TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Ryan J Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: Daniel Sanchez, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Agreement with Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 240360B with Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP to provide collection services of unpaid fines, fees and costs owed to Napa County as ordered by the Superior Court and to collect restitution for victims of crimes; and adopt a Resolution designating Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP as the County Financial Evaluation Officer. (Fiscal Impact: approximately $60,000 annual expense; General Fund; Budgeted; Mandatory)
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BACKGROUND
GC Services has processed court related fines and fees and victim restitution since 2019. In 2019, the Napa County Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 2019-57 designating GC Services as the County Financial Evaluation Officer. In 2023 GC Services informed Napa County they wanted to exit the agreement. Napa County and the Napa County Superior Court selected Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP through a competitive process to collect court related fines and fees and victim restitution.
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP is party to a Master Agreement for Collection Services for Court-Ordered and Other Debt with the Judicial Counsel, and the superior courts of California. The Master Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions that apply to contractors providing collection services through individual participation agreements to counties or courts for court-ordered fees and fines. The participation agreement under consideration today also includes victim restitution. The agreement expires on December 31, 2028.
Chapter 15 of Division 2 Title 3 of the Government Code (commencing with §27750) provides that the Board of Supervisors of any county may designate a county officer, thereafter, known as the County Financial Evaluation Officer, to make financial evaluations of defendant and other persons liable for reimbursable costs under the law. The proposed resolution, attached, designates Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP as the County Financial Evaluation Officer for the purpose of making financial evaluations of defendants and other persons liable for reimbursement costs under the law and collecting money from criminal defendants.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
General Fund 1000 |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Mandatory |
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Is the general fund affected? |
Yes |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Approximately $60,000 annual expense based on workload activity. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
Napa County would be obligated to find another collection service. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.