HomeMy WebLinkAboutord1993-053WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL
NO. AB93 -219B
CLEARANCES
Initial
Date
Date Received in Council Office:
Agenda date
Assigned to:
-inator. Executive
liivision Head:
6 -22 -93
6 -22 -93
COunCil /Intro
8/3/93
Council
Dept. Head:
Prosecutor.
Purchasing /Budget:
Executive:
SUBJECT
Ordinance to establish responsibility for burial of indigent remains, to replace the emergency ordinance that
expires on the 61st day after becomming effective.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed ordinance
SUMMARY STATEMENT.• Please complete sections of box as appropriate & explain the item below.
Related County contract #:
should Clerk schedule a hearing? NO x YES Requested date:
Amount budgeted for this item /project: $ - 0 -
Is it or will it be within budget? YES NO .x Please explain below
Budget line item number (s): n a No budget amount has been provided for at this time.
T" ^ state Legislature, in this last session, has determined that the Department of Social and Health Services will
n. )nger be paying for burial of indigent remains as of June 30th this year, so the burden falls back to the
county. The County Executive Office was notified of this fact on June 4th, 1993. This proposed emergency
ordinance allows the County to cremate those remains that are indigent and unclaimed by family, church
organizations and /or friends. This proposal is a minimalist approach compared with the State Department of
Social and Health Services that was providing burials and services for most of those applying without careful
screening. The total State cost for Whatcom County approaches $75,000 for a twelve month period. Most all
of those cases involved claimed bodies, so we project a significantly lower cost for the county program as
recommended.
ORIGINATOR'S RECOMMENDED ACTION.-
Pass as recommended.
COMMITTEE ACTION TAKEN.-
COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN.
6/22 /93: Introduced
'3/93: Council adopted the ordinance. 7 -0.
Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number (this item only): Ord 93 -053
IndRem.ord INTRODUCED BY: Consent
PROPOSED BY: Executive
DATE: June 17, 1993
1 ORDINANCE NO. 93 -053
2 ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNTY
3 RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISPOSITION
4 OF INDIGENT HUMAN REMAINS
.5
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7 WHEREAS, RCW 36.39.030 requires the county legislative authority to ".provide
8 for the disposition of the remains of any indigent person ... who dies within the county and
9 whose body is unclaimed by relatives or church organizations "; and
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11 WHEREAS, the State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services,
12 previously provided and paid for such disposition prior to July 1, 1993 so-as to preclude
13 the need for the county to make such provision; and
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15 WHEREAS, the State has declined to continue to provide such services; and
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17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that
18 this ordinance is hereby enacted to provide for such services:
.9
LO Section 1. ADMINISTRATION OF ORDINANCE - The County Medical Examiner, as
21 provided in RCW 68.50.010, shall have responsibility for accepting jurisdiction for the
22 remains of a person that are unclaimed by friends or relatives. Whenever friends, a
23 church organization or appropriate relatives, who have legal responsibility for disposing
24 of the remains, as identified in RCW 68.50.160, claim the body, Whatcom County will
25 not accept jurisdiction or financial responsibility for disposition.
26
27 Section 2. ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY - The County Medical Examiner,
28 with assistance from the County Sheriffs department and /or other law enforcement
29 agencies shall attempt to notify friends, relatives or religious organizations that may
30 desire to claim the remains of an unclaimed body and provide for disposition. if no
31 friends, relatives or church organization can be found to claim the body, the Medical
32 Examiner shall accept jurisdiction.
33
34 Section 3. PROVISION OF CREMATION AT COUNTY EXPENSE - The County
35 Medical Examiner, after accepting jurisdiction for indigent unclaimed human remains,
36 shall arrange for the transportation and cremation of such remains at county expense.
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IndRem.ord - page 2 -
Section 4. DISPOSITION OF REMAINS - The County Medical Examiner shall provide
for the disposition of the ashes of the cremated indigent remains in a common vault
designed for such or may release them to friends or relatives.
Section 5. PAYMENT FOR CREMATION OF REMAINS - Whenever the Medical
Examiner accepts jurisdiction of unclaimed indigent human remains and authorizes
cremation, the organization conducting the cremation shall bill the Medical Examiner,
who will approve the payment and forward the invoice to the County Auditor for warrant
preparation.
ADOPTED this 3rd day of August , 1993.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
�', mona Reeves, Cou cil Clerk Mar Laidlaw, Chair
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Civil Deputy r secutor
(4 Approved ( ) Denied
� ". L Z,±."
Shirley Van Anten, EXeqhtive
Date: