzev7WzOhNc50oW7eaBXAu~pBnD0Gi3QZPBWVePdWfKoSb7jt-VoZM9OLC-gk4caIH14MfWLD9DuLISTb3tpt-aRmV~7vSfvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and community advocates used the commission’s public‑comment period to press San Mateo County’s newly seated Independent Civilian Advisory Commission (ICAC) to press the sheriff’s office to restore personal mail for incarcerated people and to create an independent complaints process after several in‑custody deaths.

Those speaking at the Aug. 7 meeting said allowing letters and drawings from loved ones would improve inmates’ mental well‑being and that the county’s current mail policy and vendor contracts are harmful. “That simple act of reading and physically touching a letter could lift up their downtrodden spirits immensely,” said Deacon Lauren McCombs, a member of Faith in Action Bay Area and Coalition for Safer San Mateo County.

The calls came during general public comment at the start of the meeting, when several people also urged the ICAC to pursue independent investigations into deaths and misconduct in county custody. Nancy Goodman, of Fix in San Mateo County, told commissioners the county is defending litigation over its mail policy and said the county had paid more than $13.4 million in sheriff‑office misconduct payouts in the past two years. “We need a confidential complaints process that is independent of the sheriff’s office,” she said.

Why it matters: Public commenters framed the issues as immediate matters of safety, accountability and cost to taxpayers. Deborah Leshin of Belmont Neighbors Against Racism noted five in‑custody deaths at Maguire Correctional Facility since 2023 — including suicides and overdoses — and urged stronger prevention and alternatives to jailing people who need behavioral health care.

Supporters cited local examples where counties run mailrooms using unarmed, non‑sworn staff who screen mail and forward suspicious items to sworn deputies for further review. McCombs said Santa Clara County uses non‑sworn mailroom staff and avoids automated scanners that produce low‑quality images; she asked Sheriff Christina Corpus to consult peers rather than rely on current vendor restrictions.

Speakers repeatedly called for independent investigations of in‑custody deaths. David Ballard, a former member of the county grand jury, urged the commission to insist on investigations that do not report only to agency leadership and that prioritize independence from departments under review.

The commission did not take action during the public‑comment segment. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the concerns and directed staff to note the public’s requests; later agenda items covered the commission’s advisory role and limits on investigative authority.

Ending: Community members asked the ICAC to prioritize reviewing the sheriff’s mail policy, the county’s approach to deaths in custody and the creation of an independent complaint mechanism. Commissioners signaled they would address procedure and jurisdiction during their onboarding work, but no formal direction or vote was taken at this meeting.","Multiple residents and advocacy groups urged the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission to press the sheriff’s office to allow personal mail for incarcerated people, create an independent complaint process and address recent in‑custody deaths.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Independent Civilian Advisory Commission holds officer elections during orientation meeting

Elections officials, sheriff’s office outline inmate voting program and AB 544 pilot; county estimates $400,000 if funded

New civilian oversight commission receives overview of county boards, duties and onboarding curriculum

Residents urge San Mateo sheriff to allow personal mail, call for independent complaint process after jail deaths