HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem L August 4, 1999
AGENDA REPORT
To: Mayor Yost and Members of the City Council
Thru: Keith Till, City Manager
From: Captain Gary Maiten, Acting Chief of Police
Subject: ANIMAL CONTROL BACKUP AND LICENSING
CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH
SUMMARY OF REQUEST
It is requested that the City of Seal Beach contract with the City of Long Beach to
provide backup animal control services and licensing of animals. This contract would
eliminate the need to hire a part-time Animal Control Officer as a city employee.
BACKGROUND
With the recent decision to staff Seal Beach Animal Control with 1 1/2 versus 2 officers, it
is advantageous to rethink our methodology of staffing the positions.
Presently, one of the Animal Control Officers has resigned, rather then accepting the
part-time position. Our senior Animal Control Officer is still employed in a full-time
capacity. If we should opt for hiring a part-time Animal Control Officer there will be a
major time allocation necessary to complete the hiring process and state mandated
training. It could be December before the new employee would be ready to perform field
duties. In addition, it would still be necessary to contract with another Animal Control
Agency to perform backup and emergency response.
With two (2) full-time officers we were contractually required to provide them standby /
pager pay. These payments amounted to eight (8) hours per month pay and eight (8)
hours per month compensatory time for being available for after hours calls.
Additionally, if their had to respond back to the City they received a minimum of four (4)
hours pay.
On days that neither City officer was available, the Orange County Animal Control
provides backup services. Two (2) problems are associated with Orange County
providing animal control services to our City.
Agenda item
Page 2 of 3, Agenda Report- Long Beach Animal Control Contract
The first problem is that Orange County refuses to take animals that come from our City
directly to The Friends of the Animal Care Center. They will only relinquish these
animals to their owners, when claimed, or to The Friends of the Animal Care Center after
6 working days.
We have been operating for years on a contract with Orange County Animal Control in
which we are billed only for the actual services rendered. They do not respond into the
City unless requested and they then bill us for these services. The cost is several
thousand dollars each year dependent upon how many times we call them and how many
times we have an animal in their shelter. The contract cost would increase considerably
if we requested any patrol time by their personnel. Once their new shelter begins
construction at the Tustin Air Station we will be assessed a considerable fee for a portion
of the construction
The Long Beach Animal Control Department has agreed to enter into a contractual
agreement with the City of Seal Beach to provide the necessary animal control services,
whenever our full time Animal Control Officer is not available. Within the contract they
have agreed to the following:
1. To immediately take all animals obtained within our City to our shelter for
housing.
2. Patrol through our City on the days our full-time officer is off duty.
3. Provide emergency coverage on all evenings and nights.
4. Provide backup coverage when our officer is not available to work due to
illness, vacation, training, etc.
5. To handle all licensing of pets within our city, to include mailings, licensing
tags and neighborhood canvassing.
By utilizing the Long Beach Animal Control Department we could eliminate the need to
hire a part-time Animal Control Officer at a cost of approximately $20,000 per year,
which does not include any fringe benefit, training costs, standby / beeper pay or related
costs.
At this time we are working with Long Beach Animal Control on a week to week
agreement until a contract is formalized.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of the basic coverage contract with Long Beach Animal Control will be
$25,000.00 per year. They will provide around the clock coverage, seven days a week,
whenever our Animal Control Officer is on days off or unavailable.
Page 3 of 3, Agenda Report- Long Beach Animal Control Contract
Our present Animal Control Officer has been rescheduled to a five (5) day, eight (8) hour
day work schedule. Standby / pager pay has been eliminated as Long Beach will handle
all after hours and days off responses. This will eliminate the minimum four (4) hours
overtime which was paid if our officer had to respond after normal work hours.
The cost savings from the elimination of standby / pager pay and overtime for the
original two Animal Control Officers is approximately $9,000 per year.
The cost savings by not hiring a part-time Animal Control Officer and the savings in
standby / pager pay and overtime more then offsets the entire cost of the Long Beach
contract while giving us the necessary backup and after normal business hours coverage.
Even with two (2) full time Animal Control Officers we were not able to keep current
with pet licensing. We were only able to generate between $8,000.00 and $11,000.00 per
year. Long Beach will take over all licensing for our city for the costs associated with
computer reprogramming, the actual costs of the mailings, a solicitor and one half(1/2)
of all profits derived from licensing. It is anticipated that the first year the computer
reprogramming, necessary to include our city and associated licensing cost to Long
Beach will be approximately $7,000.00. Our anticipated revenue should be in excess of
this figure, which will result in a 50-50 split of any profits. With proper canvassing and
follow-up, in following years we anticipate approximately $20,000.00 in revenues from
licensing.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council authorizes the City Manager to formalize and sign a contract with the City
of Long Beach to provide Animal Control backup and licensing services.
Captain G ai Acting Chief of Police
NOTED AND APPROVED:
Keith R. Till, City Manager