To: Board of Supervisors
From: Sheriff
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
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Update on Autopsy Services and Professional Services Agreement with Bennet Omalu Pathology, NorCal Inc.
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the Professional Services Agreement with Bennet Omalu Pathology, NorCal Inc. ("Dr. Omalu") for Autopsy Services (Attachment 1); and
2. Direct staff to return in July 2026 with a Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget adjustment in the amount of $72,872 for this Agreement.
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STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board's Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Core Services/Other
Strategic Plan Category: 9999 - Core Services/Other
DISCUSSION:
In 2015, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the consolidation of the Coroner Office with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office (HCSO). Since that time, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Coroner Division (Coroner Division) has been responsible for conducting death investigations throughout Humboldt County. The division is staffed by four full time Deputy Coroners and one Sheriff's Sergeant, that are responsible for responding to and investigating deaths that fall under the jurisdiction of the Coroner.
Humboldt County is now facing a critical challenge in maintaining legally required forensic pathology and autopsy services. California Government Code Section 27491 requires the Coroner to investigate certain deaths, including unnatural deaths, deaths where the attending physician cannot determine the cause of death and deaths where the decedent has not been seen by a physician within the required time period before death. The Coroner Division is responsible for establishing the identity of the deceased, the date, time, and place of death and the cause and manner of death.
Each year, approximately 800 deaths are reported to the Coroner Division for review. While not every death req...
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