Medical Arts Building eyed as new Stanislaus morgue site [The Modesto Bee, Calif.]

Dec. 07--Transforming downtown Modesto's vacant Medical Arts Building into a coroner's office would cost half as much as building a new morgue near Stanislaus County's Public Safety Center, a report says.

Sheriff Adam Christianson in June confirmed a desire to renovate the Medical Arts Building, next to the former Modesto City Hospital at 17th and H streets.

The cramped, 33-year-old coroner's facility on Oakdale Road has been criticized in grand jury investigations for being outdated and inefficient.

In a Tuesday report on capital projects to county supervisors, senior management consultant Tim Fedorchak said rehabbing the Medical Arts Building would cost $5.6 million compared with $11 million for a new morgue west of Ceres. The county owns both properties.

"It's perfect," Christianson said after the meeting, about the 17,500-square-foot downtown building, which is 13,000 square feet larger than the compact coroner's office. The new site has secure underground parking and a basement, the sheriff said.

Also, the Medical Arts Building could double as a site where families of inmates would visit with them via video, instead of in person, Christianson said.

"We look at things like public transportation to bring a level of service to our customers," the sheriff said. "We're trying to make it easy as we can."

In other votes Tuesday, supervisors unanimously:

--Approved a design for a new jail wing at the Public Safety Center, replacing two barracks that burned at the Honor Farm near Grayson. Insurance will pay for the new units, which would house 192 inmates.

--Accepted an annual jail inspection report. Public Health Officer John Walker lifted six months' probation in March, although the jails haven't stabilized a health services administrator job.

--Agreed to continue reducing Auditor-Controller Lauren Klein's salary by 15 percent, at her request, and allowing her to waive a $4,800 yearly car allowance.

Klein requested the lower pay before taking office a year ago, to save her department money as the county struggles with multimillion-dollar deficits.

The gesture saves her department $27,236 per year, lowering her pay from $149,573 to $122,337.

Christianson also voluntarily gives back 10 percent of his $181,500 pay to his department.

--Approved a $227,781 contract with Mountain-Valley Emergency Medical Serv-ices Agency, which regulates ambulance services. The agency two years ago fell out of favor with supervisors, who threatened to terminate the contract. But a leadership change has "improved dialogue," a report says.

--Agreed to have registrar Lee Lundrigan and her office conduct the runoff election for Modesto mayor in February. That match pits Councilmen Garrad Marsh and Brad Hawn against each other. The county will bill the city so much per vote; the total is estimated at $253,000.

Bee staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at gstapley@modbee.com or (209) 578-2390.

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