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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6.3 AdoptAnimalShelterFees 't J CITV CLERK File # n~[QJ~-~[Q] e. AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: (June 25. 1996) SUBJECT: ;1Jt PUBLIC HEARING: Adoption of Alllmal Shelter Fees Prepared By: Paul S. Rankin, Assistant City Manager EXIllBITS ATTACHED: W" Resolution Approving A Shelter Fee Schedule RECOMMENDATION: Conduct public hearing; deliberate; adopt Resolution FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Any revenues collected at the Aninial Shelter are used to reduce the Operating Costs paid by ,the p~cipating agencies. The changes in fees are anticipated to result in additional revenue, however, the exact amounts cannot be determined at this time. DESCRIPTION: Alameda County and the cities of Dublin, Livennore and Pleasanton have entered into an agreement to provide for sharing costs associated with the new East County Animal Shelter. The shared costs include both the cost of Construction as well as the on-going operating costs. The on-going operating costs are offset by revenue collected at the Shelter. This reduces the costs paid by the Cities and the County. e As part of the Agreement, a Management Committee consisting of one representative from each agency was fonned to review various items affecting the operation of the Animal Shelter. The agencies have also approved and entered into a Memorandwn of Understanding (MOD) with the Alameda County Sheriffs Department. The. Sheriff's Department serves as the Operator of the Animal Shelter and the MOU defines how fees are to be established. Section IV (12) of the MOU reads as follows: OPERATOR will charge fees for shelter services in the amount established and ratified by the PARTICIPATING ENTITIES. Efforts will be made to establish uniform fees... The Management Committee has met with Sheriffs Department personnel to develop a Uniform Fee Schedule, which is to be presented to each of the City Councils and the Board of Supervisors. Prior to negotiating the cooperative arrangement, the cities had limited opportunity for input on the shelter fees. BASIS FOR CHANGES The Sheriffs Department personnel have indicated that the majority of the Shelter fees have not been changed for, approximately 5 years. During this period there have obviously been inflationary increases in the cost of operations, and therefore it appears appropriate to consider revisions at this time. The Sheriff s personnel surveyed 7 nearby agencies regarding fees charged in their shelter operationS. The agencies surveyed included: Contra Costa and Santa Clara Counties; and the cities of Alameda; Oakland; Hayward; Fremont; and Berkeley'. It should be noted that the sample size may vary on a ~-----------------------------------------------------~------------~ . COPIES TO: Livermore/PleasantonlAlameda Countyl Capt. Eilers - Sheriff's Dept ITEM NO.--'1J G/animallagshlfee.doc particular fee, due to the fact that not all agencies use the same list of services. The Committee re.vi,ewed Ii the survey findings and developed recommended fees. In part the recommendations took into consideration the following criteria: Average fees charged by other agencies for similar services; Maintaining affordable Adoption Fees; Consistency between categories within the fee schedule; and Recognition that licensed dogs do contribute towards the cost of the Animal Control system.. PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE The pwpose of this section is to outline some of the key changes from the current fee schedule. The proposed Fee Schedule is attached to the proposed Resolution (Exhibit 1). Overall, relatively modest increases are proposed for most categories. The proposed schedule also identifies where possible the highest fee charged by a survey agency. All of the identified fee categories except for one, are lower than the highest fee identified in the survey. The one exception is th~ Redemption Fee charged for a Cat which has been impounded for the second time in a year. In this case the proposed fee is identical to the highest fee identified in the survey. In an effort to simplify the fee schedule, it is proposed in several categories that the same fee is charged whether it is a dog or a cat. The one exception is for euthanasia requests where the Sheriffs personnel indicated that the actual cost w~uld. warrant a lower fee fori cats. The proposed fee schedule provides dog' owners who have proof of a current license, a $5.00 discount on: Redemption Fees, Surrender Fees; and Euthanasia Requests. Although state laws mandate licensing of dogs to provipe a verification process aimed at preventing rabies outbreaks, not all dog owners license their pets. The Management Committee believes that this small fee differential may offer additional encouragement to owners to obtain dog licenses. Also, it recognizes the fact that licensed dogs are contributing towards the cost of the .Animal. Control system. The new East County Animal Shelter does not have an outdoor corral facility to house large animals. . Therefore the fees charged need to reflect the full cost of obtaining these services. The Sheriff s Department is required to make arrangements with a C9ntract service provider, in the event that they are required by an agency. In the Proposed Fee Schedule the cost of Feeding and.Boarding such animals, has been indicated as the "Contract Cost Plus the Current County Indirect Rate." In Fiscal Year 1996-97 the County is anticipating an Indirect Rate of 11.72%. ' IMPACT ON ANIMAL SHE~TEROPERATIONS The