To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sheriff’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jeff Bean, 565-2003
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Agreement to Provide Law Enforcement Services at Lake Sonoma
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Sheriff to execute an Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allowing the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit to be reimbursed up to $281,903 for providing law enforcement services on Lake Sonoma for the term May 9, 2025, through September 28, 2025. The Agreement helps to ensure greater public safety during the busy summer season at Lake Sonoma. (Majority Vote)
B) Adopt a Resolution delegating authority to the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner to execute revenue generating agreements with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for Law Enforcement Services provided at Lake Sonoma in the Warm Springs Dam Recreation Area. (Majority Vote)
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Executive Summary:
A. The Sheriff’s Office is requesting the Board’s approval to ratify an Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allowing the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit to be reimbursed up to $281,903 for providing law enforcement services on Lake Sonoma for the term May 9, 2025, through September 28, 2025. The Agreement helps to ensure greater public safety during the busy summer season at Lake Sonoma.
B. The Sheriff’s Office is also requesting the adoption of a resolution delegating the authority to the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner, in consultation with County Counsel, to enter into annual agreements with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for the provision of law enforcement services at Lake Sonoma in order to streamline routine administrative procedures in line with the Board’s Strategic Plan.
Discussion:
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit maintains primary law enforcement jurisdiction over Sonoma County’s waterways. Since Lake Sonoma opened in 1985, the Marine Unit has provided a baseline level of service for the Warm Springs Dam area. Of all the County waterways, it is the busiest, with the most calls for service, the most accidents, and the most law enforcement contacts.
Also, since 1985, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has contracted with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and provided reimbursement for a portion of the law enforcement services provided on Lake Sonoma during the busy summer months. The first eight weeks of the agreement fall in FY 24-25 and represents 7.3% of the adopted FY 24-25 Marine Unit budget. The remaining 12 weeks of the agreement occur in FY 25-26 and represent 11.2% of the requested FY 25-26 Marine Unit budget. In addition to the reimbursement provided in the contract, Army Corps also provides the Marine Unit with an office at Lake Sonoma to use as a substation, a storage container, and docking spaces on the Lake for the Unit’s vessels and personal watercrafts. The zero-cost property license was renewed August 1, 2020, for a term of five years.
Under the annual contract, the Sheriff’s Office provides patrol coverage and responds to calls on-site at Lake Sonoma during Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays of the peak recreational season (mid-May through late September.) Additionally, the Unit responds to after-hours callouts for
stranded boaters or accidents and is reimbursed for estimated overtime hours. The Marine Unit Sergeant provides staff supervision. The Sheriff’s Office is reimbursed for approximately 8.3 hours per week for the 20-week contract for the Sergeant’s time. Additional reimbursable expenses include the daily cost of two patrol vehicles, mileage, and Sheriff’s Office overhead.
The amount available this season for reimbursement to the County for the provision of law enforcement services is $281,903. Contracted services are reimbursed at full cost. Reimbursement revenue and corresponding expenditures are included in the Sheriff’s Office adopted FY 24-25 and recommended FY 25-26 budgets.
The Sheriff’s Office is the law enforcement agency responsible for monitoring and responding to calls for service on all waterways in Sonoma County, whether it receives reimbursement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or not. If the contract is not approved, the County will forego funding reimbursement up to $281,903 for the provisions of law enforcement services at Warm Springs Dam Lake Sonoma.
The Sheriff’s Office is seeking delegated authority to enter into this routine annual agreement with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to streamline administrative procedures and workflows in line with the Board’s Strategic Plan. Reimbursement revenue and corresponding expenditures will be included during the regular budget planning process as indicated above. If delegated authority to enter into these annual agreements is not approved, staff will continue to prepare annual Board Items and subsequent documentation for Board approval of these revenue generating agreements which help offset the expenses incurred providing services.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
Law enforcement agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been approved annually since 1985, most recently on May 21, 2024.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$259,102 |
$174,088 |
$200,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$259,102 |
$174,088 |
$200,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$259,102 |
$174,088 |
$200,000 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$259,102 |
$174,088 |
$200,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The agreement with USACE for the summer months spans two fiscal periods. The contract will reimburse actual expenditures up to $281,903 for the Summer 2025 contract. An estimated $107,815 will be expended in FY 24-25 in addition to the $151,287 from the Summer 2024 contract. The remaining $174,088 in revenue and expenditures is included in the Sheriff’s Office FY 25-26 recommended budget.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1. W912P725PA002 - USACE Lake Sonoma 2025 Summer Season Agreement - DRAFT
2. USACE Lake Sonoma Law Enforcement Services Delegated Authority Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A