Resolution 180-2020 RESOLUTION NO. 180 —2020
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA APPROVING THE USE OF
MONROE COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES WELFARE
MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS TO BE USED FOR BIOHAZARD
CLEANING SERVICES AT CRIME SCENES ON PRIVATE
PROPERTY WHERE THE OWNER OR OCCUPPANT IS
INCAPACITATED, DECEASED, OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE
AND THERE ARE NO OTHER AVAILABLE SOURCES OF FUNDS
TO PAY FOR THOSE SERVICES.
WHEREAS, on occasion, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO)may respond to a
crime scene at a private home or location in the County of Monroe;and
WHEREAS, the private home or location may be privately owned in any jurisdiction in
the County; and
WHEREAS, the private home may be located in a gated community or otherwise not
accessible to the general public; and
WHEREAS, upon on arrival at the home the MCSO may encounter a biohazardous
situation resulting from a crime scene (i.e. blood and/or other bodily fluids); and
WHEREAS, the homeowner or tenant may be incapacitated, deceased, or otherwise
unavailable and unable to arrange for the services on their own; and
WHEREAS, the biohazardous materials, if left unattended to, could pose an immediate
threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Monroe County, and more specifically,
to the other residents of the immediate surrounding homes and neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Monroe County
the scene would need to be secured, decontaminated, sanitized, cleaned, and any items soiled
beyond repair would need to be immediately removed and properly destroyed; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Social Services Department `miscellaneous' welfare
account currently does not specifically include crime scene cleanup expenses; and
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WHEREAS, the Clerk's office was presented with an invoice for payment from Scene
Kleen, Inc. for biohazard cleanup services on or about 5/8/20; and
WHEREAS,the Clerk could find no stated public purpose nor appropriate source of funds
to pay said invoice; and
WHEREAS, there is no current policy, procedure, or mechanism in place for the MCSO
to pay to clean up biohazardous crime scenes when the homeowner is not in a position to arrange
for those circumstances him/herself, and
WHEREAS, the State's crime victims compensation fund can provide some funds with
such expenses but that program is limited in scope and cannot be counted upon to cover the
expenses; and
WHEREAS, MCSO staff would coordinate with Monroe County Social Services staff, if
the homeowner was incapacitated, deceased, or otherwise unavailable in order to obtain services
necessary to ameliorate any biohazardous crime scene as a last resort; and
WHEREAS, rather than return to the Board on a case by case basis to establish a finding
of public purpose, it would be prudent for the Board to establish a use of public funds, as a last
resort, in cases where the homeowner was incapacitated, deceased, or otherwise unavailable to set
the services up for him/herself in order to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of
Monroe County;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Monroe County BOCC (The Board) finds that a public purpose exists for
the County to pay for cleanup expenses for a crime scene located on private property in certain,
limited circumstances where the property owner or occupant is incapacitated, deceased, or
otherwise unavailable to obtain the services necessary to ameliorate any biohazardous
crime scene and payment by the Board is a last resort.
Section 2. The Board will add to the authorized uses of miscellaneous welfare
account the cleanup of hazardous crime scenes.
Section 3. The Board authorizes the Sheriff and his deputies to continue to work
with and refer any future cases of crime scene cleanup referrals to the Monroe County
Social Services staff.
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Section 4. Upon a request by the Sheriff, the Director of Social Services is
authorized to incur expenses necessary to clean up a crime scene on private property if the
Director determines that the property owner or occupant is incapacitated, deceased, or
otherwise unavailable to obtain the services necessary to ameliorate any biohazardous
materials at a crime scene, and that there are no other public or private source of funds
available to cover that expense. The Director shall document her findings and
determination in a detailed memo to the County Administrator, who must also approve
such expenditure.
Section 5. This resolution may be applied retroactively to May 1, 2020.
PASSED AND ACCEPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe
County, Florida at a meeting of said Board held on the 17th day of June, 2020.
Mayor Heather Carruthers Yes
Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Coldiron Yes
Commissioner Craig Cates Yes
Commissioner David Rice Yes
Commissioner Sylvia Murphy Yes
(SEAL) BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Attest: KEVIN MADOK,Clerk OF MONROE C UNTY, FL n
By V By
As Deputy Clerk May He r Carruthers
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