DATE: October 31, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Les Wright, Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures
SUBJECT: Revenue Agreement for the Cotton Plowdown and Monitoring Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize Chairman to execute a Revenue Agreement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture for the Cotton Plowdown and Monitoring Program effective November 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018 ($6,677).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the County to enter into an agreement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to reimburse the Department’s costs for cotton plowdown enforcement activities to support the pink bollworm eradication program.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Department will not receive funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for this mandated inspection program, which may impact net County cost.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in net County cost associated with the recommended action. Fresno County will receive approximately $6,677 in revenue from CDFA to fund this mandated program. The estimated revenues and appropriations to fund the full cost of the program are included in the FY2017-18 Adopted Budget for Department of Agriculture Org. 40101003.
DISCUSSION:
Pink bollworm is a pest that destroys cotton by burrowing inside unopened bolls. This type of larval damage prevents the cotton lint from developing correctly. These larvae can overwinter in the stalks of cotton plants. In order to have a host free period, cotton must be plowed down by December 20th (south of Shields Avenue) or December 31st (north of Shields Avenue); and planting cannot begin until March 10th of the following year. Each County’s Department of Agriculture inspects all cotton fields grown in their areas across the state for compliance with the host free period. The California Food and Agricultural Code and the California Code of Regulations require that the Agricultural Commissioner enforce host-free period and plowdown regulations.
On April 25, 2017, your Board authorized the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures to execute specific revenue agreements for FY 2017-18, which included the cotton plowdown monitoring program. A provision was included within that agenda item stating that the Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures may execute these agreements as long as they are within 15 percent of the Department’s estimations. At that time, the Department estimated $5,200 in revenues for this program. The actual amount approved by the CDFA ($6,677) is outside the 15 percent allowance; therefore, this Agreement is brought before your Board individually for approval. The increased amount is due to an increase in the planted acres of cotton in 2017.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #36, April 25, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander