City of Visalia Agenda Item Transmittal

Transcription

1 City of Visalia Agenda Item Transmittal Meeting Date: 12/21/2015 Agenda Item Number (Assigned by City Clerk): 10. Agenda Item Wording: Approval of the Animal Services Subcommittee recommendations for operation of the Visalia Animal Care Center, including rejection of proposals submitted on the Animal Shelter Services Request For Proposals; implementation of staff developed Standard Operating Procedures; and the hiring of full-time staff to operate the facility at an annual cost savings of approximately $200,000. Deadline for Action: 12/21/2015 Submitting Department: Transportation and General Services Department Contact Name and Phone Number: Mario Cifuentez, Department Recommendation: The Animal Services Subcommittee (Councilmembers Nelson and Shuklian) recommends that Council direct Staff to make the following changes in the Animal Services division: a) Reject proposals submitted on the Visalia Animal Care Center (VACC) Shelter and Maintenance Services Request for Proposals (RFP). b) Conduct an open recruitment for the Animal Services Staffing positions necessary to fully operate the Visalia Animal Care Center in accordance with the VACC Standard Operating Procedures. c) Amend the FY 15/16 Animal Services Enterprise fund budget to reduce the allocation for contracted services by $330,000 and increase the allocation for Salaries and Benefits by $230,000 to cover the new positions. d) Authorize a month to month extension to the current VOSPCA contract, not to exceed 120 days, to facilitate the transition from contracted services to City-provided services. Summary: The current contract between the City and VOSPCA expires on December 31, In March 2015, VOSPCA submitted a new contract proposal to the City which would increase costs for their contracted services by at least $300,000 a year. Due to the proposed cost increase of that proposal, at the Mid-Year Financial Report, Council approved the removal of animal control services from the existing contract and authorized staff to hire three (3) animal

2 control officer positions. Additionally, Council approved the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) so that the City could consider alternative proposals of performing the services that have been, until now, performed exclusively by the VOSPCA. The City-staffed Animal Control field services began on October 31, In November 2015, the City issued an RFP for Shelter Management Services for the following services: Shelter Operation Services; Animal Care and Handling; Kennel Maintenance; and, Community Outreach. In response to that RFP, the City received two (2) proposals. VOSPCA submitted a proposal to provide all services for a contract price of $678,000. It should be noted that a separate Veterinary Services RFP will be considered separate from this RFP. CSET submitted a proposal to provide two (2) of the services requested; Kennel Care & Maintenance and Community Outreach, at a proposed cost of $519,488. Once the proposals were received, a committee of City Staff reviewed and interviewed the proposers with Council Animal Services Subcommittee members. The Animal Services Subcommittee consists of Mayor Steve Nelsen, Council Member Amy Shuklian, City Manager Mike Olmos, Deputy City Manager Eric Frost, and Animal Services Manager, Mario Cifuentez. In addition, Tracy Robertshaw, Code Enforcement Manager, and Police Lt. Ozzie Dominguez participated on this review panel. After the interviews were conducted and a comparison of the proposals was prepared, staff compared the staffing levels of the proposals and costs, and subsequently prepared a City staffed alternative. In doing so, per the comparison below, it became apparent that the City could operate the facility, using City staff, at an annual cost savings of at least $210,000 per year as shown on Table I, Cost Proposals. The City would propose to employ seven (7) full-time positions and 2 part time positions at an annual cost of $453,929. It may be possible to use volunteers to help perform this work. If the volunteers can be reliable, the cost of these part-time positions, $30,000, may be removed from the proposed budget. This level of funding would provide for: an Animal Control Supervisor to serve as the Shelter Manager, one (1) additional Office Assistant; and, five (5) animal care workers to staff intake & redemption and clean and operate the facility on a 7 day per week basis.

