Explanation
Background: This legislation will authorize the City Attorney to renew contracts with collection agents Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson LLP and Capital Recovery Systems, Inc. for one year and will authorize the payment of court costs and the reimbursement of any overpayments collected. This legislation will further authorize the appropriation of $760,000.00 from the Collection Fees fund. This fund is generated by fees collected by collection agents and used to pay the associated collection costs due. The remaining $10,000.00 in appropriation authority will cover accounting reversals for bad checks.
The accounts receivables collection program within the City Attorney's Claims Section has been ongoing since 1996. At that time, the City Attorney interviewed firms with experience in government accounts receivables and chose Scoliere and Associates (now known as Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson LLP), and later, Capital Recovery Systems, Inc. to provide these services. These firms have done excellent work for the City over the ensuing years.
In 2009 a new program was implemented via ordinance 0130-2009 passed February 25, 2009 which adjusted the fee structure of the program. Effective April 1, 2009 on all new and existing accounts without payment plans in place a 30% fee is added to the total debt collected instead of being paid from the total amount collected. This allows the City to recover 100% of the debts collected and the debtor pays the additional 30% collection fee. Continuing our relationship with our current collection agents will be valuable in keeping the program running smoothly and efficiently.
Emergency: Emergency declaration is requested so the collection process can continue without interruption.
Contract Compliance Numbers:
Capital Recovery Systems Inc. 31-1570459 expires 01/23/14
Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP 74-2864602 expires 06/02/12
These companies are neither debarred according to the Excluded Part...
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