To: Charles Winfrey, Human Services Committee Chairperson
From: Brian Hunter M.D.
title
RE: Approval of a purchase order to various vendors for the fiscal year ending 2026, in an amount not to exceed $200,000.00, to provide for scene investigations by Genesee County's Medical Examiner; the cost of this purchase order will be paid from account 1010-648.00-801.000
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approve a total combined expenditure limit of $200,000.00 for all contracted scene investigators.
BACKGROUND:
In March 2025, the Medical Examiner's Office transitioned from utilizing a third-party vendor for death scene investigation services to establishing direct contractual agreements with individual investigators. This change provided our office with greater oversight, flexibility, and cost control while supporting workforce continuity. To ensure adequate staffing, the office conducted targeted recruitment at local colleges, EMS agencies, and hospitals to attract qualified candidates with medical or emergency response experience. As a result, nine investigators are currently under contract with the County. Each agreement, approved through the County's document review process, includes a maximum expenditure limit of $30,000.00.
DISCUSSION:
Scene investigators serve on an as-available, on-call basis, often supplementing their primary employment with investigative work for the Medical Examiner's Office. Due to varying schedules and fluctuating case volumes, some investigators may approach or exceed the current $30,000 cap within a fiscal year, while others may perform fewer investigations. To maintain consistent and timely coverage for death investigations, the Medical Examiner's Office requests approval of a combined expenditure limit of $200,000.00 for all investigator contracts. This adjustment will provide administrative flexibility to allocate funds according to workload demands and investigator availability, without exceeding the overall budgeted amoun...
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