Board Actions, Oct. 6 – Welcome to San Bernardino County

"San Bernardino County Update", yellow arrowhead and "SBCounty.gov

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Meeting Actions banner with the county shield emblem, displaying five supervisors in professional suits, smiling in front of a backdrop featuring the San Bernardino County Government Center building with palm trees. — *The Board of Supervisors took several actions during its regular board meeting on Oct. 6.*

District Specific Priorities Program supports senior housing, holiday assistance and veterans

The Board of Supervisors approved approximately $2.1 million in District Specific Priorities Program funding for senior housing, holiday assistance for underserved communities and services for veterans.

$2 million from First District Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (Ret.)’s District Specific Priorities Program for the Adelanto Senior Housing Project, which will provide 92 homes for seniors, expanding senior housing availability in the High Desert.
$120,000 from Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez’s District Specific Priorities Program to the San Bernardino County Human Services Group for community outreach and assistance programs during the holiday season, including free hams and turkeys for underserved communities.
$10,000 from Armendarez’s District Specific Priorities Program and Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman’s District Specific Priorities Program to Upland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10489 for equipment, outreach materials, veteran and community programs, and other needs associated with its new location.

Affordable housing funding increases by more than $5.2 million

The San Bernardino County Community Development and Housing Department received approval to accept approximately $5.2 million in additional Permanent Local Housing Allocation funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, increasing the county’s total award to approximately $20 million through June 2030.

The funding will support affordable rental housing for households generally earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. Eligible uses include gap financing and operating reserves for affordable multifamily housing, acquisition and rehabilitation of vacant or foreclosed homes and apartments, and investments in affordable housing projects within cities.

By expanding resources to create and preserve affordable housing, the county is advancing the housing and wellness goals of the Countywide Vision.

Head Start services expand to Trona

The board approved a $960,000 contract with Trona Joint Unified School District to provide Head Start Preschool services in the Trona community through June 2030.

Head Start provides education, health, nutrition, parent involvement and other family services for young children. The partnership expands access to early childhood education and family support in a remote area where qualified providers and suitable facilities are limited.

Food assistance for preschool families

The San Bernardino County Preschool Services Department received approval to partner with Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County to provide free food to families with children enrolled in Early Head Start, Head Start Preschool and State Preschool programs through October 2031.

Community Action Partnership will provide food monthly, while Preschool Services will coordinate storage and distribution to eligible families. Preschool Services directly serves over 2,000 children countywide.

By helping families access nutritious food while supporting young children’s health and development, the county is working to achieve the health and Cradle-to-Career goals of the Countywide Vision.

Diaper donation supports families with young children

The board accepted a donation of diapers valued at approximately $7,200 from Baby2Baby for San Bernardino County Public Health Department’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program.

The diapers will be distributed to eligible families participating in maternal and child health programs, which provide health education, resources and assistance through community health workers. The department expects the donation to benefit approximately 480 families.

State funding supports faster ballot processing and voter outreach

The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters received approval to accept approximately $1.5 million in funding from the California Department of Finance to expedite vote counting and expand voter outreach and education for the Nov. 3 General Election.

Funding will support additional ballot extraction machines, a 24-hour extraction shift, staffing during high-volume periods, expanded automated signature verification capacity and improvements to ballot tracking and processing.

This funding helps to achieve the Countywide Vision by improving election administration and providing voters with timely information about their voting options.

Glen Helen helitanker station strengthens aerial wildfire response

The board approved $684,000 for a permanent wildland firefighting helitanker station at Glen Helen Regional Park. The county’s Wildfire Prevention Preserve will fund the project. Construction is anticipated to begin this fall and be completed by summer 2027.

The station will provide a dedicated water supply and filling location where firefighting helitankers can refill their onboard tanks within minutes, reducing turnaround time between water drops and allowing aircraft to return more quickly to wildfire suppression operations.

Grant supports impaired-driving prosecution

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office received approval for an $830,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to continue the Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driver Vertical Prosecution Program through September 2027.

The program allows prosecutors to handle alcohol- and drug-impaired driving cases throughout the criminal process, from initial review through prosecution and sentencing.

Coordinated enforcement and prosecution efforts help to reduce impaired-driving deaths and injuries and support the Countywide Vision’s public safety goals.

Detector Dog Team continues agricultural pest inspections

The board approved an agreement providing the San Bernardino County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures up to approximately $207,000 from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to continue the county’s Detector Dog Team Program through June 2027.

The Detector Dog Team consists of a specially trained dog and handler who inspect packages at shipping centers for plant material that could carry harmful pests or diseases into California. When the dog alerts its handler to a suspicious package, the package is opened and inspected and, if necessary, samples are sent to a state laboratory for identification.

The inspections help prevent the spread of invasive pests and plant diseases that could threaten California’s environment and agricultural industry. San Bernardino County has participated in the state-funded program since 2006.

County libraries to serve as community resource centers during power shutoffs

San Bernardino County Library received approval for a five-year agreement with Southern California Edison allowing 14 designated library locations to serve as Community Resource Centers during public safety power shutoffs and other qualifying public safety events.

During an activation, residents will be able to access charging stations for personal electronic devices, outage information, water and snacks, climate-controlled indoor space, internet access and other support resources. Participating branches include Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Bloomington, Crestline, Lucerne Valley, Mentone, Needles, Phelan, Running Springs, Trona, Twentynine Palms and Wrightwood.

By expanding access to essential resources during power shutoffs and other emergencies, the county is advancing the public safety and emergency preparedness goals of the Countywide Vision.

Road maintenance districts update

The board began the process to dissolve County Service Area 70 road districts serving Landers, Flamingo Heights, Yucca Mesa West and Yucca Mesa East and scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 17.

The districts were created to fund road maintenance and dirt-road grading through annual property-related charges. The charges, which range from $15 to $35 per parcel, have remained unchanged for decades. As costs have increased, existing revenues have become insufficient to provide the level of road maintenance and grading the districts were created to provide.

Property owners in Flamingo Heights, Landers, Yucca Mesa West and Yucca Mesa East rejected proposed increases to those charges in recent elections.

If the four districts are dissolved, the annual property-related charges will end. Any remaining district funds will first be used to cover administrative and dissolution costs, with services continuing until the remaining funds are depleted.

Property owners in the four districts will receive mailed ballot notices of the Nov. 17 hearing, when the board will hear public comment before considering whether to dissolve the districts.

Additional County Update News – October 8, 2026