Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  24-000943

 

MEETING DATE:

12/17/24

legal entity taking action:

Board of Supervisors

board of supervisors district(s):

All Districts

SUBMITTING Agency/Department:

Sheriff-Coroner   (Approved)

Department contact person(s):

Andrew Stephens (714) 647-1833 

 

 

Brad Olsen (714) 647-7440

 

 

Subject:  Approve Indigent Body Removal and Disposition Services Contracts

 

      ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

          Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

 

 

3 Votes Board Majority

 

 

 

    Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost:   $268,493

Annual Cost: FY 2025-26 $500,000
FY 2026-27 $500,000
FY 2027-28 $231,507

 

 

 

    Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:            

Sole Source:   No

    Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

   Funding Source:     Other: 100% (Body Removal Fee)

County Audit in last 3 years: No

   Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

 

    Prior Board Action:         N/A

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

1.

Authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute the FPG California Inc. DBA Omega Society contract for indigent body removal and disposition services for a three-year term effective upon Board of Supervisors approval, in the not to exceed amount of $750,000, renewable for two additional one-year terms.

 

2.

Authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute the Funeral and Cremation Services of Orange County contract for indigent body removal and disposition services for a three-year term effective upon Board of Supervisors approval, in the not to exceed amount of $750,000, renewable for two additional one-year terms.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Approval of the FPG California Inc. DBA Omega Society and Funeral and Cremation Services of Orange County contracts will allow the Sheriff-Coroner to contract for indigent body removal and disposition services.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

 

On occasion, individuals who are classified as indigent die in the County of Orange (County). The total number of such persons who are Coroner cases can vary to as many as 250 per year. Additionally, some individuals die with no living or known next of kin able or willing to make arrangements for handling the remains, or the next of kin is not readily known or accessible and thus cannot be contacted for immediate disposition of the remains. The County is responsible for some aspects involved in the disposition of the physical remains of these decedents. 

 

Some assumption of responsibility include:

(1) physical transfer and holding of indigent decedents,

(2) filing/refiling of Death Certificate and Disposition permit prior to cremation; and

(3) the cremation, up to one year storage, and final disposition of the cremated remains (“cremains”) in a lawful, respectful, and timely manner. 

 

Services are required to be provided in accordance with the highest applicable professional standards, sound business practices, and all federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations, including, but not limited to, Health and Safety Codes sections 7009 and 7100-7104. See Attachment E and F respectively. 

 

The Sheriff-Coroner Department (Sheriff) requires a contract for Indigent Body Removal and Disposition Services. On June 27, 2024, Sheriff staff issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation process to obtain a vendor for these services. The evaluation criteria used is shown on the table below:

 

Criteria Description

Max Points

 Respondent's Relevant Experience

150

 Respondent's Qualification and Responsiveness of Proposal

150

Respondent's Cost Proposal for Required Services

100

References

100

Presentations/Demonstrations

500

Total:

1000

 

 

Two proposals were received on August 1, 2024. One from FPG California Inc. DBA Omega Society (Omega) and one from Funeral and Cremation Services of Orange County (FCS). The evaluation panel, consisting of five panel members, met to evaluate, score and sign the Memorandum of Recommendation on August 13, 2024..

 

Proponent scores are detailed in the table below.

 

Proponent Name

Weighted Score

Omega

96

FCS

86

 

A memo to waive the Proposal Interviews was approved by the County Procurement Office on August 30, 2024. Both proponents are current vendors for Sheriff and have a current working relationship the Coroner Division. The interviews would not provide Sheriff with any additional information to aid with the vendor selection process. Their contracts were issued administratively since they did not exceed any Board of Supervisors (Board) dollar thresholds.

 

Negotiations with both Omega and FCS began immediately after and concluded October 10, 2024. Sheriff awarded more than one vendor to accommodate an increase in caseload as well as to avoid a complete loss of the service.  

 

Sheriff now requests Board approval of two new contracts for Indigent Body Removal and Disposition Services as noted in the Recommended Action.

 

Contractor performance has been confirmed as satisfactory. Sheriff has verified that there are no concerns that must be addressed with respect to contractor's ownership/name, litigation status or conflicts with County interests; and the Sheriff has conducted a due diligence check required by the revised 2024 Contract Policy Manual. The contracts do not currently include subcontractors or pass through to other providers. See Attachment D for the Contract Summary Form. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to this contract award.

 

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

Appropriations for this contract are included in Sheriff-Coroner's Budget Control 060 FY 2024-25 Budget and will be included in the budgeting process in future years. Funding for this service is generated through body removal fees collected pursuant to Government Code Section 27472. The contracts contain language allowing the Sheriff-Coroner Department to terminate the contracts without penalty with cause or after 30 days of written notice without cause in the event that funding is reduced and/or not available to continue funding the contracts.

 

 

 

STAFFING IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A - Contract MA-060-25010401
Attachment B - Contract MA-060-24011533
Attachment C - Rating Summary and Final Individual Score Sheets
Attachment D - Contract Summary Form
Attachment E - Health and Safety Codes Section 7009
Attachment F - Health and Safety Codes Section 7100-7104
Attachment G - Government Code Section 27472