3 Table I Cost Proposals VOSPCA Proposal City Staffing City Staffing w/ CSET Exclusively EXPENSES Shelter Operation Services 234, , ,634 Animal Care and Handling Services 351, , ,118 Kennel Maintenance Services 383, , ,177 Community Outreach Services 20,000 20,000 20,000 VOSPCA Subtotal 990,155 VOSPCA Discount (1) (312,155) TOTAL PROPOSAL COST 678, , ,929 Normally, contracted services provide the City with the same services City staff could provide but at a lower cost. However, in this case, the City staff option is substantially less costly, even after factoring in employee benefits. Due to the cost savings, staff recommends bringing the staffing of the animal shelter back inhouse and hiring the seven (7) additional personnel. Background Discussion: The Valley Oak SPCA (VOSPCA) has had a long relationship with the City. The non-profit s primary function is to save animal lives by increasing adoptions and spay/neuter efforts. On the other hand, the City is legally charged with providing services for sick, injured and vicious animals within the City limits through animal control activities and holding lost animals for a mandated period of time, depending on the type of impound. The City outsourced animal services responsibilities to the VOSPCA in 1993 as a cost savings measure. That relationship has saved the City hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past twenty (20) years, but as the chart below shows, the cost of their services has risen sharply in the past 15 years and was proposed to move higher as shown on Chart I, VOSPCA Contract Amount.

4 Chart I In March 2015, VOSPCA submitted a three (3) year contract proposal of $830,000 for the first year and rising to $878,111 in the third year. As part of Council s actions at Mid-Year, Animal control was removed from the contract, which accounted for $187,000 of that first year contract price. Additionally, with the opening of the VACC, the City has assumed responsibility for all food, utilities and supplies, which were previously included in the contract, at a cost of over $100,000 per year. The proposal from CSET would only provide 2 of the required 4 services necessary to operate the facility and would require a blend of VOSPCA staff or City staff to fully operate the VACC. A blend of City/CSET staff would cost over $300,000 more than a City only option. The VOSPCA has stated that their proposal would increase if they were asked to share operational responsibility of the facility, which would place the cost of a VOSPCA/CSET run option as the most expensive option. Transition. Staff has discussed the recommendation with SPCA staff and indications are that SPCA is willing to have a 120 day holdover period. Staff recommends the 120 day transition. Further, SPCA has asked that the City be willing to consider current SPCA staff for potential positions at a City staffed facility. Also, the SPCA is in escrow to purchase land for their new facility. They need to stay at their temporary location adjacent to the shelter until that time. The City s current agreement calls for the SPCA to vacate that site by Dec. 31, The SPCA may need to discuss a longer hold over period if their construction timeline takes longer than Dec. 31, And finally, the SPCA hopes to continue to be the primary source for adopting animals from the City s shelter. To that end, the City permits the SPCA to house animals in

5 kennels from the former animal control shelter. These considerations appear appropriate for a reasonable transition and to continue to promote the humane treatment of animals in Visalia. Fiscal Impact: General Fund savings of approximately $80,000 in FY 15/16 due to a part year funding and at least $200,000 in each of the future years. Prior Council Action: June 15, 2015 Council directed staff to make the following changes in Animal Control: Other: a) Conduct an open recruitment for the Animal Control Staffing positions, 3 animal control officers. b) Issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for firms/organizations interested in providing some or all facets of Shelter Management functions including, Shelter Management, Veterinary Services, Animal care and feeding, and community outreach. Committee/Commission Review and Action: Animal Services Subcommittee recommends that Council approve the change from contracted services to City staffed services at the Visalia Animal Care Center and amend the budget as appropriate. Alternatives: Execute a new contract with VOSPCA or CSET at higher cost to the City. Attachments: Proposals from VOSPCA and CSET. Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected): Move to accept the Animal Services Subcommittee recommendation that Council direct Staff to make the following changes in the Animal Services division: a) Reject proposals submitted on the Visalia Animal Care Center Shelter and Maintenance Services Request for Proposals (RFP). b) Conduct an open recruitment for the Animal Services Staffing positions necessary to fully operate the Visalia Animal Care Center in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures. c) Amend the FY 15/16 Animal Services Enterprise fund budget to reduce the allocation for contracted services by $330,000 and increase the allocation for Salaries and Benefits by $230,000 to cover the new positions. d) Authorize a month to month extension to the current VOSPCA contract, not to exceed 120 days, to facilitate the transition from contracted services to City-provided services.

6 Copies of this report have been provided to: CEQA Review: Not Applicable Environmental Assessment Status