HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02041992 - FC.2 -' Fc. 2.
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
CostaFROM: ;S
Finance Committee Cunt
y
DATE:
February 4, 1992
SUBJECT:
POLICY ON PAYMENT OF SEARCH AND RESCUE EXPENSES
INCURRED IN ANOTHER COUNTY
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1 . Approve the County Administrator' s proposed policy for payment
of search and rescue expenses. incurred in another county.
2 . Approve the billing to the Gentrys ' for search and rescue
expenses with a 40% discount allowable under current
administrative guidelines .
BACKGROUND:
On November 5, 1991, the Board referred to the Finance Committee
the task of developing a policy on a county resident' s
responsibility to pay for costs incurred as a result of search and
rescue efforts in another county. Currently, a county's costs
related to the search and rescue efforts for a resident of another
county are billed to the county where the person resides . The
search and rescue costs are paid by the county whose citizen
received the service, and the citizen is subsequently billed to
reimburse the county. This procedure has been in effect since
1979 .
Staff met ,with representatives of the County Counsel and Auditor' s
Offices, as well as the Office of Revenue Collection, to review the
procedures and practices on this subject. Supervisor McPeak' s
referral of the Gentry reimbursement matter was discussed as an
example of how each case proceeds through the determination and
billing phases . It was learned that from three to five cases are
handled each year with an estimated five to ten thousand dollars in
reimbursements at issue.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BO
APPROVE
SIGNATURE s: Tom Torlakson Tom Powers
ACTION OF BOARD ON February 4. 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
XX UNANIMOUS(ABSENT - - - ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC:
Auditor-Controller ATTESTED February 4, 1992
County Counsel PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
County Administrator SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BY DEPUTY
M382 (10/88) 9
-2-
After due consideration, staff recommended that the Committee
consider the following policies regarding search and rescue
payments and reimbursements .
1 . The Auditor' s Office should approve payments to other counties
when the following conditions are met:
A. the person or persons rescued is verified as a resident
of the County;
B. the expenses appear reasonable after review and comment
by the Sheriff ' s Office; and
C. the expenses are properly documented.
2 . The County should seek reimbursement for payments made to
other counties from the searched for and/or rescued party or
responsible relatives, except in the following cases :
A. when the case involves a death;
B. when the case involves a person who was not found; and
C. when, based on the circumstances of the search and
rescue, billing would not be equitable.
On December 3, 1991, the Board referred the item back to the
Finance Committee to consider whether a payment limit should be
incorporated into the policy. On January 27, 1992, the Committee
discussed this issue and determined that a payment limit was not
needed because of the flexibility given the County to adjust
payments under the "equity" provision above. (2-C) Staff also
provided the Committee with a distribution of 22 payments made
since 1983 as follows :
15 payments under $1,000
5 payments from $1,200 - $1,500
1 payment $2, 188
1 payment $2,940
Additionally, Sharon Gentry requested that the Committee reconsider
her case under the proposed policy. The Committee determined that
the Gentry' s should be billed, but at a 40% discount as provided
under administrative guidelines . Also, the Committee concurred
with Mr. Gentry that a greater effort should be made to notify the
public of the financial obligations to pay for search and rescue
costs incurred in other counties .