REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 18, 2025
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Chief Flood Control Engineer, Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with S. Groner Associates for Public Education and Outreach Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, approve Contract with S. Groner Associates, in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000, to provide public outreach and educational activities for the San Bernardino County Stormwater Program, for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Chief Flood Control Engineer, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). San Bernardino County (County) allocates Discretionary General Funding to the San Bernardino County Flood Control District (District) to administer the County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit implementation activities. The entire NPDES program (Program) is under the District’s budget, which includes the County’s share of costs for this Contract. Sufficient appropriation and revenue have been included in the District’s 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets (1990002550-F02399).
Under the County’s Program Implementation Agreement No. 11-545, approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on June 28, 2011 (Item No. 94), expenditures will continue to be jointly funded by the Program, with costs allocated among the County, the District, and the 16 Co-Permittee cities. The proposed contract for public outreach and educational activities for the San Bernardino County Stormwater Program will not exceed $1,500,000 for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. The Program (1990002550) cost for 2025-26 will be distributed as follows:
|
Funding Entity/ Participant |
Percentage |
Amount |
|
District |
5.00% |
$15,000 |
|
County |
13.54% |
$40,620 |
|
Co-Permittee Cities (16) |
81.46% |
$244,380 |
|
Total |
100.00% |
$300,000 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of the Contract with S. Groner Associates will allow the District to achieve and maintain compliance with the MS4 Phase I Permit (MS4 Permit) public education and outreach requirements. The work described in the Contract will focus on fulfilling the residential program requirement in the MS4 Permit and conducting campaigns for the San Bernardino County Stormwater Program and utilizing tactics to reach the target audience most effectively.
On January 29, 2010, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board - Santa Ana Region (SARWQCB) adopted the NPDES MS4 Permit for urban stormwater discharges from the District, the County, and the 16 Co-Permittee cities: Big Bear Lake, Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland and Yucaipa. Since 1994, as required by the MS4 Permit, the District, County, and Co-Permittee cities (collectively, Permittees) have cooperated through the Program to create a public awareness program to minimize impacts from polluting activities to receiving waters and provide guidance on best management practices to prevent stormwater pollution. The MS4 Permit was administratively extended on January 29, 2015; the Permittees continue to implement the requirements of this MS4 Permit until the SARWQCB approves a new MS4 Permit.
Services to be performed under the Contract include, but are not limited to: preparing outreach materials to educate targeted audiences; strengthening social media outreach efforts; participating in community events to raise awareness and educate specific audiences; maintaining the Program website with links to multiple resource and information locations; and implementing methodologies (i.e. in-person discussion, on-line and telephone surveys) to measure changes in awareness as a result of outreach and education efforts. The results of activities performed in each calendar year will guide the type, focus, and extent of the outreach and educational components implemented in the following year(s).
Examples of focused public outreach activities that may be performed include campaigns regarding proper pet waste disposal, household hazardous waste disposal, and appropriate use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; as well as the development and implementation of new campaigns and tactics to most effectively reach the target audience. The specific work executed under this category will be administered using annual work plans and/or task orders mutually developed by S. Groner Associates, the District, and the Program.
The District may terminate the Contract in whole or in part upon 30 calendar days written notice to S. Groner Associates. If the Contract is terminated in this manner, then S. Groner Associates shall receive equitable compensation for services rendered and expenses incurred prior to the effective date of termination.
This action aligns with the County and the Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives by implementing the MS4 Permit public education and outreach requirements by working with other agencies and stakeholders.
PROCUREMENT
The County Administrative Office approved and authorized the release of Request for Proposal (RFP) No. PWG125-LANDD-5733 with the Purchasing Department on March 27, 2025, to solicit proposals from interested and qualified agencies to provide MS4 Permit-required public education and outreach services, for a period of five years. The RFP was posted to Purchasing’s Electronic procurement Network (ePro).
Two proposals were received by the established deadline of April 21, 2025, in response to the RFP. Proposals from S. Groner Associates (Placentia, CA) and CV Strategies (Palm Desert, CA) met the minimum requirements and continued through the evaluation process.
The proposals were evaluated by a selection committee comprised of District, County, and Co-Permittee representatives. The selection committee conducted a thorough evaluation of the proposals and selected S. Groner Associates as the more qualified vendor based on its technical approach to the scope of work and understanding of the needs of the Program. Notification letters were sent to all responsible and responsive proposers on April 24, 2025. No appeal/protest letters were received.
In the event the SARWQCB issues a new MS4 Permit with new public education and outreach requirements beyond the scope and within the term of this Contract, the District may choose to amend or terminate the Contract with S. Groner Associates, and issue a new RFP.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Curtis, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 12, 2025; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on May 13, 2025; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on May 27, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 30, 2025.