DATE: January 27, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Agreement with the City of Orange Cove for the Orange Cove Sheridan Park Improvements, Phase I (CDBG 25511)
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Agreement with the City of Orange Cove for the Orange Cove Sheridan Park Improvements, Phase I, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project No. 25511, which consists of the preparation of design plans and specifications for parking and ADA improvements in the existing Sheridan Park, effective upon execution through January 10, 2028, total CDBG funding amount not to exceed $50,000; and
2. Approve and authorize the Director of Public Works and Planning to evaluate and grant timeline extensions and scope modifications for completion of the Project, as requested by the City of Orange Cove, in compliance with the Federal CDBG regulations, and so long as the modifications do not change the fundamental nature of the Project.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will provide Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the Orange Cove Sheridan Park Improvements, Phase I (Project), included in the County’s 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan approved by your Board on August 5, 2025. The Project cost is estimated at $50,000. If additional funding is necessary to complete the Project by January 10, 2028, the City of Orange Cove (City) will provide a local financial contribution. This item pertains to a location in District 4.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may elect not to approve recommended action one and direct the City to propose a different eligible use for its CDBG funds. However, a different use would require an amendment to the 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan and may impact the County’s ability to meet its CDBG expenditure timelines, set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Your Board may also elect not to approve recommended action two, requiring any modifications to the timeline or scope to come to your Board for approval, resulting in delays to the Project. In such an event, the recommended agreement would need to be modified to delete those provisions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The total estimated Project cost is $50,000. CDBG funds in the amount of $50,000 are included in the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) - CDBG Org 7205 FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget. The County provides the funds on a reimbursement basis. The City shall provide any and all local financial contribution in excess of the CDBG funds that may be necessary to complete the Project.
DISCUSSION:
HUD annually allocates CDBG funding to the County using a formula based on census data for the County and its partner cities. Using the same formula, the County then reallocates a portion of the CDBG funds to its partner cities through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) for the purpose of carrying out housing and community development activities. The JPA permits the partner cities to select eligible projects for submission to the County for consideration. Under the JPA, the County is responsible for the overall administration of the CDBG Program and for the contract management of each project receiving CDBG funds. The recommended agreement contains a mutual indemnity clause consistent with the JPA. The JPA governing this Project was approved by the Board on August 8, 2023.
The Project, which was approved by your Board for inclusion in the 2025-26 Annual Action Plan, consists of the design and installation of parking and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements in the existing Sheridan Park, at 399 Second Street in the City of Orange Cove. Due to delays in HUD’s approval of the 2025-2026 Action Plan and extended review required under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the installation of parking and ADA improvements, the recommended agreement presented for Phase I only consists of the preparation of design plans and specifications, to allow the City to start design work in a timely manner. Phase II of the Project will consist of the installation of parking and ADA improvements in the existing Sheridan Park; staff will return with an agreement for Phase II as soon as possible following necessary approvals by HUD and completion of NEPA review.
Completion of the installation of the parking and ADA improvements in Phase II of the Project will satisfy HUD regulations that projects meet a national objective. The agreement includes a requirement that the City shall not receive CDBG project funding for other projects until an agreement is executed for the Orange Cove Sheridan Park Improvements, Phase II, or the Project is terminated at the City’s request. If the Project is terminated at the City’s request, the agreement requires the City to return to the County all CDBG funds paid by the County for the Project. Any CDBG funds not expended for design work covered by Phase I shall be made available to the City for use for construction activity in Phase II.
In addition to providing local funds in excess of the CDBG funds should it be necessary for the Project, the recommended agreement requires the City to prepare design plans and specifications that conform to Federal and State regulations governing Federally-assisted projects. The County agrees to review and approve the plans and specifications for compliance with Federal and State regulations.
CDBG regulations at 24 CFR 570.200(h) permit the City, as a subrecipient, to incur pre-award costs for the Project beginning with the start of the 2025-26 program year on July 1, 2025, and submit such costs for payment under the agreement. As the payment of such incurred costs is dependent on the approval of the agreement, any pre-award costs have been incurred by the City at its own risk.
Environmental Review No. CD25Soft was completed for HUD-funded County-wide soft costs for planning, environmental review, and design engineering for Public Facility and Infrastructure projects during the 2025-2029 program years, which includes this phase of the Project. These soft costs have been determined to be exempt per Section 58.34(a)(12) of the NEPA Guidelines because these activities meet the requirements for a categorical exclusion. The Project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines under Section 15301, Class 1 - Existing Facilities, Section 15303, Class 3 - New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures, and Section 15332, Class 32 - Infill Development. The City of Orange Cove completed the CEQA review and filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption with the Fresno County Clerk on February 21, 2024.
The Project is expected to be substantially completed by August 10, 2026, but, if approved, the recommended agreement shall remain in effect until January 10, 2028, to provide the City time to complete the planned Orange Cove Sheridan Park Improvements, Phase II project, which must be completed in order to meet the national objective requirement, per HUD regulations. In the event the City requires additional time to complete the Project for a reason beyond the control of either party to the agreement, your Board’s approval of the recommended agreement and recommended action two authorize the Director of the Department to grant such an extension. In the event the City requests to modify the scope of the Project, your Board’s approval of the agreement and recommended actions authorize the Director of the Department to grant such a modification, so long as the modification complies with the Federal CDBG regulations and does not change the fundamental nature of the Project.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #16, August 5, 2025
BAI #40, August 8, 2023
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
On file with Clerk - Agreement with City of Orange Cove
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully