REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SITTING AS THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE FOLLOWING:
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
BOARD GOVERNED COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE BIG BEAR VALLEY RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT
BLOOMINGTON RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 4, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director and Chief Flood Control Engineer, Department of Public Works - Transportation, Special Districts and Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Execution of Public Utility Documents for New or Upgraded Utility Services that May Contain Non-Standard Terms
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of San Bernardino County, Board Governed County Service Areas and their Zones, San Bernardino County Flood Control District, Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, and Bloomington Recreation and Park District, authorize the Chief Executive Officer, the Director of Public Works, or Chief Flood Control Engineer, after consultation with County Counsel and Risk Management, to execute and submit public utility authorization forms with utility companies, including those containing non-standard terms such as indemnification of third parties and utility companies, when necessary to request new or upgraded utility services or to relocate existing services for projects or facilities approved by the Board of Supervisors and/or Board of Directors.
(Presenter: Noel Castilo, Director/Chief Flood Control Engineer, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Impact on individual department budgets is based upon need for service and departments that require new or upgraded public utility services are responsible for ensuring adequate funding in their current and future budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In facilitating capital improvement program projects and streetlighting requests, it is often necessary for the Department of Public Works on behalf of San Bernardino County, Board Governed County Service Areas and their Zones, San Bernardino County Flood Control District, Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, and Bloomington Recreation and Park District, (collectively, Department) to obtain new or additional utility services in order to initiate, continue, or complete work on a given project. In many cases, this also includes the removal or relocation of existing utility services to support overall project needs. Utility companies, however, require the Department to execute contracts and authorization forms that contain non-standard terms, such as indemnification of third parties and the utility companies themselves, which under County Policy 11-05 typically must be approved by the Board of Supervisors prior to execution. This requirement can create delays that cascade through project schedules, potentially pushing completion dates back by months.
Approval of this item will give the Director of Public Works or Chief Flood Control Engineer authority to sign and submit documents with utility companies, such as the Public Utility Authorization Forms or Third-Party Authorization Forms, for new construction projects or remodels requiring utility services, as well as new and existing streetlights services. The Third-Party Authorization Forms designate staff authorized to coordinate and plan projects with Southern California Edison (SCE) on behalf of the Department. This approval will streamline the process and help ensure timely completion of projects throughout the county.
On August 6, 2024, the Board of Supervisors (Item No. 31) authorized the Chief Executive Officer or the Director of Project and Facilities Management Department to execute similar public utility authorization forms containing non-standard terms after consultation with County Counsel and Risk Management. This delegated authority has streamlined utility coordination for County facility projects. The Department of Public Works is requesting comparable authority to support its capital improvement projects, streetlighting projects, and utility relocations for County, Special District, Flood Control District, and Recreation and Park District projects to proceed without necessary delays while maintaining the same legal and risk management review process.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Curtis and Aaron Gest, Deputies County Counsel, 387-5545) on July 14, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5005) on July 20, 2026.