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Committee advances 3-year contract for county body-removal services amid funeral-home notice concerns
Summary
A county committee advanced a three-year contract for decedent removal and transport after hearing concerns from a funeral home that it had not been notified about the RFP. County staff said the RFP attracted bids because a prior volunteer list had fallen to zero and the selected vendor was the lowest respondent and described as "excellent" by coroners.
A Montgomery County committee advanced a three-year contract to provide body-removal and decedent-transport services after members debated whether local funeral homes had been properly notified and whether a multi-vendor rotational list would be preferable.
One committee member reported being contacted by a funeral home that said it "was never notified" about the RFP and asked whether the county historically distributed removals among a list of local firms. County staff said the RFP had been posted in the newspaper and emailed to vendors; staff also said the prior list of willing vendors had dwindled to zero because the nominal removal price had been too low for firms to participate.
The presenter said coroners have praised the selected vendor for responding quickly: "this vendor has been excellent and doing an excellent job and is very quick to arrive. That's what the coroners have told me." Committee members discussed pricing differences for local removals and transport to Albany (Albany Med) and noted statutory time limits for storing decedents at hospitals. One member asked whether a three-year contract term was appropriate; staff said the current coroner is updating contracts and processes to be more efficient.
The resolution was advanced by voice vote and will go to the full board; several members recorded opposition or abstentions in committee but no roll-call tally is in the transcript.
