DATE: July 8, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Amendment II to Agreement with Fresno City & County Historical Society
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute retroactive Amendment II to Agreement No. 18-538 with the Fresno City & County Historical Society (Historical Society) for operation and maintenance of the Kearney Mansion Museum Complex, which increases the annual compensation from $19,325 to $31,571, allows the Historical Society to host one event free of event compensation to the County, and provides four days of discounted tours to the public, effective upon execution with a change in current term by extending two additional years with an option to extend an additional five-year term to June 30, 2035, and increasing the maximum by $257,735 to a total of $452,154.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will amend the agreement with Historical Society to increase the maximum annual compensation, adjust and increase the term of the agreement to align with the County’s budget cycle and include an option to extend for five additional years, and incorporate financial clarifications and new one-day event provisions. This item pertains to a location in District 1.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may opt to not approve the recommend actions; however, current annual amounts are not sufficient to cover the increase in costs associated with maintaining the facility.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
Due to the length of time required to finalize contract negotiations, the recommended amendment is retroactive to July 1, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Sufficient appropriations and revenues will be included in the Interest and Miscellaneous Expenditures Org 2540 ($24,746) and Department of Public Works and Planning - Parks and Grounds Org
7910 ($6,825) FY 2025-26 Recommended Budgets and will be included in budget requests for subsequent years.
DISCUSSION:
The County leases and operates Kearney Park, which is owned by the Regents of the University of California. The no-cost 78-year amended lease will expire in February 2027. The Kearney Mansion Museum Complex is located at 7160 West Kearney Boulevard inside Kearney Park. The Historical Society began partnering with the County in 1962 to care for the Kearney Mansion Museum Complex, twelve years after the County began operating the Kearney estate grounds as a public park. The Historical Society assumed the administration of the Kearney Superintendent’s Lodge as a historic site museum and responsibility for the Servants’ quarters, Carriage House, and Ice House, which comprise the Kearney Mansion Museum Complex. The Historical Society is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the interior and exterior of the Kearney Mansion Museum Complex, except those services deemed the responsibility of the County.
On September 11, 2018, the Board approved an agreement to continue to allow the Historical Society to maintain, develop, enhance, and operate the Kearney Mansion Museum Complex as a historical museum for the benefit of the citizens of Fresno County.
On December 9, 2019, the Board approved the first amendment to the agreement to increase the agreement maximum by $6,000 to a total of $199,250 to account for an increase in contributions to the organization.
Approval of the recommended action will increase the maximum annual compensation from $19,325 to $31,571, effective July 1, 2025, with the total agreement maximum not exceeding $452,154. The current agreement has a term beginning September 11, 2018, through September 30, 2024, with an option to extend through September 30, 2028. The recommended amendment will retain the original start date of September 11, 2018, and will extend the current term through June 30, 2030. It will also revise the renewal period to a five-year extension from July 1, 2030 through June 30, 2035. Due to the change in the fiscal year structure, a credit of $4,831 will be applied to account for previously paid annual compensation covering the period of July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2025. Additionally, the recommended amendment will incorporate financial clarifications pertaining to events and will allow for one annual free one-day event per calendar year to be hosted by the Historical Society. The recommended amendment provides that the Historical Society will provide four days of discounted tours to the public if it requests and receives approval from the County to hold a free one-day event.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #32, December 10, 2019
BAI #53, September 11, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Amendment II to Agreement 18-538
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia