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CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: February 4, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Jasmine Glover-McNamara, Director of Animal Services Department: Animal Services
Subject: Authorization to Terminate Month-to-Month Lease Agreement Between the City of San Bernardino and Casa
Ramona, Inc. for Off-Site Animal Shelter Operations
Located at 1543 W. 8th Street, San Bernardino (Ward 1)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2026-007;
1. Authorizing the City Manager to terminate the Lease Agreement with Casa Ramona, Inc. for the property located at 1543 W. 8th Street, San Bernardino, California, which was intended to serve as a Satellite Animal Shelter for pet adoptions on behalf of the City of San Bernardino, terminating the previously approved but not fully executed lease agreement that extended the lease term for five years through September 30, 2030, with a month-to-month conversion at the end of the term.
City Manager's Comments
Based on the experience with leasing the facility and managing staff at two facilities, it was determined that it would be more efficient to move the animals back to the main animal shelter. This will reduce lease costs for Animal Services long-term.
Executive Summary
This item recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to terminate the month-to-month Lease Agreement with Casa Ramona, Inc. for the property located at 1543 W. 8th Street, San Bernardino, which served as a Satellite Animal Shelter for pet adoptions. Operational and animal welfare assessments concluded that maintaining an off-site location is no longer necessary or efficient, and consolidating services to the main shelter campus will improve animal care, staff safety, public 3 1
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access, and adoption outcomes while eliminating operational risks associated with the off-site facility.
Terminating the lease will avoid continued monthly rent payments of $10,763 and eliminate off-site staffing and utility costs. There is no negative operational impact to Animal Services, as the main shelter renovations are close to completion and the Department has adequate capacity on the primary campus to support adoption services and animal housing.
Background
The original lease was authorized by the Mayor and City Council on October 2, 2024, through Resolution No. 2024-209, approving the use of the property at 1543 W. 8th Street, San Bernardino, as an interim Animal Shelter Supportive Services Center and authorizing the City Manager to execute the agreement. The lease term was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2025.
On August 20, 2025, the Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-356 authorizing the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to extend the lease for an additional five years, through September 30, 2030, with a month-to-month conversion thereafter. Amendment No. 1 was not executed, and the lease has remained on a month-to-month basis.
Discussion
The proposed action would terminate the month-to-month lease agreement between the City of San Bernardino and Casa Ramona, Inc. After an operational and animal welfare assessment made by the Department of Animal Services, it has been determined that the facility is no longer suitable, necessary, or compliant for animal housing and has been vacated.
The offices spaces, which were divided into separate dog and cat buildings, was originally intended to provide temporary relief for the main Animal Shelter located at 333 Chandler Pl. San Bernardino, California while renovations were completed and the Department transitioned services for the five additional contract cities acquired in July 2024. The Casa Ramona facility, previously used as a medical office facility, was not designed or constructed for animal housing and did not meet recognized shelter veterinary standards related to sanitation, housing design, drainage, or behavioral wellness. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters require that animal housing areas be constructed with durable, non- porous materials, adequate drainage, appropriate ventilation, and surfaces capable of effective disinfection. This building lacked floor drains, adequate sanitation infrastructure, and appropriate kennel housing. Urine saturated the vinyl flooring, which was not intended to withstand prolonged exposure to animal waste, resulting in persistent foul odor and sanitation concerns.
Despite best efforts by staff, the dog rooms proved difficult to clean and disinfect, as mopping alone does not meet recommended sanitation and disease-control standards for shelter environments. Chewed drywall, exposed electrical wiring, damaged 3 1
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baseboards, and compromised cabinetry created ingestion, choking, and electrical hazards for dogs. Dogs were also housed in isolated rooms with minimal visibility from the public, reducing adoption opportunities. From May 7, 2025, to November 11, 2025, only 60 dogs were adopted from this location, compared to 1,836 dogs adopted from the main shelter during the same period. The original expectation that the facility could house up to 80 dogs was significantly overestimated, in practice, only 15–20 small dogs could be housed safely.
Staffing and safety were persistent challenges. The site required pulling existing staff from the main shelter, resulting in operational strain, reduced coverage, and diversion of key personnel from core functions, including volunteer and foster coordinators and adoption services. Additionally, there were multiple security incidents involving unauthorized individuals entering the building during cleaning hours, as well as repeated break-ins of the outdoor storage container. These safety concerns made the site unsuitable for continued operations with limited staffing and extremely limited supervision.
In contrast, the cat area performed reasonably well in terms of adoption visibility, but the same staffing and safety limitations applied. With the completion of main shelter renovations, the original operational need for an off-site location no longer exists. The Department now has adequate capacity on the main campus, which includes 294 dog kennels and additional space for cats. Returning operations fully to the main shelter campus will improve animal care, public access, staff efficiency, adoption outcomes, and safety while eliminating the cost and risk associated with maintaining an off-site facility not designed for animal sheltering.
In accordance with the Lease Agreement, the City will provide the required ninety (90) day written notice to the Lessor and comply with all contractual obligations associated with termination, including addressing reasonable repairs to the premises.
For these reasons, the Department recommends discontinuing the month-to-month lease and formally terminating the agreement with Casa Ramona, Inc. 2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
The termination of this lease agreement is consistent with Key Target No. 1: Improved Operational & Financial Capacity. With the upcoming completion of renovations at the main shelter, the original operational need for an off-site location no longer exists.
Returning services to the primary campus will consolidate resources, eliminate unnecessary costs, and improve operational efficiency.
The termination of this lease agreement is consistent with Key Target No. 3: Improved Quality of Life. Returning operations to the main shelter campus will improve animal care, public access, staff efficiency, adoption outcomes, and safety, while eliminating the cost and risk associated with maintaining an off-site facility not designed for animal sheltering.
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Fiscal Impact
There is no General Fund impact associated with this action. The termination of the Lease Agreement will avoid continued monthly rent costs of $10,763. There is no negative operational impact to Animal Services, as the Department has adequate capacity on the main shelter campus to support adoption services and animal housing.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2026-007;
1. Authorizing the City Manager to terminate the Lease Agreement with Casa Ramona, Inc. for the property located in the First Ward at 1543 W. 8th Street, San Bernardino, California, which was intended to serve as a Satellite Animal Shelter for pet adoptions on behalf of the City of San Bernardino, terminating the previously approved but not fully executed lease agreement that extended the lease term for five years through September 30, 2030, with a month-to- month conversion at the end of the term.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Documentation of Damage to the Casa Ramona Property by Housed Animals
Attachment 2 Casa Ramona Resolution No. 2024-209
Attachment 3 Original Lease Agreement with Casa Ramona
Attachment 4 Casa Ramona Resolution No. 2025-356
Attachment 5 Amendment No. 1 with Casa Ramona
Attachment 6 Resolution 2026-007 Termination of Casa Ramona Lease Agreement
Ward:
First Ward
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
October 2, 2024 – Resolution No. 2024-209: Approved a one-year Lease Agreement with Casa Ramona, Inc., effective through September 30, 2025.
August 20th, 2025 – Resolution No. 2025-356: Approved Amendment No. 1 extending the lease term for five years through September 30, 2030, with a month-to-month conversion at the end of the.
CC: Eric Levitt, City Manager