REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 17, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Robertson’s Ready Mix Ltd./RRM Properties, Ltd. for Sand and Gravel Excavation
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 9 to Contract No. 02-1246 with Robertson’s Ready Mix Ltd./RRM Properties, Ltd., extending the time for sand and gravel excavation at the Mid-Valley Sanitary Landfill, requiring cessation of all excavation and processing activities by April 1, 2032, and extending the contract term by two additional years to allow for the removal of all infrastructure, for the new total term of April 20, 1999 through September 30, 2032, with no change to the royalty rate or annual adjustment schedule.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 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
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as the Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) is funded by fee revenue. SWMD establishes fees that are charged to the public and other agencies for utilization of the County’s Waste Disposal System. Approval of this item will retain the current royalty rate of $0.4661 per ton payment from Robertson’s Ready Mix, Ltd./RRM Properties, Ltd. (Robertson’s) to SWMD with annual adjustments per Contract No. 02-1246 (Contract). Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in SWMD’s 2026-27 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The proposed amendment will extend the Contract with Robertson’s to allow additional time to excavate and process materials from Unit 5 of the Mid-Valley Sanitary Landfill (MVSL), require the cessation of all excavation and processing activities on or before April 1, 2032, and allow for the removal of all infrastructure and equipment by September 30, 2032.
On September 12, 1995, Norcal/San Bernardino, Inc. (Norcal), acting as the County’s landfill operator, and Robertson’s entered into Contract No. 95-834 for sand and gravel excavation at the MVSL to assist with landfill operations, from April 20, 1999 to May 19, 2020. On October 24, 1995 (Item No. 27), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 95-834 to provide for the lease of office space and equipment, with no change to the term of the contract. On November 26, 1996 (Item No. 46), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 95-834 in which Norcal waived its right to reimbursement of approximately $1.25 million in additional costs incurred in the prior management and administration of the operations at the Heaps Peak Transfer Station and the Big Bear Landfill, with no change to the term of the contract. It also provided compensation, estimated at $170,000 annually, for the haul of aggregates as part of the Heaps Peak Transfer Station operations, which would be fully funded by revenues realized from the Robertson’s lease.
On April 20, 1999 (Item No. 46), the Board approved Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 95-834 for the County to assume the rights and obligations of Norcal in the event Norcal ceased acting as the County’s landfill operator, with no change to the term of the contract.
On December 3, 2002 (Item No. 26), the Board reassigned the number for Contract No. 95-834 with Robertson’s for sand and gravel excavation services to Contract No. 02-1246, approved Amendment No. 1 to the Contract, and recognized that as of July 1, 2001, the County assumed the rights and obligations of Norcal in Contract No. 95-834, with no change to the term of the contract.
On August 5, 2003 (Item No. 16), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to the Contract in which Robertson’s agreed to pay one half of the estimated $135,000 cost incurred by the County related to the drying of the clay delivered by Robertson’s to the MVSL for the Unit 3, Phase 2 Liner Project, with no change to the term of the Contract.
On October 21, 2003 (Item No. 20), the Board approved Amendment No. 3 to the Contract for the purchase of an additional 350,000 tons of clay lining material at $4.50 per ton, for the amount of $1,575,000 to be used in construction of the remaining phases of the Unit 3 Liner Project at MVSL, with no change to the term of the Contract.
On October 31, 2006 (Item No. 28), the Board approved Amendment No. 4 to the Contract providing for the relocation and stockpiling of up to 250,000 tons of final closure material to be used for the Unit 1 Phase 1 Partial Final Closure Construction project at MVSL at $1.00 per ton and a fixed payment of $70,731.77, for a total maximum compensation to Robertson’s in the amount of $320,731.77, with no change to the term of the Contract.
On June 7, 2011 (Item No. 52), the Board approved Amendment No. 5 to the Contract for an adjustment to the mining schedule and for a temporary suspension of a portion of the royalty payment, with no change to the term of the Contract.
On December 16, 2014 (Item No. 52), the Board approved Amendment No. 6 to the Contract to complete the excavation of the Unit 4 expansion area at MVSL by June 30, 2016, with no change to the Contract amount or Contract term.
On October 22, 2019 (Item No. 25), the Board approved the first 5-year extension of the Contract, for the total term of April 20, 1999, through May 18, 2025, with no change to the royalty rate or annual adjustment schedule.
On March 10, 2020 (Item No. 45), the Board approved Amendment No. 7 to the Contract to allow Robertson’s to provide unprocessed soil material at no cost to the County and use of their leased space to allow the County to process the soil material on-site at MVSL, with no change to the term of the Contract.
On February 25, 2025 (Item No. 31), the Board approved Amendment No. 8 to the Contract to extend the Contract for five years, for the total term of April 20, 1999, through May 18, 2030, with no change to the royalty rate or annual adjustment schedule.
This proposed Amendment No. 9 extends the Contract two years, for a new total term of April 20, 1999, through September 30, 2032, updates various contract items to clarify the use of material by Robertson’s and for the County’s landfill purposes, established an excavation schedule, and includes Levine Act campaign contribution disclosure contractual language and federal contracting terms.
This action supports the County and Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives of improving government operations and operating in a fiscally-responsible and business-like manner. Allowing Robertson’s to continue the excavation and processing of aggregate material at MVSL assists SWMD in providing landfill capacity needs for residents of the County.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 5, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Scott Bruckner, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on October 29, 2026.