HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02141995 - 1.63 tq
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TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Mark Finucane, Director y .
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FROM: Health Services Department Costa
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County
DATE: February 14, 1995 rq`°""
Authority for Auditor-Controller to Relieve the Shortage in the
SUBJECT: Conservatorship/Guardianship Program
SPECIFIC REQUESTS(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Grant a request for relief of shortage to the Health Services Department Conservatorship/Guardianship Program checking
account in the amount of$8,274.74 as recommended by the Auditor-Controller.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND:
The Conservatorship/Guardianship Program has the responsibility for controlling the financial affairs and coordinating the
support needed by clients that are deemed by the Court to be incapable of caring for themselves in these areas. The
Program has a case load of more than 600 conservatees at any given time.
The Program maintains a bank checking account for client funds. It pools these monies into "Jumbo" Certificates of
Deposit which accrue a higher rate of interest each month than any individual client account could earn on its own. The
interest earned is distributed to the clients in proportion to their investments.
Calculation errors by the Conservatorship staff from December 1984 through March 1992 have resulted in one dollar and
eighty-nine cents per person per month excess interest being given to the conservatees' individual bank accounts, and a
corresponding cumulative shortage in the Program checking account. The shortage was discovered in June 1992. Since
that time, the Internal Audit Section of the County Auditor-Controller's office and the Health Services Department, have
examined the account and have determined that correct procedures are now in place and that there is no longer an on-going
problem. Recognizing that the shortage occurred over a period of seven and one-half years, that most if not all of the
conservatees who would owe the County monies have expired or are no longer conserved, and that the average amount to
be recovered is.less than$1.89 per person per month(shortage - 600 people per month x 90 months), it is the opinion of
the Conservatorship/Guardianship Program Chief that further efforts to reduce the shortage are not justified.. As far as can
be ascertained, neither the shortage nor the delay in discovery was caused by fraud or gross negligence.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: I /` �'4^.
—iL�
—RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR —RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
"PROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): ��yy
ACTION OF BOARD ON Lib) APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED_ OTHER_
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VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
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V UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: Health Services Chief Financial Officer ATTESTED FEB 14 1 S
Health Services Controller PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF OARD OF
SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
M382(10/88) BY _,DEPUTY