Title
Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board:
1) Approve Agreement for Services 3096, with Ancestry.com for the provision of website membership subscription with a perpetual term that commences upon execution;
2) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute Agreement for Services 3096 with Ancestry.com for the provision of website membership subscription in the amount of $99 for the U.S Discovery, six-month membership plan, with automatic renewal; and
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute future documents for the Health and Human Services Agency’s Ancestry.com website membership subscription, upon term expiration, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and sufficient appropriation are included in the department’s budget.
FUNDING: General Fund.
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION:
Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board approve Agreement for Services 3096, with Ancestry.com, for the provision of a website membership subscription, with a perpetual term, to support the County of El Dorado’s Public Guardian. Approval of this Agreement will assist the Public Guardian in demonstrating due diligence in its search for family members of its conservatees.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Health and Human Services Agency’s (HHSA) Office of the Public Guardian (PG) ensures the physical and financial safety of conserved individuals, and other individuals who voluntarily accept guidance in managing their money. Per Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 5354 the PG has a fiduciary responsibility to the family and the court and must exercise due diligence to investigate and find all family members associated with their clients. Probate Code 2610 directs PG, also known as the conservator, to mail an inventory and appraisal of the conservatee’s estate to relatives in the first degree. In addition, California Rules of Court 7.1059(b)(17) states that the conservator must inform the conservatee’s family members in advance and give them an opportunity to acquire property that is being disposed of by the PG.
Ancestry.com is an online website that allows its members access to its multiple databases. Vital records and Family Search are two (2) but not all the possible searches available. Ancestry.com requires a subscription membership to access its databases, and the membership is renewed automatically each term, either monthly or semi-annually. The semi-annual membership is currently $99 for the U.S. Discovery membership, which allows access to all U.S. records on Ancestry.com. The PG requires multiple resources in order to demonstrate due diligence prior to applying for conservatorships for eligible individuals, or when disposing of a conservatee’s estate, and Ancestry.com provides an invaluable resource.
Pursuant to Section 4.5 of Board of Supervisor’s Policy C-17, the perpetual term of this Agreement must be initially approved by the Board and reviewed annually thereafter to confirm these ongoing services.
ALTERNATIVES:
Disapproval of Agreement for Services 3096 would reduce the Public Guardian’s access to sufficient resources to exercise due diligence when searching for conservatees’ family members.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item will be $198 per fiscal year. Sufficient appropriations were included in the fiscal year 2018-19 Recommended Budget, and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT
Patricia Charles-Heathers, Ph.D., Director