HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01231996 - C38 TO: BOARD OF SPPERVISORS
Cont.
PROM:
Costa
PHIL BATCHELOR, County Administrator s s
County
DATE: January 23, 1996
SUBJECT: COLLECTION SERVICES CONTRACT FOR MUNICIPAL COURTS
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)S BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the County Administrator or his designee to execute a contract on behalf of the
County and the Municipal Courts with GC Services Limited Partnership for collection
services on accounts for unpaid traffic-related fines and civil assessments for the period from
February 1, 1996 through January 31, 1998.
BACKGROUND:
The timely collection of delinquent court fines and forfeitures has been an important issue
confronting the Courts and the County for several years. When defendants fail to comply
with their obligations to the court, the courts have issued DMV holds and warrants, as
appropriate. The Municipal Courts have attempted to collect these delinquent fines through
the 1994-95 traffic amnesty program and recovered over a million dollars. Despite those
efforts, however, there remain about 70,000 outstanding traffic cases that have been
delinquent for at least one year. These delinquent fines represent a significant amount of
potential revenue to the County and the Municipal Courts.
The Courts have had little ability to actively collect on past due accounts. As a result, the
backlog has increased and a vital element of the justice system—enforcing court-imposed
penalties—has been seriously hampered. However, amendments to the Penal Code over the
past few years authorize courts to impose a civil assessments in lieu of issuing arrest
warrants for those defendants who fail to appear.
The Contra Costa County Municipal Courts have authorized a civil assessment penalty of
up to $135 on cases in which a defendant fails to appear as required. Under the
recommended contract, delinquent traffic fines will be assigned to GC Services, a third-party
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOA J OMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE (S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED _3Z OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
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, q/
CC:
Contact: Julie Enea (510) 646-4855 or Judy LytI�T(T51I�P �_ -r
PHIL BATCHELOR, LERK OF TH OARD OF
Municipal Courts Administration SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
County Administrator
County Counsel
M382 (10/Auditor-Controller BY DEPUTY
GC Services Limited Partnership.
� S
GC Services Contract -2- January 23, 1996
collections agency with vast experience in government and, specifically, court collections.
New cases will be processed by the Municipal Courts' Collections and Compliance Unit,
which handles all other Municipal Courts collections. Revenue anticipated from these
enhanced collection programs was included in the Municipal Courts' budget in the amount
of $400,000 for the current fiscal year.