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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11141995 - SD3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR County Administrator DATE: November 13, 1995 SUBJECT: REPORT ON COUNTY'S DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM Specific Request(s) or Recommendations(s) & Background & Justification RECOMMENDATION: 1. Accept Report from the Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee on the County's Dispute Resolution Program, approve projects and funding recommendations as follows, and authorize the County Administrator or his designee to execute on behalf of the County the following contracts required to implement the following dispute resolution programs: Implementing_Agency 95/96 Amount Battered Women's Alternatives $10,000 California Community Dispute Services $34,000 Catholic Charities (VORP) $12,000 C.C. Conflict Resolution Panels, Inc. $34.000 Total $90,000 2. Acknowledge the coordination and cooperation achieved by the Dispute Resolution Network. 3. Acknowledge the Superior Court's success in continuing the GAVEL program without continued reliance on these funds and commend the Court for the level of success which the GAVEL program has achieved. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Dispute Resolution Program is fully revenue offset by funds generated from a three dollar filing fee on civil actions in the Superior and Municipal Courts. No County general funds are involved. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES Signature: ov Recommendation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee Approve Other Signature(s) : Action of Board on: 1%4—�9 9.5 Approved as Recommended �� Other Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN Unanimous (Absent ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN. Absent: Abstain: Attested: `'� I�} °►°IS cc: CAO-Justice System Programs Phil Batchelor, C14rk of (for distribution) the Board of Supervisors County Dispute Resolution and County Administrator Advisory Committee J Contact: Lisa Driscoll 646-4855 By: , DEPUTY REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND - DISPUTE RESOLUTION ADVISORY GROUP: The Dispute Resolution Program Act of 1986 (Business and Professional Code Sections 465, et seq. ) provides for the establishment and funding, at County option, of local dispute resolution services as an alternative to formal court proceedings. The Act authorized participating counties to increase Superior, Municipal and Justice Courts filing fees from one to three dollars for the purpose of funding the local dispute resolution programs. On January 1, 1987 your Board approved the County's participation in the program and authorized a three dollar increase in court filing fees. The Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee was created by your Board to consider implementation strategies and funding guidelines appropriate for Contra Costa County. In 1989-90, the Advisory Committee solicited proposals for funding under the Dispute Resolution Programs Act of 1986. The purpose of the funding is to encourage the establishment and use of local dispute resolution services as an alternative to formal court proceedings. The program operates under the provisions of the Dispute Resolutions Programs Act. In addition to these projects, the Committee formed a County Dispute Resolution Network. The Network, which is composed of a representative from each of the program agencies meets periodically and coordinates County-wide training, advertisement and services. All of the projects continue to meet together with staff from the County Administrator's Office to coordinate ADR efforts. The Superior Court has made the GAVEL program a part of their on-going program activities. The GAVEL program (Giving Alternative Vehicles Ending Litigation) will continue to deliver dispute resolution services to clients in the following ways: Extraordinary Assistance to Settle Early (EASE) , early intervention mechanism for accelerated resolution of cases; Special Mediators Actively Resolving Trials (SMART) , on day of trial mediator will review issues with parties and make settlement recommendations; Trials on Time (TOT) , guarantees a certain trial date and a judge pro tempore; Binding Arbitration, parties may stipulate to binding arbitration similar to judicial arbitration, except that the arbitrator's award is final judgement. REPORT OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee met on November 1, 1995 to consider funding of the County's dispute resolution programs. In response to a Request for Proposals, the Committee had received four proposals, all from existing projects. The Committee heard presentations from the four projects and asked each project representative to give a brief description of their program and answer questions. After hearing presentations, the Committee voted to fund the four existing programs at the level listed above. Two of the four projects begin November 1, 1995 (Battered Women's Alternatives and CA Community Dispute Services) ; the remaining two begin January 1, 1995. SUMMARIES OF RECOMMENDED DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROJECTS Battered Women's Alternatives: Will provide alternative dispute resolution for adult and teen couples; educate adolescent youth in family, peer, and relationship dispute resolution; counsel adolescent youth in groups and individually to resolve family or peer relationship disputes; train social service and school district personnel who work with youth on adolescent relationship dispute resolution and mediation; maintain ongoing cooperative working relationships among dispute resolution service providers within Contra Cost County to ensure effective referral and provision of services. California Community Dispute Services: Will deliver dispute resolution services to justice system (District Attorney, police, and courts) and community referral parties, develop and maintain active referral process with public justice system agencies, train and/or provide support services to volunteers, provide general public relations and outreach efforts to educate community. Catholic Charities: Will conduct outreach to community, organizations' through presentations; recruit and train diverse group of community mediators; provide technical assistance in facilitation and mediation to volunteers; receive and provide conciliation and screening for juvenile offender cases and their victims; mediate cases and complete written agreements; monitor agreements, coordinate restitution payment, and conduct follow-up meetings as needed. Conflict Resolution Panels: Will provide direct conflict resolution services; train community members in conflict resolution; provide trainings for organizations on a for- fee basis; conduct presentations to community groups, businesses, and agencies to educate about conflict resolution.