The purpose of this chapter is to establish a welfare advisory committee which will be empowered as follows:
A. 
The committee formed by this chapter shall be entitled to exercise all the powers which a county board of public welfare may exercise under Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 18100 et seq.;
B. 
The committee formed by this chapter shall be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers which a family and children's services advisory committee is empowered to exercise under Regulation 10-032 of the State Department of Social Welfare.
(Ord. 166 § 1, 1969)
There is created and established in accordance with the purposes, duties and powers set forth in Section 2.44.010, a committee consisting of nine members to be known as the Inyo County public welfare advisory committee. The county social welfare director shall be a nonvoting, ex officio member and shall serve in addition to the other nine members.
(Ord. 166 § 2, 1969)
A. 
The members of the committee shall be appointed by the county board of supervisors, and each appointment shall be for a period of four years with the following exceptions:
1. 
The terms of the initial nine members shall be staggered;
2. 
Four of the initial nine members shall serve for a period of four years;
3. 
Three of the initial nine members shall serve for a period of three years;
4. 
Two of the initial nine members shall serve for a period of two years;
5. 
Appointments to fill vacancies shall be for a period equal to the unexpired term of the member whose departure from the committee created the vacancy.
B. 
But for the above mentioned exceptions, all appointments shall be for a period of four years.
(Ord. 166 § 3, 1969)
The committee shall meet four times each year, and as many more times as the committee, by majority vote, deems necessary. At its first meeting the committee shall also establish, by majority vote, its own procedure for calling meetings and giving notice therefor. The committee meetings shall be open to the public, except where private meetings are authorized by law.
(Ord. 166 § 5, 1969)
Any member of committee who fails to attend two consecutive meetings, without having been excused in advance by the committee, shall automatically cease to be a member of the committee.
(Ord. 166 § 6, 1969)
The members of the committee shall serve without compensation, and no person shall be appointed or shall serve on such board who is in any manner officially connected with any charitable or correctional institution within the county which is supported wholly or partly by public expense. At least one-third of the regular members must be aid recipients or representatives of aid recipients. Representatives of aid recipients must be selected in a manner that will assure that they are representative of the total recipient population. The nine members chosen must include at least three members of each sex.
(Ord. 166 § 7, 1969)
The committee shall exercise the following powers and duties:
A. 
At least once each quarter and as much more often as it deems necessary, the committee, as a body, or by a designated member, shall visit and inspect the county hospital, the county infirmary or relief home for the aged, and theCounty Jail. As often as it deems proper, or as it is directed by the board of supervisors or by a judge of the superior court, the committee shall visit and inspect, in like manner, each jail or lockup in the county, and any charitable or correctional institution in the county, which receives any support from county funds. It shall examine every department of each institution visited and shall ascertain its condition as to effective and economical administration, and the cleanliness, discipline and comfort of its inmates. It shall carefully study the rules prescribed by the board of supervisors for the control of each county institution, and the suggestions offered by the state departments having jurisdiction over the respective institutions, and shall ascertain whether or not such rules are being complied with;
B. 
The committee may make suggestions for improving the administration to the persons in charge of such county institutions, and may report to the board of supervisors, or to any other official having jurisdiction, any facts which the committee believes such officials should know. If the committee or one of its designated members finds, in any institution, any condition contrary to public policy and good order, or which it believes is injurious to the county or to the inmates of the institution, it shall report such condition to the board of supervisors or to any other officials having jurisdiction, stating the facts observed and suggesting remedies;
C. 
On or before the first Monday in March, June, September and December of each year, the committee shall make a report in writing to the grand jury of the county, if there is any, and if there is none, the committee shall file the report with the district attorney who shall present it to the first grand jury thereafter constituted, as soon as one is impaneled and sworn. Annually on or before the first Monday in June of each year, the committee shall present a report to the board of supervisors, which shall be filed as a public document with its clerk. In such annual report, the committee shall include a report of the attendance of each member of the committee at each of its meetings;
D. 
Whenever the committee presents any report to the board of supervisors concerning an institution or function under the jurisdiction of any state department, it shall at the same time transmit a copy of such report to the state department having jurisdiction over the institution or function;
E. 
The committee shall advise the county welfare director on policy development and program implementation of programs involving aid for dependent children and child welfare services.
(Ord. 166 § 8, 1969)
The board of supervisors shall appropriate a sum each year for the actual expenses of the county board of public welfare for stationery, blanks, postage stamps, traveling and other necessary incidental expenses presented and sworn to by the secretary of the committee and approved by the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors shall further make whatever financial arrangements are necessary to permit recipients to participate in the work of the advisory committee. Adequate staff assistance, as determined by the board of supervisors, will be provided to the committee to enable it to make effective evaluations of the family and children's services.
(Ord. 166 § 9, 1969)