Primary Department: Purchasing
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Paige McInnis
Secondary Department: Institute of Forensic Sciences
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Luis Arturo Sanchez, M.D.
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Merrill Hines dba Final Advocate Forensics, PLLC
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): 0%
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: 0% - Non-Divisible
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request that the County Judge execute an amendment to a professional services exemption agreement with Merrill Hines dba Final Advocate Forensics, PLLC in the additional amount of $150,000 for additional medical examiner services for the Institute of Forensic Sciences for the period of October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025, Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: 0% - Non-Divisible.
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Background and Discussion:
Final Advocate provides vital forensic services for the county and carries out death reports, forensic
investigations and other related scientific services. The terms of the agreement are being amended to increase the contract amount from $220,000 to $370,000.
Expected Impact:
Without these vital forensic services, investigations could be greatly impeded and post-mortem reports would
be impeded further than they already are due to being short staffed.
Alternative Options:
The alternative is for HCIFS to continue processing cases as soon as possible with current staff leading to staff burnout, further attrition, and longer turnaround times.
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choos...
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