DATE: January 24, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: John Zanoni, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
SUBJECT: Agreement with Garden of Innocence
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive agreement with Garden of Innocence for the humane and dignified disposition and burial of deceased abandoned children up to eight years of age in Fresno County, effective October 17, 2022, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions ($0).
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Absent an agreement with the Garden of Innocence, the Sheriff's Office cremates abandoned deceased children with a contracted crematory service. After cremation, the Sheriff's Office then stores the cremains until a mass burial is performed at the County Cemetery. With the approval of the recommended action, the Garden of Innocence provides for the cremation of all abandoned deceased children, which are then provided a humane and dignified burial in a cemetery in Fresno County. No children are placed in the County cemetery. This item is Countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended action is not approved, deceased abandoned children will be cremated and included in a mass burial at the County Cemetery with the cremated remains of all abandoned deceased children stored by the Sheriff's Office since the last mass burial.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
Due to ongoing insurance compliance negotiations between the Sheriff's Office and the vendor, the final recommended agreement was not finalized prior to October 16, 2022 when the previous agreement expired. The final agreement was received in early January 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Cost for services under the recommended agreement have been provided by Garden of Innocence since September 25, 2012. Garden of Innocence is a...
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