For City Council Meeting [July 13, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Marcus Fuller, City Manager
FROM: Sean Grayson, Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council 1) Approve an Inter-Agency Instructional Services Agreement with the San Bernardino Community College District for Training and Instructional Services for a period of Three Years through June 30, 2024 and 2) Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Agreement.
Body
BACKGROUND
The Rialto Fire Department entered into an agreement for inter-agency instructional services with The Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) on August 10, 2015. The program has provided structured educational opportunities for fire department personnel utilizing a combination of community college instructional activities and fire department instructor led activities. The program has provided payment to the City from the RSCCD at an hourly rate for specified programs generating revenue to the City to offset the cost of fire department budgeted training. At the time that the City entered into the agreement with RSCCD there was no similar program in the local area. The San Bernardino Community College District through Crafton Hills College (CHC) now offers a comparable program and the fire department should transfer to this program for efficiency and continuity of regional community college services.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
On May 25, 2021 the City Council approved a bridge agreement with the RSCCD through August 10, 2021 to allow for the City to continue to receive reimbursement through that program while allowing for the transition to the CHC program. The CHC program is an equivalent to the RSCCD State Distance Education Program and will reimburse the City at a rate of $3.50 per instructional hour for qualifying courses. This reimbursement is for courses that are identified in Attachment 1 to the standard inter-agency instructional services agreement. These courses are taught by Rialto Fire personnel that are qualified instructors through CHC. Instruction is provided by on-duty instructors to on-duty fire department personnel. Reimbursable courses are generally continuing education for the fire service that would need to be provided by the fire department regardless of an agreement for reimbursement and there is no reimbursement for the instructors. The standard inter-agency instructional services agreement is attached and has a term of three years through June 30, 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The request is not a Project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. A “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. By definition, a Project does not include: The creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment according to Section 15378 (b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The City of Rialto General Plan establishes various guiding principles, goals, and objectives through which the City looks to improve the community and protect the quality of life for our residents. The proposed item supports the General Plan in the following areas:
5-3.1: Provide for fire personnel, equipment and fire stations to have adequate and appropriate resources to meet the needs and serve all areas of Rialto.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
Under the proposed Agreement, the City shall consider the funds received as compensation for services for educational and training related purposes as they relate to fire and public safety training programs, which will be recorded in Revenue Account No. 010-400-5151-7627.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There will be no impact to the Capital Improvement Budget for authorizing the proposed agreement.
Licensing
This action does not require a business license.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council
• Approve an Inter-Agency Instructional Services Agreement with the San Bernardino Community College District for Training and Instructional Services for a period of Three Years through June 30, 2024, and
• Authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement.