DATE: April 22, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Melissa Cregan, Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures
SUBJECT: Delegate Authority to Execute Revenue Agreements for Fiscal Year 2025-26
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures to approve and execute routine revenue agreements on behalf of the County of Fresno for FY 2025-26, subject to approval as to legal form by County Counsel and approval as to accounting form by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, totaling approximately $3,751,300; and
2. Approve and authorize the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures to approve and execute amendments to these same revenue agreements on behalf of the County of Fresno, which may increase or decrease each agreement maximum by an amount not to exceed the greater of 15% of the agreement maximum or $10,000, subject to approval as to legal form by County Counsel and approval as to accounting form by the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the first recommended action will authorize the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner/-Sealer of Weights and Measures (Ag Commissioner) to approve and execute up to 22 routine revenue agreements on behalf of the County of Fresno for FY 2025-26.
Approval of the second recommended action will allow the Ag Commissioner, on behalf of the County of Fresno, to approve and execute amendments to address programmatic changes made after the agreements are executed. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board decides not to approve the recommended actions, the Department will bring each revenue agreement and associated amendments before your Board for consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will save administrative resources required to process designated agreements and amendments. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in the Department’s Org 4010 FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget request.
DISCUSSION:
The Ag Commissioner has historically sought out revenue sources to fund various activities of the Department, which typically require the County to enter into revenue agreements with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other governmental agencies.
Each year since 2012, the Board has authorized the Ag Commissioner to execute specific, routine revenue agreements, as well as the related amendments for increases or decreases in an amount not to exceed the greater of 15% of the agreement maximum or $10,000. In the interest of efficiency, approval of the recommended actions will authorize the Ag Commissioner to continue this practice for FY 2025-26 for the agreements listed below. All revenue agreements shall continue to be reviewed and approved by County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector.
1. Asian Citrus Psyllid Year-round Trapping: estimated $526,500 for year-round residential detection trapping of Asian Citrus Psyllid hosts. (Source: CDFA, based on Federal Fiscal Year)
2. Noxious Weed Program: estimated $50,000 for treatment and control of noxious and invasive, as well CDFA rated “A”, “Q” and regionally important “B” rated, weed species within Fresno County. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year, multi-year agreement expires December 2027)
3. Asian Citrus Psyllid Bulk Citrus Regulatory: estimated $125,000 for inspection of bulk citrus shipments for Asian Citrus Psyllid. (Source: CDFA, based on Federal Fiscal Year)
4. California Seed Law (MOU): estimated $12,000 for enforcement of California standards for labeling and cleanliness of agricultural seed sold. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
5. CCIA Seed Certification (MOU): estimated $1,500 allows the County to perform harvester inspections, and issue movement certificates for certified seed grown in the county. (Source: California Crop Improvement Association, based on State Fiscal Year)
6. Detector Dog Team Program: estimated $264,600 for the Dog Team Parcel Inspections Program. The Dog Team is used to detect the presence of unwanted plant pests in packages shipped through local parcel facilities. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
7. Certified Farmers Market Inspections: estimated $16,500 for certified farmers’ market and certified producer production site inspections performed in Fresno County. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
8. Navel and Valencia Inspections: estimated $75,000 for inspection and testing for maturity of navel oranges. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
9. European Grapevine Moth: estimated $220,000 for detection trapping of commercial vineyards throughout the county. Traps are placed throughout the County from March to August. (Source: CDFA, based on calendar year)
10. Detection Trapping: estimated $572,400 for an exotic pest trapping program to detect insect pests of economic concern before they become established in California. Insect traps are placed throughout the County from April to October to detect exotic insect pests. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
11. Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (GWSS) Program - Areawide: estimated $272,000 for detection trapping and delimitation surveys for GWSS in commercial citrus and grapes, grower reimbursement for treatments to commercial citrus made on behalf of the program. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
12. GWSS Survey/Trapping/Regulatory/Treatment: estimated $917,200 for detection trapping and delimitation surveys, nursery plant shipment inspections, and residential treatments to prevent the spread of GWSS. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
13. Industrial Hemp Cultivation Program: estimated $87,300 for the registration, public outreach, and enforcement of the program. (Source: CDFA, based on the State Fiscal Year, two-year agreement expires June 2026)
14. Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) Program: estimated $6,500 for surveys to detect CGMMV in fields with a history of positive CGMMV finds in seed and/or plant material. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
15. Nematode Control Program: estimated $1,400 for the certification and documentation of soil treatments for the Nematode Control Program in nursery stock plantings. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
16. Nursery Inspection Program: estimated $10,800 for annual nursery stock inspection and compliance assessment at producer/wholesale nursery locations within the County. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
17. Organic Inspections: estimated $9,000 to reimburse the Department for random onsite grower inspections and farmers’ market inspections, to ensure compliance with state organic law. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
18. High Risk Program: estimated $406,000 for destination inspections of shipments, such as fruit and foliage at freight terminals, to prevent introduction of pests of concern to California. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
19. Fuels, Lubricants and Automotive Products Program: estimated $18,300 for inspection of petroleum dispenser and gasoline price signs to determine compliance with regulatory requirements. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
20. Pink Bollworm Cotton Plowdown and Host-free Period Monitoring Program: estimated $10,000 for Cotton plowdown enforcement to eradicate Pink Bollworm Moth. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
21. Standardization Inspections: estimated $143,800 for inspection of fruits and vegetables for maturity, defects, and package labeling, to ensure state minimum standards. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
22. Weighmaster Program: estimated $5,500 for inspection of junk dealers and recyclers to help deter fraudulent transactions and decrease the sale of stolen metal property, and verify weight loads and certificate accuracy, which are used in purchase transactions. (Source: CDFA, based on State Fiscal Year)
Any revenue agreements not specified above, or any that may fall outside of the authority granted by your Board’s approval of the recommended actions, will be brought to your Board for consideration.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI# 35, April 9, 2024
CAO ANALYST:
Amy Ryals