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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 12, 2007 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. _ ---~-~_ <br />SUBJECT: Renewal of Contract with Northen Blue for DSS Legal Services <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 245-2800 <br />Contract with Limited Attachments <br />See Agenda Item 4-m to Reference <br />Other Standardized Contract <br />Attachment Forms Not Included Here <br />PURPOSE: To consider approval of the Fiscal Year 2007-2008 contract for legal representation <br />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 Northen Blue, LLP, 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. Her knowledge is valued by the DSS <br />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 the contract with Northen Blue at the rate of $165 pe'r hour. Additional costs for <br />expert witnesses are also reimbursed through this contract. This is an increase in the hourly <br />rate, but this amount is justified due to the spe_ cialized expertise of this attorney and her <br />outstanding reputation with the court system. An attorney with less expertise would potentially <br />bill for more hours due to the need to do more research and may also have trouble handling the <br />