DATE: November 17, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Agreement with Homebase
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with Homebase as the vendor is uniquely qualified to provide consulting and support services to the County as the Collaborative Applicant for the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to amend, restate, replace, and supersede Purchasing Agreement No. P-25-558 with Homebase for $199,999 retroactive to the Purchasing Agreement effective date of December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2030, increasing the maximum compensation by $1,350,001 to $1,550,000.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will waive the competitive bid process and convert Purchasing Agreement No. P-25-558 with Homebase to provide technical assistance and consultation services to the County in its role as the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) Collaborative Applicant. This item is countywide and includes Madera County.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board elect not to approve the recommended actions, the County would have a break in technical assistance and consultation services, leaving the County and the FMCoC without the critical support needed to ensure successful oversight of the FMCoC and compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development (HUD), potentially jeopardizing future homelessness funding for the community.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under Administrative Policy No. 34 (AP 34) that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as Homebase is uniquely qualified to provide immediate, effective consultation and support to the County as they have been doing for more than five years with the current and previous Collaborative Applicants. The General Services Department - Purchasing Division concurs with this recommendation.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended Agreement is retroactive to December 1, 2025, as it replaces and supersedes the Purchasing Agreement. However, it includes language acknowledging payments already made through July 2026, to account for past expenditures in the new budget.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum cost of the recommended Agreement ($1,550,000) will be fully offset with existing HUD Collaborative Applicant Grant funding. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Office of Housing and Homelessness’ (OHH) Org 5428 FY 26-27 Adopted Budget. The anticipated funding committed from August 1, 2026 through November 17, 2026 is estimated at $120,000.
DISCUSSION:
On April 22, 2025, your Board adopted a resolution authorizing the County to serve as the Collaborative Applicant on behalf of the FMCoC. On May 8, 2025, the FMCoC designated the County as the Collaborative Applicant effective December 1, 2025. As the Collaborative Applicant, the County carries out the administrative functions of the FMCoC, including managing the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process for HUD CoC program funding and overseeing the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of individuals experiencing homelessness in Fresno and Madera counties.
The HUD CoC program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness by providing funding for efforts by nonprofit service providers and local governments and promoting access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Collaborative Applicant is the entity the CoC designates to submit the annual CoC Program Competition application and apply for planning funds on its behalf. Although the FMCoC is required to designate a Collaborative Applicant to submit a CoC Program funding application, it retains the responsibility for the application, including approving it for submission.
To ensure a smooth transition and effective implementation of these new responsibilities, the County entered into a Purchasing Agreement with Homebase to provide guidance and oversight during this period. Services included, but were not limited to, supporting the CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity and CoC Builds competition processes, system support, and compliance with HUD regulations.
On January 6, 2026, your Board approved the agreement with HUD to allow the County Administrative Office to accept the FY 2024CoC planning grant from HUD to support Collaborative Applicant administrative and oversight functions on behalf of the FMCoC for an array of services for people experiencing homelessness in Fresno and Madera counties.
Approval of the recommended actions will enable the Department to continue its work with Homebase without interruption, ensuring a successful transition and critical support to the CoC and its partners.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #26, January 6, 2026
BAI #9, April 22, 2025
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Homebase
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully