FEBRUARY 11, 2003

AGENDA ITEM NO. 16

Introduced by the Judiciary and Finance Committees of the:

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO THE CIRCUIT COURT MEDIATION FUND

RESOLUTION #03-033

WHEREAS, the Circuit Court established two new bank accounts in 1998 as a response to a December 30, 1997 memo from Jack Restuccia and a 1996 Financial Audit Management Letter; and

WHEREAS, the old bank account was called the "Escrow Account"; and

WHEREAS, money was transferred from the Escrow Account to the new Bond Account for the amounts that could be identified as bond payments; and

WHEREAS, money was transferred from the Escrow Account to the new Restitution Account for the amounts that could be identified as restitution payments; and

WHEREAS, procedures were implemented for an ongoing reconciliation of information for both accounts starting in 1998; and

WHEREAS, a balance of $60,289.02 remained in the Escrow Fund after all other funds were identified and transferred; and

WHEREAS, an administrative decision to hold the funds in the escrow account for a period of two years has expired as of December 31, 2002 with no further identification of the source of the funds being found; and

WHEREAS, the Circuit Court has been required to provide funding for the Mediation Clerk from forfeited mediation funds, those forfeited funds no longer adequately cover the position, the amount of money from the Escrow account is sufficient to satisfy the Court obligation to fund the Mediation Clerk position for 2003, and it is anticipated that the Circuit Court will ask that the position be funded from the General Fund starting in 2004.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners authorizes the Controller to transfer $60,289.02 from the escrow account to the Mediation Fund to be used to cover 2003 expenses, with any remaining balance to be applied to future Mediation Fund expenses.

JUDICIARY: Yeas: Stid, Thomas, Holman, Weatherwax-Grant, Schafer, Nevin Nays: None

Absent: None Approved 2/4/03

FINANCE: Yeas: Grebner, Swope, Dedden, Thomas, Minter

Nays: None Absent: Hertel Approved 2/5/03