REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF BOARD GOVERNED COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 25, 2025
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Special Districts
SUBJECT
Title
Introduction of Proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 Fee Ordinance for Various Board Governed County Service Areas and Zones
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the County Service Areas and their Zones:
1. Conduct a public hearing on proposed ordinance repealing Ordinance No. SD 24-03 and establishing various recreation and park activity fees for Fiscal Year 2025-26.
2. Make alterations, if necessary, to the proposed ordinance.
3. Approve introduction of proposed ordinance.
• An ordinance of San Bernardino County, State of California, acting as the governing body of all Board-Governed County Service Areas and their Zones to repeal Ordinance No. SD 24-03 and to adopt fees and charges for Fiscal Year 2025-26.
4. SCHEDULE ORDINANCE FOR FINAL ADOPTION ON TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2025, on the Consent Calendar.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Fees and charges from the proposed ordinance are projected to generate approximately $17 million in revenue for 2025-26 for various Board-Governed County Service Areas (CSAs) and their Zones (Districts), including the Water and Sanitation Districts. This revenue will continue to be used to offset the costs of providing services. Appropriation and revenue related to the fees will be included in the 2025-26 recommended budgets for the applicable Districts.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Public Works - Special Districts (Department) annually introduces a proposed fee ordinance to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for all Districts. The ordinance includes recommended fee revisions, deletion of certain fees, and/or addition of new fees for a variety of services including refuse, road maintenance, parks and recreation, detention basin maintenance, landscaping, and streetlighting.
For 2025-26, the Department is recommending several fee changes. The following is a summary of these changes.
Productive Hourly Rates: The Productive Hourly Rates (PHRs) are recommended to be revised to include adjustments for negotiated employee Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), salary step changes, retirement rates, and other employee benefit costs. These revisions are needed to recover the full cost of services. Although the Department uses the average cost per classification when calculating the PHRs, the amount can fluctuate annually depending on budgeted employees within each classification. As a result, the PHRs can include significant variances in percentage changes among the various classifications. The PHRs are used in the calculation of certain fee amounts.
Voter-Approved Service Charges: Many of the CSAs contain service charges that generate revenue for various costs including, but not limited to, road maintenance, snow removal, streetlights, park operations/improvements, and maintenance of detention basins. The per parcel service charge for a number of these CSAs includes the option for an annual inflationary adjustment, as approved by the Board upon formation of the CSA. The Department is recommending implementation of these minor inflationary adjustments, ranging from 1.5% to 4.0%, for some CSAs.
Park Fees: The Department is recommending revisions to several fees within CSA 29 Lucerne Valley and North Etiwanda Preserve, which are revised mostly due to MOU-related salary and benefit increases that have occurred since these fees were last adjusted.
Water and Sanitation: Several water and sanitation fees are revised mostly for MOU-related salary and benefit increases and/or updated equipment and material costs that have occurred since these fees were last adjusted.
Equipment/Vehicle Rates: Increases are recommended to allow full cost recovery (including replacement, maintenance, insurance, and fuel) for equipment and vehicle usage. These fees provide the ability for a CSA to charge another CSA, County department or entity for use of equipment/vehicles.
Fee Additions: The Department is recommending the addition of the following fees:
o Establish new fees for Equipment Hourly Rate for the following:
• Brush Chipper - $22.00 per hour
• Pickup Truck with Snowplow - $47.00 per hour
o Establish deposits for Water and Sanitation Construction Plan Check Actual Cost fees:
• 0-1,200 ft. of pipe - $1,000.00 Deposit
• 1,201-2,500 ft of pipe - $1,500.00 Deposit
• 2,501-5,000 ft of pipe - $2,500.00 Deposit
• 5,001-10,000 ft of pipe - $3,500.00 Deposit
Fee Deletions: The Department is recommending the deletion of the following fee:
o Productive hourly rate for the Zoo Veterinarian position, which is no longer applicable to Special Districts.
On March 11, 2025 (Item No. 53), a fee workshop with the Board was conducted to discuss the 2025-26 proposed fees. This workshop resulted in no change to the District’s recommended fee proposal.
The proposed fee ordinance will take effect on July 1, 2025, following final adoption by the Board on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 3, 2025; Finance (Jessica Trillo, Administrative Analyst, and Amanda Trussell, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5423) on March 5, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on March 12, 2025.