REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 12, 2023
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Interim Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding with the Consolidated Fire Agencies for County Administrative Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve a revenue Memorandum of Understanding with Consolidated Fire Agencies for the provision of administrative services by various County departments, for a retroactive term of September 9, 2023 to June 30, 2026.
(Presenter: Luther Snoke, Interim Chief Executive Officer, 387-4811)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) details administrative services to be provided to the Consolidated Fire Agencies (CONFIRE) by various County departments, including Human Resources (HR), Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (ATC), Purchasing, and Innovation and Technology Department (ITD). Depending on the services, charges are based on the Countywide Cost Allocation Plan (COWCAP), the Employee Benefits and Services Division (EBSD) recharge rate, fees as allowed through the Board-approved Fee Ordinance, or wages as detailed in applicable labor MOUs. CONFIRE will be billed quarterly or on an as-rendered basis.
In addition, as a term of the MOU, CONFIRE has agreed to make a lump sum payment to the County’s Risk Management Department of $351,000 for the County to resolve Workers’ Compensation claims associated with employees that work at CONFIRE who suffered an injury on or before June 30, 2023.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 1990, the CONFIRE Joint Powers Authority (JPA) was formed of local fire agencies which joined, to provide communications dispatch for fire and medical services in the region and to serve as a large incident coordination center for fire, local government, and emergency medical resources countywide. Under the original JPA agreement, the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD, then known as the County Fire Department) provided administrative support services to CONFIRE, which included personnel, purchasing, payroll, and related functions. Services were incorporated into the general scope of SBCFPD administration, where over the past 30 years those administrative services were gradually transitioned to County departments. In addition, CONFIRE and SBCFPD have reorganized and expanded, highlighting the need for a formal arrangement between CONFIRE and the County which clearly documents the services the County provides to CONFIRE and allows for proper invoicing.
The County Administrative Office (CAO), along with various stakeholder departments, have worked with CONFIRE to draft the recommended MOU that outlines the provided administrative services over an approximate three-year period, retroactively effective from September 9, 2023 through June 30, 2026. The term of the MOU is retroactive to September 9, 2023, to align with the fiscal quarters and system reporting.
Services provided by HR include a Human Resources Business Partner and Analyst that support CONFIRE at a rate of half a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) and provide guidance with personnel investigations, grievances and disciplinary actions, MOU interpretation and personnel rules. In addition, HR will provide services related to employee benefits management, labor negotiations, recruitment and on-boarding, training and staff development, manage employee personnel records, and transaction processing and reports for the Employee Management and Compensation System (EMACS).
Services provided by ATC include processing transactions and adjustments to CONFIRE funds, payroll services, tax reporting and accounting services, retention of transaction records, and Enterprise Resource Planning system support services needed for disbursements, reimbursements, and adjustments.
Services provided by Purchasing include mail and courier services to both CONFIRE locations in Rialto and Hesperia, and surplus property and storage services.
Services provided by Printing Services include prints and print production.
ITD services will allow access to the Countywide Geographic Information System (GIS), as part of this proposed MOU.
In addition, as a term of the MOU, CONFIRE has agreed to make a lump sum payment to the County’s Risk Management Department of $351,000 for the County to resolve Workers’ Compensation claims associated with employees that work at CONFIRE who suffered an injury on or before June 30, 2023. The amount of $351,000 was determined through an actuary report, which stated this amount was at the 80% confidence level of the estimated liability of unpaid loss to resolve CONFIRE Workers’ Compensation claims. Per County Policy 05-01, insurance funds must be at the 80% confidence level to ensure adequate funding levels.
The CAO recommends approval of this MOU as this formal arrangement between CONFIRE and the County will allow CONFIRE to continue to operate and provide emergency communications services to the region, while clearly delineating CONFIRE as a separate, non-County agency and ensuring the County is fully reimbursed for services rendered.
Other agreements currently in effect between County departments and CONFIRE will not be impacted by the execution of this MOU. Other agreements include those with Real Estate Services Department (RESD) for leases; ITD for information and technology services, access to the Public Safety Radio System and the Wide Area Network (WAN); Fleet for vehicle maintenance; and ATC for SAP interface services.
The County and CONFIRE each reserve the right to terminate the recommended MOU, for any reason, with one-year written notice of termination. CONFIRE has the right to terminate individual services with 30 days written notice, if the cost for a service increases by more than 10% in a fiscal year. Any termination of individual services will require an amendment to this agreement.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Scott Runyan and Cynthia O’Neill Principal Assistant County Counsels, 387-5455 ) on August 18, 2023; Human Resources (Diane Rundles, Assistant Executive Officer, 387-5570) on August 31, 2023; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Vanessa Doyle and Rawnie Berg, Deputy Chiefs, 382-3166) on September 1, 2023; Purchasing (Pete Mendoza, Interim Director, 387-2073) on August 25, 2023; Innovation and Technology (Damian Parsons, Chief Financial Officer, 388-5932) on August 31, 2023; Risk Management (Victor Tordesillas, Director, 386-8623) on August 31, 2023; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on August 31, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana and Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officers, 387-4342) on August 31, 2023.