Committee forwards coroner mutual-aid agreement to full board; asks coroner for vehicle cost details

The LaSalle County Finance and TIF Committee voted May 6 to forward a proposed mutual-aid agreement for coroners to the full county board and asked the coroner to provide detailed cost estimates for a county-owned transport vehicle the coroner said could reduce recurring transport expenses.

Rich (identified in the meeting as the county coroner) explained that the coroners association and the state provided similar language for mutual aid among counties; the draft states that services provided under mutual aid are typically rendered without charge, and that any third-party expenses that are eligible for reimbursement from state or federal sources should be equitably distributed among responding parties. Rich said counties commonly follow federal or state reimbursement schedules when a disaster receives an official declaration.

"Mutual aid of course is mutual aid when we have a requesting thing ... if there's something outside of our scope ... nearby coroners for help just like fire departments do," he said. The committee voted to forward the agreement to the full board for final approval (motion by Gary, second by Craig, motion carried).

Separately, Rich proposed buying a purpose-equipped transport vehicle so coroner staff could return decedents from autopsies themselves rather than relying on funeral homes that have recently declined to provide transport in some cases. Rich said the county currently pays funeral homes about $350 per trip to transport decedents to a regional medical examiner; he estimated an average of 87 such transports per year and projected annual savings of roughly $28,000 if the county owned a vehicle and reduced contracted transports.

The coroner provided a preliminary, budgetary estimate for a new, fitted transport van and equipment of about $81,459; he recommended authorizing up to $87,000 to allow for bidding and final equipment pricing. Committee members raised questions about bidding, insurance, fleet management, disinfection processes and whether ambulance services would bid on the work; Rich said ambulance providers declined because of decontamination burden and operational constraints.

The committee did not approve a purchase during the May 6 meeting. Instead members asked Rich to obtain firm quotes and cost details (vehicle, upfitter equipment, cleaning/disinfection supplies, licensing and fleet insurance) and return with a budget amendment or resolution at the next meeting. Committee members also said the insurance-trust committee should review liability and fleet coverage for county-owned transport of decedents.

Background and figures supplied in the discussion: the coroner said the countys current transport line-item budget is $55,750 (fiscal-year appropriation) and that recent actuals varied; the coroner noted some funeral homes have started to decline transport requests and that McLean County requires pickup within three calendar days after an autopsy is completed. The coroner said a state bid list included comparable vans and that McLean County had paid roughly $5,000 more for a similar vehicle in 2022; committee members asked the coroner to supply a formal, state-bid quotation and a full cost breakdown at the next meeting.