Agenda eport
October 6, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Police Department
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT
WITH VITAL MEDICAL SERVICES, LLC FOR NON-EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES TO INMATES FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS
IN AN AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $1,607,250
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find the proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3), the "Common Sense" Exemption that CEQA only applies to projects that may have an effect on the environment;
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract without competitive bidding pursuant to City Charter Section 1002(F), contracts for professional or unique services with Vital Medical Services, LLC for non-emergency medical services to inmates housed in the Pasadena City Jail for five years not-to-exceed $1,607,250 which includes consumer price index (CPI) adjustments and a 10% contingency of $146,115;
3. Grant the recommended contract an exemption from the Competitive Selection process pursuant to Pasadena Municipal Code section 4.08.049(b) contracts for which the City's best interest is served; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to approve no-cost amendments to the subject contract including durational extensions.
BACKGROUND:
The Pasadena City Jail books and houses approximately 5,000 to 6,000 inmates annually, many of which require a medical examination to determine if they are medically fit to be booked in a jail facility. A provision of Title 15 of the California Code MEETING OF l0/0 6/ 20 2S 1 AGENDA ITEM NO. ____ _
Non-Emergency Medical Services Contract
October 6, 2025
of Regulations includes a framework for a "Minimum Standard for Local Detention Facilities" which outlines the requirement for providing medical services to any inmate complaining or exhibiting indications of illness or injury who is housed in the facility.
Available off-site vendors who provide medical services require an officer being taken out of the field for extended periods of time so the inmate can be transported to the medical facility for examination by a medical professional. This is the same process required for court ordered blood draws and it has been the Pasadena Police Department's (PPD) experience that this process takes several hours and depending on what facility is available, the costs can be high. Furthermore, Exer Urgent Care, who previously provided these medical services to the City of Pasadena, opted to end the contract with the City because they did not wish to treat prisoners in their medical facility.
Vital Medical Services, LLC has been the contractor of medical services for the Pasadena City Jail's inmate population since 2015. A search was conducted for vendors who provide similar, on-site medical services for Type 1 jail facilities. Larger jail facilities such as Los Angeles County Jail, employ their own medical staff. Vital is the only vendor in the LA County area who services smaller jail facilities such as the Pasadena City Jail that is established and meets the industry standard .
Additionally , due to guidelines set by the Los Angeles County Seriffs Department (LASO) in response to the recent COVID pandemic, an increased number of inmates are required to be assessed and medically cleared before being transferred to any LA County Jail facility to minimize exposure risk in the County's jail system. These guidelines mandate any inmate exhibiting symptoms or who has expressed a potential for being exposed to COVID-19, be medically cleared prior to transfer to their facility.
Many of the same pandemic guidelines followed at the LA County facilities also apply to inmates remaining in the Pasadena City Jail.
The previous contract with Vital Medical Services, LLC was approved by City Council June 13, 2022, for an amount not-to-exceed $832,000 for a three-year term. A five-year term is recommended to maintain continuity in service and benefit from a structured pricing model. The services included in the contract exceeds our current service needs and allows for future expansion. The proposed contract will provide an immediate monthly cost savings and provide predictable pricing for the length of the contract.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed Contract with Vital Medical Services, LLC is consistent with the City Council's Strategic Plan Goals to maintain fiscal responsibility and ensure public safety by providing medical care (sick call) to inmates as required in Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations, "Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities." Non-Emergency Medical SeNices Contract
October 6, 2025
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed action has been determined to be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section15061 (b)(3), the "Common Sense" Exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Such is the case with the proposed contract authorization with Vital Medical SeNices, LLC for non-emergency medical seNices .
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this action will be $1,607,250 over five years, which includes annual CPI adjustments and a 10% contingency of $146,115. Funding will be addressed by the utilization of existing and future budgeted appropriations in the Police Department's operating budget in the General Fund (101 ). There are no indirect and support costs associated with this contract.
~
Robert Guillen
Jail Administrator
Approved by:
rA ·wD ~
MIGdJ MARQU~
City Manager
Respectfully submitted ,
ctdi ft>e. 0\-llcf ~~
EUGENE HARRIS
Chief of Police