Marin County will soon create a citizen oversight commission and an inspector general to monitor and provide feedback on the sheriff’s office. This month, the Board of Supervisors approved a recommendation made by a working group that spent the last six months gathering input on how sheriff oversight could best be conducted in Marin. The option approved by supervisors will cost $617,000 a year, or $90,000 less than the option the working group asked for. The approved plan calls for an inspector general and a civilian oversight commission, which together would have subpoena power, along with an administrative service position and a community engagement position. The group had recommended that the administrative position be full time but ceded to a part-time position at the request of county staff. The oversight commission will consist of nine members and two alternates, all of whom will reflect underrepresented groups. The members will be appointed by supervisors; five will represent the county’s districts, while the remaining four and two alternates will be selected from a slate of eight nominees proposed by Legal Aid of Marin. Tara Evans, a Stinson Beach resident and the West Marin representative on the working group, said the coast should get at least three members since it is policed solely by the sheriff’s office. “The seats that come from West Marin should be filled by on-the-ground community members that truly reflect the voices of people who live here and not the individuals who work for the county, to make it authentic,” she said. “If there was ever any push to bring people out, it would be now.” The commission will review use of force and officer-involved shootings, make policy recommendations for the sheriff’s office and produce annual public reports on its findings. The inspector general will work closely with the commission and perform functions like monitoring jail facilities, making recommendations on policy, coordinating complaint investigations and more. The oversight commission will be trained in ethics, community infrastructure and the day-to-day of law enforcement officers. Each member will receive a stipend of $50 for each board meeting, training session and regular jail visit. Supervisor Dennis Rodoni questioned whether a $50 stipend would be sufficient for West Marin members who must travel long distances to participate in meetings. “I don’t think it’s much of an incentive,” he said. Members of the working group said the criticism was valid and that they’d be open to finding an additional way to compensate commission members, such as with childcare or meals. Supervisors also had questions around how a subpoena would be issued. Group members said the details would be hashed out in the future. Sheriff Jamie Scardina expressed appreciation for the working group’s collaboration with his office and briefly touched on the subpoena issue. “I know there’s been a lot of questions and we don’t quite know what the next step is, and I think that’s what we talk about getting into next—that’s what I look forward to,” he said. The Board of Supervisors will begin recruiting for the oversight commission and the inspector general position in the coming months.