TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Board Policy 422- Disposition of Lost and Unclaimed Property
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider approving minor amendments to Board policy 422-Disposition of Lost and Unclaimed Property.
Staff Contact:
Claudia Burgos, Executive Director of External Affairs and Customer Experience
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Strong Public and Policymaker Support
Initiative - Service Quality
The Lost and Found process is a key part of building trust with riders and enhancing the customer experience. The District is providing the process and procedures for recovery of lost items of personal property that are found on District property to their rightful owner.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
In FY 24-25, the District received $4,558 for items that were unclaimed and sold through a public auction. Since 2014, the highest grossing year was FY 22-23 with a total of $6,283.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The District’s Lost and Found processes provide a consistent and reliable way for customers to recover personal belongings left on District property. Any employee may discover and turn in a lost item, though the most common way items are recovered are on a bus. When a bus returns to its Division, operators or other staff deliver found items to the Division’s office, where the item is logged. Each business day, the recovered items are brought to the Customer Service Center in Downtown Oakland for processing. Once an item is identified and matched to a customer’s claim, Customer Service Clerks reach out to customers to arrange pick up. Customers can then pick up their item(s) at the Customer Service Center.
Board Policy 422 was adopted in 2014 to comply with California Civil Code section 2080, which states that reasonable efforts shall be made to provide for the recovery of all lost items of personal property that are found on District property to their rightful owner. The Board Policy was last amended in 2014, and reviewed by the Board without any changes in 2020.
Staff has reviewed the content of the policy and is recommending the following additions:
• Inclusion of additional language from the California Civil Code article 2080 which governs Lost and Unclaimed Property at public agencies, as noted in Section I of Attachment 1 to provide further clarity on current District Lost and Found processes. Since 2014, the District has used an external purchasing agent to assist with the sale and dispensation of unclaimed property. The use of such an agent makes the subdivisions (2) and (3) not applicable to the District’s current processes.
• Section C, Notice and Sale, was streamlined to remove duplicative language that is already referenced in Section 1.
• Changed the District Treasurer designation to the current District nomenclature (Treasury Department)
The District has continued practices for the disposition of unclaimed property that complies with California law and Board Policy 422. The practices and procedures have been effective, and no issues have been identified. Board Policy 422 may be revised if and when California law is amended to include new requirements or changes to existing requirements.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
Having a clear lost and found policy ensures that personal property recovered on District premises is returned to its rightful owner and provides clear guidance on how the District handles unclaimed items.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
An alternative option would be to leave the policy in its current form. This approach, however, would not fully reflect current District practices, which is illustrated by staff recommended changes as noted in Attachment 1. The recommended updates ensure that the policy reflects current practice and provides clarity and consistency.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
Staff Report 20-309-Board Policy 422-Disposition of Lost Property
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Redline of Board Policy 422 - Disposition of Lost and Unclaimed Property
Prepared by:
Debora Garcia, Customer Services Manager
In Collaboration with:
Dionte Delcambre, Customer Services Supervisor
Approved/Reviewed by:
Nichele Laynes, Director of Marketing, Communications & Customer Service
Claudia Burgos, Executive Director of External Affairs and Customer Experience
Aimee L. Steele, General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer