REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 8, 2025
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Revenue Contract with StateFoodSafety.com for Online Food Handler Training and Assessment Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to revenue Contract No. 22-504 with StateFoodSafety.com to continue providing an online food handler training and assessment program for San Bernardino County residents to obtain food handler certifications, and exercise the first of two options to extend the contract for an additional year, for a total contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). A portion of the fees collected by StateFoodSafety.com are returned to the County. Based on the estimated number of customers who will participate in online training, this contract will generate approximately $900,000 in revenue for 2025-26. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2024-25 budget and will be included in the 2025-26 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A food handler card is required by Section 33.0409 of the San Bernardino County Code of Ordinances for all employees in food service industries. The Environmental Health Services Division (EHS) of DPH has administered an accredited food safety certification program for over 30 years. The purpose of the training is to prepare food handlers to enter the workforce by providing the required food safety information as specified by local and state regulations. A food handler card/certification is provided to individuals who successfully complete the training.
To enhance accessibility for San Bernardino County residents and keep pace with evolving technology and industry standards, EHS transitioned to offering an online food safety certification program. On October 25, 2021, DPH released a Request for Proposals (RFP) on the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) to solicit proposals from agencies qualified to provide an online food handler training and assessment program.
A total of four proposals were received. Based on an evaluation by representatives from DPH and the Performance, Education, and Resource Center, StateFoodSafety.com was rated the most qualified to meet the County’s needs and recommended for award. DPH intends to initiate another RFP next year to seek potential proposers for future food handler training and assessment.
On June 14, 2022 (Item No. 51), as a result of a competitive procurement, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract No. 22-504 (Contract) with StateFoodSafety.com, to provide food handler certification through an online training and assessment program, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025, with the option to extend the Contract for two additional one-year periods.
The recommended Amendment No. 1 to the Contract exercises the first option to extend for an additional year, for a total contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026. DPH estimates that approval of this item will allow approximately 64,000 residents to utilize the online training and assessment program.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 20, 2025; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on March 21, 2025; Finance (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4205) on March 24, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on March 24, 2025.