REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Cooperative Agreement with City of Barstow for Road Maintenance of a Portion of Main Street Southeast of the Barstow International Gateway (BIG) Plan Boundary
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Road Maintenance Cooperative Agreement with the City of Barstow, for maintenance, construction, repair, and emergency work on a portion of Main Street southeast of the Barstow International Gateway Specific Plan boundary, effective upon execution by both parties through August 31, 2031, in an amount not to exceed $75,000 per project, unless otherwise approved by separate written agreement and subject to the identification of an available funding source.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
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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 Department of Public Works (Department) is funded by Gas Tax revenue, fees, federal, state and other local funding. Costs to the County for this proposed Road Maintenance Cooperative Agreement (Agreement) will vary depending upon the maintenance, construction, repair, or emergency work needed.
Under the Agreement, work requested and authorized by the County will be performed by City of Barstow (City) staff or contractors. The County will reimburse the City for authorized and approved actual costs, up to $75,000 per project. Any work exceeding $75,000 per project requires a separate written agreement between the County and City and is subject to the County’s determination that sufficient unprogrammed, available, or separately identified funding exists without impacting previously prioritized, programmed, budgeted, committed, or funded road projects. Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the 2025-26 Road Operations budget (6650002000 - 71H15051) and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended Agreement will allow the City to perform maintenance, construction, repair, and emergency work on a portion of Main Street southeast of the Barstow International Gateway (BIG) Specific Plan boundary. This portion of Main Street is owned by the County and will remain within unincorporated San Bernardino County. It is also excluded from the Action Area A annexation and detachment area associated with the BIG development project.
Main Street is used by the City and its residents as a major thoroughfare and is important for the efficient flow of traffic in the area. The City anticipates that use of this portion of Main Street will increase due to the BIG development project. Burlington North Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway plans to develop the BIG, an approximately 4,500-acre integrated rail facility on the west side of Barstow with a rail yard, intermodal facility, and freight transloading warehouses. The project will improve the movement of goods between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and BNSF’s national rail network, using clean-energy cargo-handling equipment to process freight more efficiently. As a result, the City desires to assist with the maintenance, construction, repair, and emergency work on this portion of Main Street for the health, welfare, and safety of its residents.
Streets and Highways Code section 1710 authorizes a city and county to agree that a city may construct, repair, and maintain county highways or portions of county highways. The Agreement establishes a process for the County to authorize the City to perform work on the County-owned portion of Main Street.
Under the Agreement, work may only proceed after the County issues a written Notice to Proceed. Each Notice to Proceed must identify the approved scope of work, location, schedule, applicable County standards, and not-to-exceed budget. No work may begin, and no costs may be incurred or reimbursed, unless the County has issued a Notice to Proceed and the City has accepted it.
The City may perform the authorized work using City staff or City contractors. The City will be responsible for advertising, awarding, administering, and initially funding the work in accordance with applicable public contracting requirements. The City must also require its contractors to comply with applicable laws, including prevailing wage requirements, and maintain appropriate insurance and bonding.
After the City completes an authorized work assignment, the City will submit an itemized accounting of actual costs and an invoice to the County. The County will reimburse the City for authorized and approved costs within 60 calendar days after receipt of the invoice.
The Agreement also provides that if either party causes or allows the County road to be used in a manner that results in unusual wear, damage, or interference with its reasonable use, that party is responsible for the costs and expenses of restoration and repair. This includes unusual wear or damage caused by heavy equipment, construction traffic, semi-trucks, oversized vehicles, or unusually heavy vehicle loads associated with the City’s upcoming rail-related BIG project.
This Agreement aligns with the County and Chief Executive Officer’s goals of improving County government operations, providing for the safety, health, and social service needs of County residents, and operating in a fiscally responsible and business-like manner by providing a coordinated process for maintaining and repairing an important roadway segment.
The Agreement will expire on August 31, 2031, unless terminated earlier by either party upon 30 calendar days’ advance written notice. The City approved this item at its City Council meeting on June 2, 2026.
PROCUREMENT
Not Applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455, on June 11, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Eduardo Mora, Administrative Analyst, 387-4376) on June 12, 2026