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CC - Approve the Conversion of Unclaimed Funds in the Possession of the Police Department to the Police-Unrestricted/Conversion Account, Effective November 4, 2019, Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.04.310
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Meeting Date: October 14, 2019
Contact Person/Dept: Lieutenant William Browne/Police Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6109
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (10/09/19);
Department Approval: Scott Bixby, Police Chief (10/01/19)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the conversion of $160,000.00 in Unclaimed Funds in the possession of the Police Department to the Police-Unrestricted/Conversion Account, effective November 4, 2019, pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.04.310.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The Culver City Police Department’s Property Room receives all property (including U.S. Currency) booked in as either evidence, found, or safekeeping. Property booked as evidence is held until the case is adjudicated. Upon adjudication, property is either returned to the owner or held when unclaimed or unidentified. Found property that has no identifiable owner is held pending claim from the rightful owner or finder. Safekeeping property is held and the owners are notified to claim such property.
All unclaimed U.S. Currency booked into the Culver City Police Property Room is deposited into a City bank account. Per Government Code Sections 50050 and 50051, money that is not the property of a local agency that remains unclaimed for three years becomes the property of the local agency on a designated date not less than 45 days nor after 60 days of published notice (once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation). Any individual item with a value of less than fifteen dollars ($15.00), or any amount if the depositor/owner's name is unknown, which remains unclaimed for a year or by order of the court, may be transferred to the general fund without the necessity of public notice (Government Code Section 50055).
Public notice of unclaimed monies pursuant to Government Code Sections 50050 and 50051 has been fulfilled. Notices were published in the Culver City News newspaper on August 29th and September 5th 2019.
Approximately $200,000.00 in unclaimed funds was identified to be converted per CCMC 3.04.310. That amount was comprised of approximately 325 cases beginning from 2008 through 2016, with a large portion of the money coming from two cases. One case consisted of $140,000.00 while another was for approximately $4,300.00. The $140,000 was recovered from a burglary in 2016 and no legal ownership of the funds was ever established. As to all of the monies, over the past several months, Staff has worked diligently to locate owners of the funds by researching last know addresses, mailing letters, as well as making phone calls. Through this process Staff has been able to return approximately $45,000.00 in funds to various different owners.
The designated date for unclaimed monies to become the property of the City of Culver City is November 4, 2019. Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.04.315 requires conversions over $10,000 be submitted to the City Council before conversion.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Unclaimed monies in the amount of $160,000.00 are requested to be converted from the existing balance sheet account (101.211950) into a revenue account (10140200.386310 - Police -Unrestricted/Conversion Account).
At a future City Council meeting, contingent upon the approval of the Lenco BearCat rescue vehicle purchase, staff will recommend to use the converted funds towards the purchase of the rescue vehicle.
MOTION
That the City Council:
Approve the conversion of $160,000.00 in Unclaimed Funds in the possession of the Police Department to the Police-Unrestricted/Conversion Account (10140200.386310), effective November 4, 2019 pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.04.310.