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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: .lone 27, 2006 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5-f _ <br />SUBJECT: Contract Renewal with Northen Blue for DSS Legal Services <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Renewal Contract <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 245-2802 <br />PURPOSE: To renew a contract for Fiscal Year 2006-2007 for legal representation for the <br />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 />She remains on-call after hours to assist staff when the agency must assume emergency <br />custody of children at night and on weekends, Her knowledge is valued by the DSS social work <br />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 far 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 the contract with Northen Blue at the rate of $150 per hour. (Additional <br />casts for expert witnesses are also reimbursed through this contract.) This is an increase in the <br />previous $110 hourly rate, but this amount is justified due to the specialized expertise of this <br />attorney and her outstanding reputation with the court system, An attorney with less expertise <br />would potentially bill for more hours due to the need to do more research and may also have <br />