REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 4, 2026
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Amendments to Contracts with Rialto Unified School District to Redirect American Rescue Plan Act Project Savings
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve the following amendments to contracts with the Rialto Unified School District for American Rescue Plan Act funding for eligible projects in accordance with the Board of Supervisors approved Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Plan, to redirect $396,247 of American Rescue Plan Act project savings and related budget adjustments:
1. Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 23-1064 for the Rialto High School Baseball Field Lighting Project, decreasing the total contract amount by $396,247, from $1,200,000 to an amount not-to-exceed $803,753, with no change to the contract term of July 31, 2023 through December 31, 2026.
2. Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 23-1063, for the Eisenhower High School Baseball Field Improvement Project, increasing the total contract amount by $396,247, from $1,500,000 to an amount not-to-exceed $1,896,247, modifying the deadline for obligating project costs by 291 days, from May 31, 2025 to March 18, 2026, with no change to the contract term of July 31, 2023 through December 31, 2026.
3. Approve appropriation and revenue adjustments in the amount of $396,247 in the American Rescue Plan Act - Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund’s Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget, for the Eisenhower High School Baseball Field Improvement Project.
4. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the budget adjustments, as indicated in the Financial Impact Section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote and Fulfill the Countywide Vision.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
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 County received a direct allocation of $423.5 million under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) - Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA Fund) to bolster the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact. The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved an expenditure plan for the use of these funds, known as the County Local Fiscal Recovery Spending Plan (Spending Plan), on June 8, 2021 (Item No. 121) and amended the plan on August 24, 2021 (Item No. 21). The Fifth District Board Office recommended executing the amendments in Recommendation Nos. 1 and 2. These items redirect $396,247 of ARPA project savings from the Rialto High School Baseball Field Lighting Project to the Eisenhower High School Baseball Field Improvement Project.
The following budget adjustments are necessary to redirect existing ARPA funding to include sufficient appropriation and revenue in the 2026-27 ARPA budget:
|
SAP Fund Center |
Commitment Item/GL |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
1100001078 |
40509194 |
ARPA Recovery Fund Distribution |
Increase |
$396,247 |
|
1100951078 |
53003305 |
Contribution to Other Agencies |
Increase |
$396,247 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law and established the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to distribute resources to state and local governments throughout the nation.
The County established an ARPA Team who reviews all potential projects to determine eligibility for ARPA funding and if the project and use are in accordance with the Board approved Spending Plan. When projects are deemed eligible, the ARPA Team works with subrecipients to determine subrecipient compliance with ARPA guidelines and subsequently initiates the contract process.
On March 1, 2022 (Item No. 32), the Board authorized the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute the Board-approved standard ARPA contract template with subrecipients and directed that ARPA contracts executed by the CEO be brought back to the Board for ratification within 30 days of contract execution. Monthly reporting has been provided to the Board detailing the status of ARPA contracts.
On September 26, 2023 (Item No. 31), the Board ratified the CEO’s exercise of the authority in executing Contract Nos. 23-1063 and 23-1064 on August 31, 2023 with the Rialto Unified School District (District). Contract Nos. 23-1063 and 23-1064 pertain to the Eisenhower High School Baseball Field Improvement (EHS Project) and the Rialto High School Baseball Field Lighting Improvement (RHS Project) projects, with not-to-exceed amounts of $1,500,000 and $1,200,000, respectively, for the contract term of July 31, 2023 through December 31, 2026.
On April 8, 2025 (Item No. 21), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract Nos. 23-1063 and 23-1064 to modify the obligation deadline from December 31, 2024 to May 31, 2025, due to significant delays in awarding construction-related contracts encountered by the District, and the District’s request for an extension of the obligation deadline.
The EHS Project is a renovation of the school’s baseball field that is comprised of real property, land improvements and equipment over 20 years old. The facility is beyond its useful life and needs to be modernized. The original project cost of $1,500,000 was used to fund the installation of a lighting system as well as new bleachers, a dugout, a higher backstop, a new score board, and all required updates to the path of travel for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). During EHS Project construction, Southern California Edison identified significant unforeseen electrical improvements necessary to complete the project. Consequently, the District was required to procure a new contractor to install an electrical panel, which increased the overall project cost. To finalize all necessary procurement-related activities, the District requests an extension of the project fund obligation deadline from May 31, 2025 to March 18, 2026.
The RHS Project’s original $1,200,000 budget funded for the baseball field lighting system installation and all required updates to the path of travel for compliance with the ADA. The facility is beyond its useful life and needs to be modernized. As the RHS Project neared its completion, a project saving of $396,247 was realized, which the District would like to redirect towards the EHS Project’s unforeseen electrical upgrade costs.
With the proposed redirection of the $396,247 project savings, the RHS Project’s total amended contract amount will not exceed $803,753, while EHS Project’s total amended contract amount will not exceed $1,896,247 while all other contract terms and conditions remain unchanged. The proposed amendments are deemed to be eligible under the United States Department of Treasury’s guidelines. Both EHS and RHS projects are anticipated to be completed by mid-summer 2026 and are expected to meet the December 31, 2026 deadline for completion of all ARPA-funded projects.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 10, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on July 10, 2026; Risk Management (Stephanie Pacheco, Staff Analyst II, 386-9039) on July 10, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector - General Accounting Manager, 382-7022) on July 13, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Guy Martinez, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5428) on July 15, 2026.