exact impact of these fees on current operations cannot be precisely detennined. The County is continuing to experience fluctuations in the customer traffic at the new shelter, which only opened in early 1996. Therefore, the exact impact on the fee changes will not be known until they have been in place for a complete year of operation. It is anticipated that the change in fees will generate additio~ revenue to off-set Animal Shelter operating. costs. F~er, the Committee has recommended feesat.what it believes .' to be a reasonable level. lf fees are too high it could have a negative affect, by reducing .the number .of persons wiUing to pay the fe.e. Each of the agencies share in the Shelter Operating cost based upon the percentag~ oflive animals brought to the shelter in the prior calendar year. For Fiscal Year 1996-97 the cost sharing is as follows: Dublin Livermore Pleasanton Alameda County , TOTAL 15.54% 50.10% 26.61% 7.75% 100.00 % ~ The following is a breakdown of the proposed Fiscal Year 1996-97 Animal Shelter Operating Budget: 6, ~ . . . Personnel Expenses Services & Supplies Indirect Charges Est. Building Maint/Op* TOTAL ESTIMATED REVENUE WITHOUT FEE REVISION Net Cost Paid By Participating Agencies According To Percentages Shown Above' *Cities will pay only actual cost. $ 296,245 50,193 40,602 128.432 $ 515,472 <$ 40.000> $ 475,472 As shown above, to the extent that additional revenue can be derived the agencies have a the ability to reduce the net annual operating cost. Given the current environment of limited growth in traditional governmental revenue sources, it is important to establish current fees in a manner which will assist with the financing of public services. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council conduct a public hearing and adopt the Resolution. Since the fee changes need to be adopted by all of the agencies, it is proposed that the new fees will become effective 30 days from the date that action is taken on the proposal by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The County Staff intends to place the item before the Board of Supervisors once all of the City Councils have taken action on the item. RESOLUTION NO. - 96 . A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN ********* ADOPTING A UNIFORM FEE SCHEDULE FOR THE EAST COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER WHEREAS, the City of Dublin is cooperating with the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton and the County of Alameda to finance the operation of the East County Animal Shelter; and WHEREAS, the agreements between the agencies encourage the adoption of uniform shelter fees; and WHEREAS, the current fee structure has not been amended for several years; and WHEREAS, fees collected at the Animal Shelter are used to off-set a portion of the direct shelter operating cost; and WHEREAS, the Shelter Management Committee has developed a set of recommended fees to be considered by all of the participating agencies. . NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby adopt the attached proposed East County Animal Shelter Fee Schedule, attached as Exhibit A and by reference incorporated herein. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the proposed fees shall become effective 30 days from the date the Uniform Fee Schedule is considered by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this ... day of ,1995. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Mayor . ATTEST: City Clerk G: Animal\feereso.doc V':l(tf ~I;'~>l' r.r:..~ ~" \!. i>~~.f~ $ jl! i. r t~^I/,.q E:.d idi 'l~f ' EAST COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER FEES PROPOSED FOR ADOPTION CONCURRENTLY BY COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, AND CITIES OF DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON (1996) Highest . Fee Change Charged From Current Survey By Current Alameda Average Agency County Item County Fee Surveyed Proposed Fee Adoption Dog $16.50 $14.57 $30.00 $15.00 ($1.50) Cat $11.50 $13.86 $30.00 $15.00 $3.50 Feeding and Boarding per Diem Dog $7.00 $8.17 $15.00 $10.00 $3.00 Cat $7.00 $8.00 $15.00 $10.00 $3.00 Feeding and Boarding Large Animals Off-Slte Actual Contract Con + Current Horse, Mare, Mule, Jack $20.00 $11.88 $20.00 Indirect Rate N/A Caff or Colt under 6 months Feeding & Boarding Other Animals Capable of Being Housed At Shelter Sheep, Lamb, Goat, Hog $10.00 $11.88 $20.00 $10.00 $0.00 Non~specified Animal $5.00 $4.75 $10.00 $10.00 $5.00 Observation -Includes Board . Quarantine Per day or Partial $10.00 $12.25 $25.00 $15.00 $5.00 Redemption First Impoundment In One Year Licensed Dog plus board $25.00 $36.00 $45.00 $35.00 $10.00 Unlicensed Dog plus Board $25.00 N/A $40.00 $15.00 Cat plus board $25.00 $26.00 $40.00 $35.00 $10.00 Redemtlon: Repeat Impoundment In Same Year 2nd Impoundment within 1 yr-DOG $50.00 $63.00 $85.00 $70.00 $20.00 3rd Impoundment within 1 yr ~DOG $75.00 $96.00 $115.00 $105.00 $30.00 4th Impoundment within 1 yr -DOG $100.00 $145.00 $145.00 $140.00 $40.00 2nd Impoundment within 1 yr. CAT $50.00 $56.00 $70.00 $70.00 $20.00 3rd Impoundment within 1 yr -CAT $75.00 $87.00 $115.00 $105.00 $30.00 4th Impoundment within 1 yr ~ CAT $100.00 $130.00 $130.00 $140.00 $40.00 Redemption Fees - Other Animals . Horse, Mare, Mule, Jack, or Jenny plus board $40.00 $41.67 $60.00 $35.00 ($5.00) Page 1 Exhibit A EAST COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER FEES PROPOSED FOR ADOPTION CONCURRENTLY BY COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, AND CITIES OF DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON (1996)