DATE: June 10, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: John Zanoni, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
SUBJECT: Retroactive Revenue Agreement with the City of Fowler for Dispatching Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Retroactive Revenue Agreement with the City of Fowler (Year One $125,571, total $766,621) to provide law enforcement communication dispatching services, effective July 1, 2024, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base term and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $766,621.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Sheriff’s Office to continue providing communication dispatching services for the City of Fowler. This item pertains to a location in District 4.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. Approval of the recommended action is necessary for the Sheriff’s Office to continue to provide dispatching services to the City of Fowler, and charge for those services at the current Board-approved Master Schedule of Fees (MSF) rate.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended agreement is retroactive due to the length of time required for negotiation and approval of the recommended agreement by the City of Fowler. The City of Fowler approved the recommended agreement on May 6, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended agreement for the City of Fowler. The recommended agreement will provide up to $125,571 in revenue from the City of Fowler within Fresno County for communication dispatching services at $16.35 per capita from July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 (based on the FY 2023-24 rates approved by your Board on November 28, 2023) and the rate of $17.74 per capita from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025 (based on the FY 2024-25 rates approved by your Board on December 3, 2024).
Payment Schedule - July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 for 6 months (FY 2023-24 approved Board rates on November 28, 2023)
City Population Rate Monthly Rate Total
Fowler 7367 $16.35 $10,037.54 $60,225.24
Payment Schedule - January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 for 6 months (FY 2024-25 approved Board rates on December 3, 2024)
City Population Rate Monthly Rate Total
Fowler 7367 $17.74 $10,890.88 $65,345.28
Total $125,571*
The recommended revenue agreement will be effective for five consecutive years, which may increase an estimated 10% each fiscal year beginning FY 2025-26 as follows:
• FY 2024-25 $125,571
• FY 2025-26 $138,128
• FY 2026-27 $151,940
o Subtotal three-year base term $415,640
• FY 2027-28 $167,134
• FY 2028-29 $183,848
o Estimated overall total $766,621*
*Total numbers may be slightly off due to rounding.
Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues for the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Org 3111 will also be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The County of Fresno, through its Sheriff’s Office, has been contracting with the City of Fowler and City of Kerman since 1988, City of Kingsburg since 2016, City of Orange Cove since 2013 and City of Sanger since 2010 to provide communication dispatching services. On December 17, 2024, your Board approved Retroactive Revenue Agreements with the Cities of Kerman, Kingsburg, Orange Cove and Sanger for dispatching services. The recommended agreement with the City of Fowler was not brought before your Board at that time due to pending City Council review and approval of the agreement.
The recommended action establishes the cost recovery rates of $16.35 per capita from July 1, 2024 through December 30, 2024 approved by your Board on November 28, 2023 and the cost recovery rates of $17.74 per capita from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025 approved by your Board on December 3, 2024 for the recommended agreement with the City of Fowler for dispatching services. However, the recommended agreement provides that if MSF rates increase or change during the term of the recommended agreement, the updated rates will automatically apply to the services provided when those updated rates are effective. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center is the critical link between the community and patrol units in the field to provide professional and courteous dispatching services for the Sheriff’s Office. The center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement dispatching services, as well as emergency 911 services and non-emergency services not only for the citizens of Fresno County, by also for six cities within Fresno County. The cities include Sanger, Kerman, Kingsburg, Mendota, Orange Cove, and Fowler.
The recommended agreement contains a mutual indemnification clause, which is common in the County’s agreements with other public agencies. However, the Sheriff’s Office believes that the benefits associated with entering into the recommended agreement outweigh any potential risks, as a prudent business decision. The recommended agreement has no insurance requirements, as the County will be the provider of the services. The recommended agreement also has no Self-Dealing Disclosure requirement, as this is an agreement with a city, not a corporation, so that requirement is inapplicable.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #26, December 17, 2024
BAI #34, December 3, 2024
BAI #37, November 28, 2023
BAI #20, May 12, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with City of Fowler
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai