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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 20, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. - ~. <br />SUBJECT: Renewal of Contract with Northers Blue, L.L.P. for DSS Legal Services <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Contract with Attachments <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 245-2800 <br />PURPOSE: To consider renewal of a contract with Northers Blue for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 for <br />legal representation for the Department of Social Services. <br />BACKGROUND: The Department of Social Services (DSS) requires extensive legal <br />representation particularly related to child welfare cases. All actions related to agency custody <br />of children, protection orders, adoptions, adult protective .service orders and guardianships <br />require court hearings. There is an increased emphasis on assuring that all child welfare .cases <br />are handled as quickly as possible to assure that children live with permanent safe families. <br />The law firm of Northers Blue, L.L.P., has provided legal representation for Social Services since <br />1979. Carol Holcomb of that firm has provided consultation and representation for children and <br />adult services at Social Services for over 10 years. Ms. Holcomb has comprehensive <br />knowledge of juvenile law and Guardianship proceedings and litigates court hearings with skill. <br />Ms. Holcomb remains on-call after hours to assist staff when the agency must assume <br />emergency custody of children at night and on weekends. Ms. Holcomb's knowledge is valued <br />by the DSS social work staff, the Guardian ad Litem office and the courts. <br />Social Services files petitions with the court for custody of an average of five children per month <br />and participates in all court reviews for children in custody. There are additional court actions <br />necessary to terminate parental rights and pursue adoption, to handle adult guardianship cases, <br />and to handle the increasing numbers of appeals of child welfare court actions. <br />The Social Services Board has reviewed this contract and recommends that the Board of <br />Commissioners renew this contract with Northers Blue, L.L.P. at the rate of $165 per hour. <br />Additional costs for expert witnesses are also reimbursed through this contract: <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Social Services estimates that $165,000 will be spent on legal fees <br />during Fiscal Year 2008-2009. This is an increase of $24,000 over last year's budgeted amount <br />