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Board approves consent items after discussion on several pulled contracts and policies; votes at a glance
Summary
The board approved a batch of consent items after supervisors pulled and discussed a set of items including naming-rights policy, patient-rights services, procurement for labor counsel, high-voltage electrical services, home-visitation funding and pharmacy services. Several supervisors recused or registered opposition on particular items.
Fresno County’s Board of Supervisors approved a set of consent agenda items on Jan. 28 after members pulled nine items for discussion.
The pulled items included a proposed county policy on naming rights for eligible county facilities, amendments and contracts in behavioral health and public health, a suspension of competitive bidding for specialized labor counsel, a contract for high-voltage electrical services and other vendor renewals. Supervisors asked questions about procurement, local vendor participation, program details and contract language before voting.
Votes at a glance (selected pulled consent items):
- Item 26 — Administrative policy 48.0.1 (naming rights for eligible county facilities): Approved. Board directed staff to proceed with competitive process described in policy to solicit naming-rights contributions and awards.
- Item 34 — Third amendment to Agreement No. 23-284 with Mental Health Systems (increase housing support funds): Approved (see separate article for detailed debate on fee-for-service rate language).
- Item 38 — Agreement with Kings View for Patients’ Rights Advocate services (state-required under Welfare and Institutions Code, Lanterman-Petris-Short): Approved. Staff said the program provides advisement, representation at fair hearings and investigations of alleged rights violations for persons in LPS-designated facilities and emergency departments.
- Item 42 — Suspension of competitive bidding and authorization to contract with Liebert Cassidy (labor counsel services) under unusual/extraordinary circumstances: Approved. County counsel explained the use of outside labor counsel is largely workload-driven and provides access to specialized practice-area resources.
- Item 46 — Agreement with Electric Power Systems International for high-voltage electrical repair, maintenance, inspection and certification: Approved. Staff said the vendor maintains a local branch and can meet required rapid response times for high-voltage emergencies above 480 volts.
- Item 48 — Countywide agreement with Pacific Publishing Group: Approved; Supervisor Magsig recused from items where he cited the Levine Act when necessary.
- Item 51 — Agreement with California Department of Public Health (SARS-CoV-2 sequencing): Approved with modification (board required reciprocal indemnity language; see separate article for details).
- Item 52 — Home Visitation Network (HVN) program agreement to support maternal/child visits and community partner training: Approved. Supervisors asked about program components that address implicit bias and cultural competency; staff said training aims to reduce disparities in maternal outcomes by addressing implicit bias, cultural competency and bilingual service delivery.
- Item 54 — Agreement with Diamond Drugs, Inc. (pharmacy services for tuberculosis clinic and related needs): Approved. Staff said Diamond Drugs was a long-term vendor and offers credit/return practices for expiring stock; purchasing will review an apparent email-delivery issue that may have affected vendor outreach.
- Item 58 — Agreement with Stearns, Conrad and Schmidt (waste-management/countywide plan consulting): Approved. Supervisors discussed SB 1383 compliance, future fleet/zero-emission requirements, and that mandates could trigger Prop. 218 processes if fees become mandatory rather than voluntary.
Recusals and notable votes: Supervisor Magsig recused himself from two items citing the Levine Act. On several items the board recorded no opposition; a few items had individual dissenting votes recorded in the transcript but motions carried overall.
Why it matters: The pulled items involved procurement and programmatic details for county services ranging from behavioral and public health to utilities and facilities. Supervisors used the consent discussion to press for clearer contract language, local vendor participation and program clarifications.
Next steps: Several staff members said they would update contract language, consult purchasing on vendor-notice processes and return with clarifying materials as requested by the board.
