DATE: March 17, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Adopt FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Improvement Projects Ranking Order, Amend FY 2025-26 Action Plan, and Agreement with Fresno County Fire Protection District for the Station 94 Water Tender (CDBG 25731)
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Adopt FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order; and
2. Amend FY 2025-26 Action Plan to revise project funding levels and outcomes, and add three projects to the FY 2025-26 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order; and
3. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with the Fresno County Fire Protection District for the Station 94 Water Tender, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project No. 25731, which consists of procuring a new, fully equipped water tender to be stationed at Harris Ranch Station 94, effective upon execution through November 10, 2027, total CDBG funding amount not to exceed $300,000; and
4. 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 Fresno County Fire Protection District, in compliance with the Federal CDBG Regulations, and so long as the modifications do not change the fundamental nature of the Project; and
5. Amend FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order to delete the Station 94 Water Tender; and
6. Amend FY 2025-26 Action Plan to add three projects to the FY 2025-26 City Activities list and revise existing funding levels.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the first recommended action will adopt the FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order, for inclusion in the FY 2026-27 Action Plan, which will be presented to your Board at a later date.
Approval of the second through fifth recommended actions, collectively, will provide CDBG funding in the amount of $300,000 for the Fresno County Fire Protection District for the Station 94 Water Tender, CDBG Project No. 25731 (Project), and associated actions necessary to move this project from the FY 2026-27 program year to the FY 2025-26 program year.
Approval of the sixth recommended action will add the three new projects submitted by participating cities for FY 2026-27 to the FY 2025-26 Action Plan to allow those cities to begin preliminary design engineering prior to the approval of the FY 2026-27 Action Plan. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The recommended actions are needed to allow for the funding of the Project from the FY 2025-26 Action Plan, and several recommended actions are contingent upon approval of other actions. The Project is being proposed for inclusion in the FY 2025-26 Action Plan due to a mid-year program review which determined that a project identified in the FY 2025-26 Action Plan will not require the full amount of funding allocated to that project.
The first, second, and fifth recommended actions are procedural actions needed to allow for the approval of the third and fourth recommended actions. Should your Board choose not to approve the third recommended action, these actions should not be approved.
Your Board may choose not to approve the third recommended action and direct Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) staff to identify a different use for the identified CDBG funds which will not be used in FY 2025-26. Rejection of the third recommended action may impact the County’s ability to meet its CDBG expenditure timelines set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It should be noted that there are currently no additional projects remaining on the FY 2025-26 Unincorporated Area CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order to utilize CDBG funds.
Your Board may also elect not to approve the fourth recommended action, in which event any modifications to the timeline or scope would need 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.
Your Board may choose not to approve the sixth recommended action, which would prevent the Cities of Kerman, Orange Cove, and Sanger from beginning the design engineering of their new CDBG projects submitted for funding in FY 2026-27 until after the 2026-27 Action Plan is approved. Rejection of the sixth recommended action may impact the County’s ability to meet its CDBG expenditure timelines set by HUD.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The total estimated Project cost is $615,383, with a total CDBG funding amount of $300,000. CDBG funds in the amount of $300,000 are included in the Department of Public Works and Planning - Community Development Block Grant Org 7205, FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget. CDBG funds are provided on a reimbursement basis. If all CDBG funds for the Project are not distributed during FY 2025-26, sufficient appropriations will be included in future budgets to fully fund the CDBG portion of the Project. The District will provide a local financial contribution of $315,383 in excess of the CDBG funds necessary to complete the Project.
DISCUSSION:
On August 5, 2025, the Board approved the FY 2025-26 Unincorporated Area CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order as part of the FY 2025-26 Annual Action Plan. The FY 2025-26 Action Plan also identified the CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure (Unincorporated) and CDBG Housing Rehabilitation projects in Section AP-38. A mid-year review of the CDBG program determined that the CDBG Housing Rehabilitation project will not require the full amount of funding allocated in the FY 2025-26 Action Plan.
On October 15, 2025, the Housing and Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) reviewed applications received for CDBG in the FY 2026-27 Action Plan. On November 19, 2025, the CAC voted to recommend approval of Exhibit A - FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order.
If approved, the first and second recommended actions will adopt the FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order list, amend the FY 2025-26 Action Plan to reallocate CDBG project funding from the CDBG Housing Rehabilitation project to the CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure (Unincorporated) project, and add the three highest ranked projects from the FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order to the end of the FY 2025-26 Unincorporated Area CDBG Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order listed in the appendix of the FY 2025-26 Action Plan. The addition of these projects to the FY 2025-26 Action Plan is considered a substantial amendment and requires a noticed public meeting. Notice of today’s meeting was published in the Business Journal on February 13, 2026. Revisions to the FY 2025-26 Action Plan are shown on Exhibit B - Substantial Amendment to FY 2025-26 Annual Action Plan and include changes to project funding levels and project outcomes in Sections AP-20, AP-38, and AP-55.
If approved, the third recommended action will provide CDBG funding for the Project. The Project consists of procuring a new, fully equipped water tender to be stationed at Harris Ranch Station 94. Its addition to the fleet will significantly enhance mobile water delivery capabilities in a drought impacted area that continues to face heightened wildfire risks, limited natural water availability, and minimal municipal water delivery infrastructure or fire hydrants. The Project will enhance public safety for residents in Cantua Creek, Five Points, Helm, and the Three Rocks areas.
The recommended agreement requires the District to prepare procurement documents that conform to Federal and State regulations governing Federally-assisted projects. The District will also be responsible for advertising and awarding the Project to the lowest responsible bidder. The County agrees to review and approve the procurement documents for compliance with Federal and State regulations prior to the District advertising the Project for bid. The District agrees to maintain the Project after Project completion.
The Project is expected to be completed by December 10, 2027. In the event the District 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 fourth recommended action authorizes the Director of the Department to grant such an extension. In the event the District requests to modify the scope of the Project, your Board’s approval of the agreement and fourth recommended action authorizes 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.
The County has determined that the Project is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Protection Act.
If approved, the fifth recommended action will amend the FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order adopted by the first recommended action to delete the Station 94 Water Tender from the adopted funding list, as the second and third recommended actions will have fully funded the Project in the FY 2025-26 Action Plan. The other two projects added to the FY 2025-26 Unincorporated Area list will remain on the FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area list, as those projects will not be fully funded with current FY 2025-26 appropriations.
If approved, the sixth recommended action will add the three new projects submitted by the Cities of Kerman, Orange Cove, and Sanger for FY 2026-27 to the FY 2025-26 Action Plan, which will allow the start of design engineering work on these projects prior to the approval of the 2026-27 Action Plan. This recommended action will also revise the funding levels for the listed Selma projects to reflect Amendment II to the Selma Sidewalk Connectivity, Phase III project, approved by the Board on December 9, 2025, and allocate funding for the Selma Sidewalk Connectivity, Phase IV project to allow the start of design engineering work on this project prior to the approval of the 2026-27 Action Plan. Separate phased agreements will be presented to your Board in the second quarter of 2026 for these activities, if this action is approved. The Department has been implementing phased design engineering to expedite the design and overall project completion of CDBG projects to better comply with HUD’s expenditure requirements.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #84, December 9, 2025
BAI #16, August 5, 2025
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
Exhibit A - FY 2026-27 Unincorporated Area Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvement Projects Ranking Order
Exhibit B - Substantial Amendment to FY 2025-26 Annual Action Plan
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Fresno County Fire Protection District (CDBG 25731)
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully