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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTIONS - 01071986 - 1.57 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA In the Matter of Policy) for County Interments } RESOLUTION NO. 86/ 13 The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors RESOLVES THAT: Under the provisions of Welfare and Institutions Code section 17009, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors hereby adopts the following policies and procedures applicable to County interment of indigent dece- dents, effective February 1, 1986. 1. Who may authorize. Interment either by cremation or ground burial of indigent decedents may be authorized only by the Health Services Director, the Social Service Director, the Sheriff-Coroner, the District Attorney- Public Administrator, or their respective designees. The particular method of interment may be determined by the surviving relatives. In those instances where there are no surviving relatives, the method of interment shall be cremation. As an exception, ground burials may be authorized for religious or other exceptional circumstances by the authorizing official. 2. Interment allowance. The County will pay the following allowances for the interment of indigents. These allowances may be increased in excep- tional circumstances on approval by the County Administrator or his desig- nees. a. Cremations. $150, in the case of a decedent aged seven years or older, or $100, in the case of a decedent under seven 'years of age, will be allowed for cremation, inurnment and interment. $100 will be allowed for a memorial service if authorized by the officer authorizing the interment. $150 plus $0. 25 per mile will be allowed for the costs of an appropriate container, body removal, and administrative costs. An allowance for excess mileage may be made in accordance with section 2.c. b. Ground burials. Funeral directors will be allowed, for funeral services and burial $450, in the case of a decedent aged three years or older, or $185 in the case of a decedent under three years of age. Funeral services shall include proper embalming of the decedent, suitable clothing of the decedent, provision of a regularly manufactured, cloth-covered and -trimmed casket such as a "flat square" casket, provision of a suitable memorial service, and arrangement for burial. In the event that all of these services are not provided, the County Administrator shall authorize only a pro-rata share of the maximum allowance. $100 plus $0. 25 per mile will be allowed for body removal and administrative costs. An allowance for excess mileage may be made in accordance with section 2.c. Cemetery operators will be allowed $240, in the case of a decedent aged three years or older, or $90, in the case of a decedent under three years of age, for providing a burial plot. C. Excess mileage. Funeral directors who are reasonably required to travel more than fifteen miles round trip to make interments shall be allowed $0. 25 per mile for the total round trip mileage. 3 . Repayments. Any monies received by the funeral director or the cemetery operator for the interment of the indigent decedent from the decedent' s family or friends, from the decedent' s Veterans Administration, Social Security or other insurance benefits, or from any other source, shall be turned over to the County Treasurer. Resolution Number 82/1150 is hereby superseded, effective February 1, 1986. I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on Vie minutes of the Board o pSupervi rs.on the date shown. ATTESTED: PHIL DA-',',6t7irL€ R, Board of Supervisors and L_•.:niy r;_drn!nistrator RESOL•UTT.ON' VO . 86/13 By _. . _.. _.._ , Deputy TO- BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: Phil Batchelor, n^�+ County Administrator l�l�J,lrl�! ra DATE: December 11, 1985 Costa Coufty SUBJECT: Revision of Resolution No. 82/1150 in the Matter icy for County interment SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(s) a BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDED ACTION It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt the attached resolu- tion which supersedes Resolution No. 82/1150 and all previous resolutions in regards to the matter of policy for County interments. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION Under present County policy, four County departments: District Attorney- Public Administrator, Health Services, Social Services, and the Sheriff- Coroner are authorized to approve County payment for final disposition of indigent remains. Under the present policy, the usual practices for the four departments is to use ground burials for final interment. The cost of funding the funeral and burial costs for indigents has been increasing. In addition, reimbursement previously available through Social Security benefits and Veterans' benefits have been restricted. The matter of using cremation as the method for interment of indigent remains was reviewed with the four departments listed above since other counties throughout the State use cremation over ground burials in an effort to contain costs. Within the past six months, San Joaquin County conducted a survey of counties ' indigent interment policies and 44 counties responded. Of the total 44 counties, 14 provide burial only (this includes Contra Costa County) , 7 provide a choice between cremations and ground burials, and 23 provide cremation only. The majority of counties which provide for ground burials only are the smaller counties where crematoriums are not available. This matter was reviewed with County Counsel and based upon County Counsel ' s opinion, the attached resolution was developed. It provides for a choice between cremation or ground burial as the method of interment. The particular method of interment may be determined by the relatives, or in those instances where there are no surviving relatives, the specific authorizing department would make this determination. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _ YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE S : ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 2„ I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT; - pAudttmul �SO��feNr OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN, cc: District Attorney-Public Administrator Health Services ATTESTED Social Services PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Sheriff-Coroner SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M3E2/7-83 BY ,DEPUTY v 2. FINANCIAL IMPACT Cremation is less costly than ground burial as a method of final interment. It is anticipated that by providing cremation as an alternative to ground burial, indigent interment costs can be contained.