San Bernardino, CA — The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 5 advanced a broad slate of infrastructure investments and initiatives aimed at improving public services, community health and local governance.
A highlight of the session was the success of the pilot Spark Summer Youth Employment Program, which provided paid internships for 132 young people, including foster youth, across 29 county departments.
“What’s cool is at the end of the program, we still had 129 of them complete it,” said Chief Executive Officer Luther Snoke, noting that 20 participants, including eight foster youth, are now being onboarded as county employees.
“This was money very well spent,” he added, referencing the $410,000 approved by the Board.
Snoke said the program directly supports vulnerable populations.
“Data shows that about one in three to one in four [foster youth] experience homelessness at some point in their life,” Snoke said. “So giving them opportunities to participate in employment with the county gives them a huge leg up.”
Supervisor Jesse Armendarez, whose office helped develop the pilot, expressed strong support for expanding it.
“This is the beginning for what we’re trying to do with foster youth,” he said. “This was a labor of love for us. This is one way that I felt we could really address our homeless issue.”
The board moved forward on multiple infrastructure-related initiatives, including a $1.5 million state-funded sewer expansion project in Bloomington.
Vice Chair Joe Baca Jr. said the effort “will potentially add sewer access to 350 acres of land in the city of San Bernardino.”
“This could address the septic sewer issue in our unincorporated area,” he said.
The board also approved $267,000 to add swings to Ayala Park in Bloomington.
“This was requested by the community,” Baca said. “We’re trying to address the needs based on the request of the community”.
Addressing ongoing maintenance concerns, the board approved interagency agreements with the City of San Bernardino for joint street maintenance and flood control channel management.
Baca noted that many unincorporated areas overlap with city boundaries, complicating upkeep.
“This is a great cooperation to fill in potholes in our unincorporated and city areas,” he said.
The board also advanced agenda item 43, which allows California State University, San Bernardino students to continue archaeological training at Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery.
“This is important,especially now that we may have them come back and work for the county someday,” Baca said.
Supervisor Baca highlighted the $1.3 million opening of the Harrison Rialto House, a behavioral health facility designed to address substance use.
“This is going to create many beds in our San Bernardino community,” he said. “One of the biggest challenges we hear is from drug treatment”.
In a related move, the board approved a $45,000 contract to fund landscaping, fencing and furniture for River’s Edge Ranch, a long-term recovery housing initiative in partnership with the city of Fontana.
“This is a way we can actually close that gap when it comes to those who are suffering with substance abuse,” Armendarez said, adding the program lasts up to a year and a half, far beyond typical 30-day models.
Among policy items approved was a resolution designating Arts Connection as the county’s State-Local Partner with the California Arts Council through 2031.
The partnership supports local public art and cultural development.
Also on the agenda was the adoption of a resolution enabling the county to enforce a no-parking zone for commercial trucks.
“We are taking a stance,” Armendarez said. “We’re not going to allow some of these commercial trucks for parking in areas they’re not supposed to”.
Chair Dawn Rowe acknowledged the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) for receiving the national Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 19.
