REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
LUTHER SNOKE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding with the Consolidated Fire Agencies for County Administrative Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve revenue Memorandum of Understanding with Consolidated Fire Agencies for the provision of administrative services by various County departments for rates and/or fees as described in the Memorandum of Understanding, for the term of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute any subsequent amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding, including changes to the scope of services that do not change the term or rates and/or fees charged, subject to County Counsel review.
3. Direct the Deputy Executive Officer to transmit any amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Luther Snoke, 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 and rates, or wages as detailed in applicable labor agreements. Revenue received from CONFIRE will reimburse each County department providing services under the MOU, and CONFIRE will be billed quarterly or on an as-rendered basis by each user department.
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 30 years those administrative services were gradually transitioned to County departments. In addition, CONFIRE and SBCFPD have reorganized and expanded, highlighting the need to continue the 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, worked with CONFIRE to prepare an agreement for service by various County departments. The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Agreement No. 23-1008 on September 12, 2023 (Item No. 19) for a term of September 9, 2023 to June 30, 2026. The recommended successor MOU makes revisions as needed and outlines the administrative services that will continue to be provided over a new three-year period, effective from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.
HR will provide services related to employee benefits management, labor negotiations, recruitment and on-boarding, and transaction processing and reports for the County’s Human Capital Management System.
Services provided by ATC include the Treasury, processing transactions and adjustments to CONFIRE funds, payroll services, tax reporting and accounting services, and Enterprise Resource Planning system support services needed for deposits, disbursements, reimbursements, and adjustments.
Services provided by Purchasing include mail and courier services to both CONFIRE locations in Rialto and Hesperia, surplus property and storage services, and printing services.
ITD services will allow access to the Countywide Geographic Information System, as part of this proposed MOU.
The CAO recommends approval of this MOU to continue the formal arrangement between CONFIRE and the County to 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. CONFIRE will be presenting the recommended MOU to its Administrative Committee on June 23, 2026. Should any changes be required after Board approval of the MOU, authority is requested in Recommendation No. 2 for the Chief Executive Officer to execute subsequent amendments to the MOU.
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 the Real Estate Services Department for leases and licenses; ITD for information and technology services; 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 60 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 (Cynthia O’Neill, Chief Assistant County Counsel and Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 29, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070, and Monique Hernandez, Administration and Operations Manager, 387-2067); Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Rhawnie Berg, Deputy Chief Disbursements, 382-3166) on May 12, 2026; Innovation and Technology Department (Cody Barnes, IT Chief Finance Officer, 388-5524) on May 11, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Guy Martinez, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5428, Garrett Baker, 387-3077, and Erika Rodarte, 387-4919, Administrative Analysts) on June 4, 2026.