REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 18, 2025
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contracts to Provide On-Call Regulatory Evaluation, Response, and Maintenance Services for Various Landfill, Transfer Station, and Closed Disposal Site Projects
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the following five-year contracts to provide On-Call Regulatory Evaluation, Response and Maintenance Services for various Landfill, Transfer Station, and Closed Disposal Site Projects, increasing the total aggregate not-to-exceed amount by $3,750,000, from $3,750,000 to $7,500,000, with no change to the term of March 29, 2022 through March 28, 2027:
1. Geo-Logic Associates, Inc., Contract No. 22-231
2. Geosyntec Consultants, Contract No. 22-232
3. Helix Environmental Planning (formerly Helix Construction Group, Inc.), Contract No. 22-233
4. High Desert Underground, Inc. Contract No. 22-234
5. Jeremy Harris Construction, Contract No. 22-235
6. SCS Field Services, Contract No. 22-236
7. Tetra Tech BAS, Inc., Contract No. 22-237
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This Amendment increases the Contract by $3,750,000, bringing the total aggregate to $7,500,000. Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost), as the Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) is financed by fee revenue. SWMD establishes fees that are charged to the public and other agencies for utilization of the County’s Waste Disposal System. Sufficient appropriation and revenue have been included in the SWMD 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
SWMD manages and operates the County's solid waste disposal system, which consists of five regional active sanitary landfills, nine transfer stations and numerous closed landfills and disposal sites. The five regional active landfills provide refuse disposal for the County's Valley, Mountain, High Desert and Low Desert Regions. As the owner and operator of these facilities, SWMD is regulated by numerous state and local agencies, including the following: three California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Lahontan, Santa Ana, and Colorado River Basin Regions); CalRecycle, the Local Enforcement Agency, and two Air Quality Management Districts (South Coast and Mojave Desert). In addition, SWMD's operations and capital projects often require negotiations with other federal, state and local agencies, such as U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Army Corp. of Engineers, California Department of Transportation, County Land Use Services, and cities located within the County.
To ensure adequate disposal capacity, maintain regulatory compliance, and keep projects on schedule, SWMD must secure specialized technical support that is not available in-house. Because many issues demand an immediate response, issuing a separate Request for Proposal (RFP) for each need is impractical. Accordingly, SWMD utilizes on-call contracts that provide rapid, as-needed access to qualified consultants while remaining consistent with the County Procurement Policy.
On March 29, 2022 (Item No. 43), as a result of a competitive process, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Agreements with Geo-Logic Associates, Inc., Geosyntec Consultants, Helix Environmental Construction Group, Inc., High Desert Underground, Inc., Jeremy Harris Construction, Inc., SCS Field Services and Tetra Tech BAS, Inc. to provide On-Call Regulatory Evaluation, Response, and Maintenance Services for Various Landfill, Transfer Station, and Closed Disposal Site Projects. Since that time, regulatory requirements have evolved, particularly with the implementation of State Assembly Bill 1383 and associated organics management mandates. Additionally, the frequency of weather related impacts to sites in the high and east desert regions of the County has consumed a substantial portion of SWMD’s budget, impacting repairs to bring sites back into compliance with regulatory permits. These developments, along with the need for specialized technical expertise beyond current in-house capabilities, have heightened the demand for timely, high-quality, and cost-effective engineering services.
During the contract period, Helix Environmental Construction Group, Inc. was absorbed into its umbrella organization and is now conducting business as Helix Environmental Planning, Inc. Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 22-233 will reflect this organizational change.
To address these challenges, SWMD recommends increasing the current approved aggregate budget and amending existing contracts to ensure sufficient resources are available to continue supporting essential operations and compliance activities through the remaining term of the contract. The amendment retains the original contract term and will provide SWMD with continued as-needed support services.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 18, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on October 28, 2025.