To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Payment for Services Provided by Hummble Translations LLC
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Auditor-Controller, or designee, to pay $12,361.03 to Hummble Translations LLC, a limited liability company, for the provision of document translation, interpretation, editing, and proofreading services for Children and Family Services clients that exceeded the contract payment limit under Contract #20-316-7 and were provided in good faith during FY 2025-26.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This one-time payment in the amount of $12,361.03 is funded 54% Federal, 38% State, and 8% County General Fund, all of which was budgeted in FY 2025-26.
BACKGROUND:
Hummble Translations LLC provides the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) with translation and interpretation services, creating, maintaining, and verifying new or revised County documents in English and/or any other system-supported foreign language that is prevalent within the County. State and Federal regulations require the County to provide Client Correspondence documents for Child Welfare Services/Case Management System in English and in any non-English language preferred by the client.
On July 23, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract Amendment #20-316-6 with Hummble Translations LLC, increasing the payment limit to $280,000 for document translation, interpretation, editing, and proofreading services for Children and Family Services (CFS) clients, with a term ending June 30, 2025 (C.30). On June 23, 2026, the Board approved a new contract with Hummble Translations LLC in an amount not to exceed $360,000 for the period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027 (C.68).
During FY 2025-26, under Contract #20-316-7, the volume of court-mandated translation and interpretation services for CFS clients exceeded projections. As a result, the contract funds were fully exhausted, and the account became overdrawn. Hummble Translations LLC continued to provide services at the request of the Department in good faith, resulting in outstanding demands totaling $12,361.03 that cannot be processed for payment under the existing contract payment limit.
Therefore, the County has determined that Hummble Translations LLC is entitled to payment for the reasonable value of their services under the equitable relief theory of quantum meruit. That theory provides that where a person has been asked to provide services without a valid contract, and the provider does so to the benefit of the recipient, the provider is entitled to recover the reasonable value of those services. The Contractor has provided services at the request of the County after the original contract payment limit had been reached. The Department cannot pay Contractor for services rendered that exceed the contract limits. As such, the Department recommends that the Board authorize the Auditor-Controller to issue a one-time payment not to exceed $12,361.03 to Hummble Translations LLC.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this request is not approved, Hummble Translations LLC will not be paid for translation and interpretation services provided to CFS outside of the contract payment limit rendered in good faith. Failure to pay may jeopardize the County's relationship with the Contractor and compromise the County's ability to meet State and Federal legal language access requirements and court-mandated translation timelines.