REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
TERRY W. THOMPSON, Director, Real Estate Services Department
DON LE, Interim Chief Information Officer, Innovation and Technology Department
SUBJECT
Title
License Agreement with City of Twentynine Palms, for Rack and Antenna Space at Donnell Hill Communications Site in Twentynine Palms
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Find that approval of a License Agreement with the City of Twentynine Palms, for the non-exclusive use of Rack and Antenna Space at Donnell Hill Communications Site in Twentynine Palms, is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines, Section 15301 - Existing Facilities (Class 1).
2. Find that conveyance of the License Agreement to the City of Twentynine Palms is in the public interest and will not substantially conflict or interfere with the County’s use of the property.
3. Approve License Agreement with the City of Twentynine Palms, for the non-exclusive use of Rack and Antenna Space at the Donnell Hill Communications Site in Twentynine Palms, for a five-year term, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031, with three additional five-year options to renew, for a total contract revenue of $27,029, including a one-time administrative fee of $500.
4. Direct the Real Estate Services Department to file the Notice of Exemption in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
(Presenter: Terry W. Thompson, Director, 387-5000)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote and Fulfill the Countywide Vision.
Improve County Government Operations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total revenue for the License Agreement (License) over the five-year term is $27,029, which includes a one-time administrative fee of $500. Revenue from this License will be deposited into the Real Estate Services Department (RESD) Rents budget (7812001000). Annual Revenues are as follows:
|
License Year |
Annual Revenues |
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*One Time Administrative Fee |
$500 |
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July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 |
$4,997 |
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July 1, 2027 - June 30, 2028 |
$5,147 |
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July 1, 2028 - June 30, 2029 |
$5,301 |
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July 1, 2029 - June 30, 2030 |
$5,460 |
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July 1, 2030 - June 30, 2031 |
$5,624 |
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Total Revenue |
$27,029 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Innovation and Technology Department (ITD) provides a variety of contract communication services to local municipalities in support of the County’s public safety communication network. These contract services include leasing available space at County-maintained communications facilities for placement of client-owned equipment, providing point-to-point microwave communication circuits, and maintenance of client-owned public safety radio equipment.
In July 2009, the City of Twentynine Palms (City) requested to install a radio repeater within the County-owned equipment shelter and place an antenna on the antenna tower at the Donnell Hill Communications Site (Assessor’s Parcel Number 0617-031-10-0000) in Twentynine Palms (Premises), which is leased by the County under Lease Agreement No. 87-736 (Lease) with the Twentynine Palms Water District (TPWD). As part of that Lease, TPWD requested that the Innovation and Technology Department (ITD) provide sufficient space to accommodate the City’s equipment. Utility costs at the communications facility are shared between TPWD and ITD.
On April 27, 2010 (Item No. 69), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved License Agreement No. 10-240 with the City, for rack and antenna tower space, with an initial term from April 1, 2010 through June 30, 2014. Subsequently, on June 3, 2014 (Item No. 54), the Board approved License Agreement No. 14-421 for continued use of the Premises, with a five-year term from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2019. The Board approved an amendment to License Agreement No. 14-421 on June 25, 2019 (Item No. 42) to extend the terms from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024. The City remained in a permitted month-to-month occupancy from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026, due to timing associated with negotiations and administrative processing.
The recommended action will approve a new License Agreement with the City for the non-exclusive use of Rack and Antenna Space located at the Premises. The term of the License Agreement is from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031, including three additional five-year options to extend the term under the same terms and conditions.
The project to approve the License with Twentynine Palms was reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and determined to be categorically exempt under Section 15301 - Class 1 Existing Facilities because approval of a license for existing facilities is an exempt activity under CEQA. There is no possibility that the License of the Premises will have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, the activity is exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
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Summary of License Terms |
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Licensee: |
City of Twentynine Palms |
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Location: |
Donnell Hill Communications Site (Assessor’s Parcel Number: 0617-031-10-0000), in Twentynine Palms |
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Size: |
N/A |
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Term: |
Five years, July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031 |
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Options: |
Three five-year options to renew |
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Rent: |
Monthly: $416.42 |
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Annual: $4,997 |
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*Low-range for comparable facilities in the Twentynine Palms area per the competitive set analysis on file with RESD |
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Annual Increases: |
Approximately 3% rounded to the nearest whole dollar |
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Improvement Costs: |
Licensee’s responsibility |
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Custodial: |
Licensor’s responsibility |
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Maintenance: |
Licensor’s responsibility |
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Utilities: |
Shared between ITD and Twentynine Palms Water District |
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Insurance: |
The Certificate of Liability Insurance, as required by the License, is on file with RESD |
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Holdover: |
Upon the end of the term, if permitted by Licensor, the Licensee shall continue on a month-to-month term upon the same terms and conditions which existed at the time of expiration |
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Right to Terminate: |
Either party has the right to terminate with 60 days’ notice |
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Parking: |
None |
PROCUREMENT
The County can grant the license to the City upon a finding by the Board that the conveyance is in the public interest and that the interest in land conveyed will not substantially conflict or interfere with the use of the property by the County, in accordance with Government Code section 25526.6.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (John Tubbs II, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 21, 2026; Innovation and Technology Department (Don Le, Interim Chief Information Officer, 387-7906) on May 21, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on May 19, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Guy Martinez, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5428, and Eduardo Mora, Administrative Analyst, 387-4376) on June 4, 2026.
(CM: 840-266-0977)