12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Without any fanfare or notifications, the California State University in February reversed its policy requiring that its 485,000 students on 23 campuses show proof of vaccination for diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, polio and others in order to be admitted. The 29,000-member California Faculty Association knew nothing about the change until a CSU Monterey Bay faculty member happened to find it and, alarmed, brought it to CFA’s attention, says Meghan O’Donnell, a CSUMB lecturer who serves on the CFA board. While the University of California is still requiring vaccinations, in the CSU they are only recommended for students entering this fall, except in the case of Hepatitis B for those under the age of 18, which is required by law. CFA leaders filed an unfair practice charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board in March, contending that CSU Labor Relations made a unilateral change that could impact the health and safety of workers without consulting the union. On April 25, PERB filed a formal complaint against the CSU. “There’s a reason why we have vaccination policies like this at public universities,” O’Donnell says. “We learned a lot from the Covid pandemic. It’s not just about individual choice, it’s about protecting the broader community.” Hazel Kelly, a CSU spokesperson, says by email that the university is following “recommendations and guidance from the American College Health Association and the [Centers for Disease Control].” (Both “strongly recommend” that all college and university students be vaccinated.) The policy change includes the option for campus presidents to enact their own requirements. A CSUMB spokesperson says they have opted to follow the new policy, only recommending students be vaccinated. Kelly contends that most of CSU’s students come from California secondary schools, which require vaccinations, so they would already be vaccinated before entering college. O’Donnell counters that there are international students, as well as students from states where vaccination policies may be different, and students from home schools. According to the PERB complaint against the CSU Board of Trustees, the university violated government codes by making the unilateral change in policy. The next step is a mandatory settlement conference between CSU and CFA negotiators. The Monterey County Civil Grand Jury has released a new report on the county Coroner’s Office, finding issues with insufficient staffing and inefficient workflows resulting in autopsy reports often taking more than six months to complete. The report, released May 18, examines processes at the Coroner’s Office, which is part of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. The Civil Grand Jury determined that the office has been hamstrung by having only a part-time forensic pathologist who performed 423 autopsies in 2022—well above the recommended caseload of no more than 250 per year. Other problems affecting the office include an “inefficient dictation and transcription process” for autopsy reports, which are manually recorded and transcribed in lieu of an unsuccessful trial with automated voice recognition software, according to the report. That has seen transcription responsibilities foisted on autopsy technicians—many of whom are temporary employees with numerous other duties, further delaying the work. The Civil Grand Jury also criticized the absence of a formal recusal policy for autopsies transferred outside of Monterey County, such as for deaths at the Sheriff-run county jail, as well as the lack of death investigation training requirements for Coroner’s Office detectives. The report lays out nine recommendations on policy changes addressing the various findings. Sheriff Tina Nieto says her office worked with the Civil Grand Jury during its investigation and will respond to the report per its request. She notes the financial constraints contributing to many of the issues in urging county officials to “support our response with a budget that reflects our commitment to improving our [Coroner’s] Office.” “My folks will put in the effort to make us better, but we cannot do that unless the Board of Supervisors supports us monetarily,” Nieto says. “Our communities deserve basic services, but even basic services are not free.” Shot Block The CSU reverses its policy on vaccine requirements, prompting faculty protest. By Pam Marino NEWS FIRE PROOF The Monterey Fire Department is developing a community wildfire protection plan to create a more wildfire-resilient community. The final in-person workshop is in Pacific Grove, where residents can share input and concerns. 6pm Thursday, May 25. Pacific Grove Community Center, 515 Junipero Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-3135, surveymonkey.com/r/ CWPPCommunityWorkshops. HOUSING SURVEY What are your concerns about housing issues in Greenfield? The city wants to hear from residents about parking, whether or not there needs to be more affordable housing or more homes for middle-class families, or something else. Light refreshments will be provided. Thursday, May 25. Veterans Memorial Hall, 615 El Camino Real, Greenfield. Free. 304-0333, bit.ly/ GreenfieldHousing. FUNDING DEADLINE The deadline for in-person FEMA assistance at Pajaro Park is May 26, and for online applications it’s coming on June 5. If the recent storms have affected you and your family, the government can provide disaster relief to help. Residents and business owners affected by a major disaster—including citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), and mixed immigrant households— may be eligible for FEMA federal assistance. In-person until Friday, May 26. Pajaro Park, 24 San Juan Road, Pajaro. Free. 800-621-3362, bit.ly/ StormResources2023. Apply online at disasterassistance.gov. FRESH FACES Vendors are needed to kick off Seaside’s returning farmers market. All local farmers, vendors, community groups and entertainers are welcome. In partnership with the city of Seaside, Everyone’s Harvest will host a grand opening in June, and start opening the market every Thursday afternoon. 3pm Thursday, June 15. Laguna Grande Park, 1185 Canyon del Rey Blvd., Seaside. 384-6961, everyonesharvest. org. CIVIC DUTIES It’s time for the annual recruitment for the Civil Grand Jury for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Volunteers serving as civil grand jurors inspecting financial records and documents based on community concerns. You must be a citizen age 18 or older to serve. Apply online. 775-5045, co.monterey.ca.us/government/participate-get-involved/civil-grand-jury. Thinned Out The county Coroner’s Office is hamstrung by budget-related staffing issues, grand jury finds. By Rey Mashayekhi Meghan O’Donnell, a CSUMB lecturer and CFA board member, says requiring vaccinations will protect vulnerable faculty, staff, students and the community. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “There’s a reason we have vaccination policies like this.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
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