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Chief Administrative Office, Airports and Cemeteries Division, recommending the Board approve and sign the First Amendment to Agreement for Services 381-S1611 with Dario Mancio, for on-call burial and maintenance services at County-operated cemeteries, to extend the term of the Agreement to December 31, 2019, with no changes to the Agreement’s not-to-exceed amount, and providing for administrative updates regarding notice and contract administration.
FUNDING: General Fund, Georgetown Cemetery Zone of Benefit #3 Special Revenue Fund, and fees for cemetery plot sales and services.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The County performs interments, disinterments, maintenance, and repairs at nineteen cemeteries that have come under County management for various reasons. The County has contracted with outside vendors for these services for more than twenty-five years.
Prior to using outside vendors, County grounds maintenance staff provided burial services occasionally. Over the years, the addition of the Georgia Slide Cemetery in Georgetown, the opening of the Renke Annex at the Georgetown Pioneer Cemetery, and the acquisition of the Placerville Union Cemetery increased the need for providing burial services, as well as performing maintenance and repairs to cemetery structures, fixtures and installations. Most recently, the addition last year of the El Dorado Cemetery to the list of cemeteries maintained by the County, and the possibility that additional cemeteries could be added in the near future, has further increased this need as well.
The County procures burial services because it does not have sufficient staff resources to perform these services in a timely manner. The job specification for the Grounds Maintenance Worker series of classifications includes language that the employees “may assist at burial[s] in County cemetery.” However, the Facilities Division of the Chief Administrative Office does not possess staffing resources sufficient to meet the demands for burials with its existing allocations, nor are staff able to keep current with regulations regarding the handling of human remains. Burials are sporadic, cannot be predicted, and the number varies from year to year. The urgency with which burial needs must be addressed further complicates staff’s ability to deliver this service to the community in an acceptable manner, and also requires that staff delay regularly scheduled tasks to handle burials upon short notice. Nonetheless, notification of the proposed amendment to the Agreement was provided to the affected County labor bargaining unit; no protest was received following notification.
A staff person assigned to Cemetery Operations retired in October 2018. Although it was anticipated that another staff person would be made available to cover the gap in services due to this retirement, the staff person was not available until the latter part of January 2019. The Airports and Cemeteries Division planned to conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) process in the fall of 2018, resulting in a new agreement to replace the current Agreement, which will expire on April 4, 2019. Due to the staff shortage, the RFP has not been initiated; therefore, the Airports and Cemeteries Division is requesting this Agreement extension to ensure that there will be no lapse in the County’s ability to provide burial and other services at County-operated cemeteries. If the Agreement extension is approved, the Airports and Cemeteries Division will conduct a RFP process later in 2019.
The County has contracted with the current vendor, Dario Mancio, for more than ten years, and in that time his performance of the required services has been satisfactory.
In addition to changing the term of the Agreement, minor updates are needed to reflect changes in the County’s Contract Administrator, notices recipient, and invoice recipient.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose to:
1) Require staff to conduct a RFP process;
2) Direct Airports and Cemeteries Division staff to work with CAO staff to prepare a proposal for augmenting staffing levels in the CAO’s Facilities Division in order to perform the required services; or
3) Retain the Agreement as originally approved.
Any of these options will result in an extended lapse in the performance of needed burial and maintenance services in County-operated cemeteries.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
The original Agreement was approved on the Consent Calendar on April 5, 2016, Item 25, Legistar file ID 16-0138.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel and Risk Management
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no increase to Net County Costs associated with the requested action. The not-to-exceed amount of the Agreement is $150,000.00, and no increase is requested. Funding for as-needed burial, maintenance, and repair services will be provided by the Georgetown Cemetery Zone of Benefit #3 Special Revenue Fund when these services are required at the Georgetown Pioneer Cemetery, the Renke Annex to the Georgetown Pioneer Cemetery, and the Georgia Slide Cemetery, and the General Fund for all other County-operated cemeteries.
For Fiscal Year 2018/2019, the Airports and Cemeteries Division budgeted $8,000 in the Georgetown Cemetery Zone of Benefit #3 Special Revenue Fund, and $30,300 in the General Fund, for contracted burial, maintenance, and repair services. Appropriations for these services were also included in the proposed budget for FY 2019/2020. Costs associated with burial services are recovered through fees set by resolution of the Board.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on two (2) originals of the First Amendment to Agreement for Services #381-S1611.
2) The Clerk of the Board will return one (1) fully executed original of the First Amendment to Agreement for Services #381-S1611 to the Airports and Cemeteries Division, for transmittal to the Contractor.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance and Public Safety
CONTACT
Creighton Avila, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer