HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2839
City of Palo Alto (ID # 2839)
Policy and Services Committee Staff Report
Report Type: Meeting Date: 5/10/2012
May 10, 2012 Page 1 of 22
(ID # 2839)
Summary Title: Animal Services Outsourcing and Other Options
Title: Consideration and Discussion of the Palo Alto Animal Services Outsourcing
and Other Cost Reduction Options
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Police
Background
California statutes require counties and municipalities to provide animal control
services for the protection of public health and safety and for the protection of
animals. The main laws are CA Health and Safety Codes 121575-121710 with a
particular emphasis on 121690 (e) - which includes the duty to maintain a "pound
system" and a "rabies control program." These laws also form the basis of the
required dog licensing program that is for monitoring of rabies vaccination
compliance. Rabies control programs include: operation of the animal shelter,
animal bite reporting and investigation, stray dog control, animal rabies
investigations, quarantine of biting dogs and cats and other animals potentially
exposed to rabies, and providing rabies shot clinics.
There are also state laws mandating policies and services related to euthanasia,
dangerous and vicious dogs, abandoned animals, animal fighting, and impound
and seizure.
In addition to mandates imposed by the State, Palo Alto has enacted local
municipal codes regulating the ownership of animals.
From 1934 to 1972, the Palo Alto's Animal Control Program consisted of Animal
Control Officers who enforced the City's Municipal Code Sections regarding the
care and keeping of animals. The City of Palo Alto opened the Animal Services and
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Placement Center on East Bayshore Road in 1972 and began providing spay and
neuter services one year later.
In mid-1993, as a result of Santa Clara County's discontinued animal services to
municipalities, Palo Alto entered into agreements with the cities of Mountain
View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills for regional animal control services. The
contracts with these cities included emergency animal control services, sheltering
and enforcement of State and local laws, which included dog licensing.
Adhering to the agreement’s one year termination clause, Mountain View notified
the City of Palo Alto in November 2011 of its intent to terminate its agreement
with the City and contract instead with the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority
(SVACA), a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with participants from the cities of Santa
Clara, Monte Sereno and Campbell. The loss of Mountain View from the shared
services agreement will result in an annual loss of approximately $470,000 in
revenue.
Other than cost savings, another factor the City of Mountain View considered for
terminating the longstanding agreement with the City of Palo Alto was the
condition of the Animal Services facility. There has been little expansion of the
Center since it was constructed and like much of the City’s infrastructure built in
the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the building and interior amenities could be
improved.
Existing & New Facility Cost Estimates
Although costs vary to build a new facility or repurpose an existing structure, an
estimate was previously obtained to build a new 6,400 square foot facility at the
Los Altos Treatment Plant (LATP) site for approximately $7 million. Due to fiscal
concerns and competing budget priorities at the time, the City opted to complete
the most critically needed improvements to the existing building in 2010. These
included: a new roof; upgrades to the electrical, heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning systems; windows and doors were replaced; and a security system
was added. These improvements totaled approximately $1.0 million.
In comparison, the contracted facility Mountain View selected to join – Silicon
Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA) – spent approximately $6 million on the
purchase and build-out of a 17,000 square foot building for an animal care center
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in Santa Clara. At the time, only a portion – approximately 15,500 square feet –
was built out. SVACA’s acquisition costs were $2.45 million and the completed
construction costs were about $3.6 million. The total cost of this project was
approximately $370 per square foot and $230 per square foot for construction
only. Palo Alto’s current shelter is considerably smaller than SVACA’s, at
approximately 5,400 square feet.
Should the Council wish to build a new facility at its current location or renovate
an existing building at another location in the future, PAAS staff estimate the
need for approximately 6,750 square feet of office, clinic, and shelter space.
Currently, commercial/industrial space in Palo Alto is approximately $200-300 per
square foot and construction costs would be about $250 per square foot or $3.3-
3.7 million in total costs for a new facility. Estimates in Palo Alto are not
completely “apples to apples” as most of our building stock is older and would
require seismic and other code required improvements which may increase the
costs to outfit a similar building to SVACA in Palo Alto.
Budget
Animal Services expenditures in FY 2011 were approximately $1.71 million, offset
by approximately $1.0 million in revenues. Staff costs account for approximately
86% of expenditures. In FY 2011, 56% of revenues were received for services
provided to partner cities. Costs for services are allocated according to each
partner city’s percentage of animals handled and are calculated annually. The
approximate percentage of animals handled in FY 2011 was:
Palo Alto - 54%
Mountain View 30%
Los Alto - 12%
Los Altos Hills 4%.
Other revenue sources in FY 2011 included approximately $213,000 from the low-
cost spay and neuter clinic, $67,000 from the low-cost vaccination clinic, $49,000
in dog license fees, $34,000 is pet supply sales, and $28,000 from citations.
Detailed information about Palo Alto Animal Services expenditures and revenues
are included as attachment 1.
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Staffing
Palo Alto Animal Services is staffed by 13.14 full-time equivalents, including a full-
time veterinarian, two full-time veterinarian technicians, 4.5 FTE animal control
officers, two animal service specialists, a half-time volunteer coordinator, a
supervisor and a superintendent. There are two additional hourly employees that
assist in the office and the field. Palo Alto animal control officers are available to
handle animal emergencies 24/7 and respond to all stray, sick, injured, dead,
aggressive and dangerous animals. Animals are transported to Palo Alto Animal
Services (PAAS) where they are housed, and if necessary, receive medical
treatment. After hours, Palo Alto has contracts with local veterinarians to care for
veterinary emergencies during times when the City Veterinarian is not available
Basic duties of the staff include:
Animal Control Officers (ACO) (SEIU) – ACOs respond and attempt to
capture stray, injured, sick or aggressive animals. In addition, they
investigate reports of dog bites, dangerous dogs and cases of cruelty,
neglect or abandonment. Finally, the ACOs patrol for loose or stray animals
and enforce local municipal codes. (During the off hours, Palo Alto Police
Department handles these calls.) All animals are transported to Palo Alto
Animal Services (PAAS) shelter where they are housed, and if necessary,
receive medical treatment. ACOs are also responsible for the daily care of
all sheltered animals.
Animal Service Specialists (SEIU) – The Animal Services Specialists handle
customer service for all phone inquiries and walk-ins; lost and found;
general questions; spay and neuter appointments; animal complaints;
animal temperament testing, and assisting the public with animal
behavioral issues. In addition, staff processes all dog licenses (new and
renewals), citations, incoming animals, and strays and surrenders (live and
dead). Specialists also process all paperwork for adoptions, cash
transactions and donations, both monetary and in-kind.
Registered Veterinary Technician (SEIU) – Under the direction of the
veterinarian, the Technicians assist with all surgical procedures; assess all
incoming animals; perform daily treatments/procedures; and answer
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veterinary inquiries post-surgery. Technicians are also responsible for
medical inventory, ordering and record keeping.
Volunteer Coordinator (SEIU) – This person is charged with the
recruitment, training, supervision, coordination and evaluation of all active
volunteers. This person is responsible for the distribution of information as
it pertains to shelter animals, policies and coordinating the staffing of
public outreach events.
Veterinarian (Management) – Responsible for the development and
supervision of the disease control program in the shelter with regard to
disinfectants and housing policies. Responsible for all veterinary cases and
surgical procedures including record keeping. Responsible for overseeing
of humane euthanasia including the proper use and recording of drugs.
Liaison with local veterinarians and shelters. Evaluation and
recommendation of all cases of potential cruelty or neglect and act as an
expert witness if the case goes to court. (As indicated earlier in this report,
Palo Alto employs a full-time veterinarian who provides medical care. After
hours, Palo Alto has contracts with local veterinarians to care for sheltered
animals during times when the City Veterinarian is not available, although
the City Veterinarian is on call to provide oversight of outside veterinary
work. The current need to use a contracted veterinarian occurs about 50
times per year.
Animal Services Supervisor (Management) – This position is the front line
supervisor for ten (10) line staff, and is responsible for training, evaluation,
and certification. The Supervisor is responsible for record keeping, data
input, collection and reporting as well as for staff scheduling. The
Supervisor is responsible for updating policies and procedures (except for
medical procedures). This position is the liaison with the Office of
Emergency Services for all disaster preparedness and event coordination.
Animal Services Superintendent (Management) – The Superintendent
manages the entire shelter operation and is responsible for the
administrative oversight of the shelter including the supervisor and
veterinarian. The Superintendent is responsible for fiscal management
including budget and fee collection. The Superintendent is the liaison with
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other city departments, humane agencies, partner cities and oversees the
administration of the regional contracts, as well as manages the City
Veterinarian and the Shelter Supervisor.
A complete listing and associated cost of each staff position is included in the
table below.
PAAS also has a strong volunteer program with approximately fifty volunteers
providing over 3,000 hours a year of service to the shelter. PAAS volunteers serve
as dog walkers/socializers, cat socializers and assist the public at the front desk. It
is generally accepted the time spent with sheltered animal’s aid in the animal's
mental and physical health, resulting in less outbreaks of diseases.
Table 1: PAAS Staff Costs
Job Title
Budgeted
Hourly Rate
Budgeted
FTE
Total
Budgeted
Salary
FY13
Benefit
Rate
Total
FY13 Cost
Administrative Specialist I -
Hourly
$21.72 0.48 $21,720 N/A $21,720
Animal Control Off $26.92 4.50 $251,926 63% $410,639
Animal Services Spec II $29.27 2.00 $121,737 63% $198,431
Management Spec - Hourly
Vet
$37.50 0.10 $7,125 N/A $7,125
Management Spec - Hourly
Vet
$39.50 0.08 $6,320 N/A $6,320
Superintendent Animal
Services
$45.69 1.00 $95,035 63% $154,907
Supervisor Animal Services $38.29 1.00 $79,643 63% $129,818
Veterinarian $54.54 1.00 $113,452 63% $184,927
Veterinarian Tech $27.49 2.00 $114,344 63% $186,381
Volunteer Coordinator $33.16 0.50 $34,491 63% $56,220
Zoological Assistant -
Hourly
$21.73 0.48 $21,730 N/A $21,730
Totals 13.14 $867,524 $1,378,219
Staffing costs are estimated using the overall city-wide benefit rate of 63%, actual rates for each personal area
may vary
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Animals Handled
In FY 2011, the City handled more than 1,500 domestic animals and nearly 1,800
wildlife animals through shelter operations. Most domestic animals are received
as impounds (stray or confiscated animals) and approximately 20% are owner
surrenders. Palo Alto accounted for 53% of all animals handled in FY 2011,
followed by Mountain View at 30%, Los Altos at 12%, and Los Altos Hills at 4%.
Table 2: PAAS Animals Handled FY 2011
Palo
Alto
Los
Altos
Los Altos
Hills
Mountain
View
Total
Domestic Animals
Impounds 411 99 42 303 855
Surrenders 107 19 5 84 215
Returns 7 0 0 3 10
Total Live 525 118 47 390 1080
Deceased 194 52 12 127 385
Owner
Requested
Euthanasia
38 4 4 15 61
Total
Domestic
757 174 63 532 1526
Wildlife
Deceased 635 167 55 311 1168
Released 341 40 23 137 541
Euthanasia 27 12 5 18 62
Total
Wildlife
1003 219 83 466 1771
All Animals
Number 1760 393 146 998 3297
Percent 53.4% 11.9% 4.4% 30.3% 100%
Calls for Service
In FY 2011, the City responded to approximately 4,200 calls for service. Palo Alto
represented 61% of calls for services, followed by Mountain View at 24%, Los
Altos at 11%, and Los Altos Hills at 5%.
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Forty Percent (40%), or 1,682, of these calls were for quality of life issues such as
dead animal pickups (1,476 calls) and barking or noisy animals (206 calls).
Twenty-Five Percent (25%), or 1,037, were for emergency situations, such as an
injured or sick animals (789 calls), vicious or aggressive animals (66 calls), animal
neglect and abuse complaints (170 calls), and mountain lion sightings (12 calls).
Twenty-Two Percent (22%), or 934, calls were for stray animals (888) and dogs off
leash (46 calls). The remaining calls were related to administrative investigations
(such as animal bite related), other inspections, lost and found, and other calls for
service. Animal Control Officers responded to 96% of these calls for service.
PAAS Calls for Service: July 1, 2010 – June 2011
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The City responded to approximately 200 barking dog or noisy animal calls in FY
2011. More than half (57%) of these calls were received between the hours of
6am and 6pm.
Time of Barking Dog Complaints and Responding Units: FY 2011
Delivery of Services
Spay and Neuter Clinic
PAAS performed more than 2,400 spay/neuter surgeries in FY 2011 through the
low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Animals brought in for spay and neuter came
from the following jurisdictions:
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Palo Alto 14%
Mountain View 6%
Los Altos + Los Altos Hills 4%
Other locations outside of partner cities: 76%
As indicated, 76 percent of spay/neuter surgeries were delivered to pets
belonging individuals living outside of the partner communities including Palo
Alto. Many of these are provided to individuals living on the Peninsula or in the
East Bay, but individuals as far away as Danville and Nevada City, CA came to
PAAS for spay and neuter services.
Location of Recipients of PAAS Spay and Neuter Services
Vaccinations
PAAS administered 5,455 vaccinations in FY 2011 through the clinic. Animals
brought in for vaccinations came from the following jurisdictions:
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Palo Alto 16%
Mountain View 17%
Los Altos + Los Altos Hills 6%
Other locations outside of partner cities: 61%
Similar to spay and neuter, many of these vaccinations are provided to individuals
living elsewhere on the Peninsula or in the East Bay.
Location of Recipients of PAAS Vaccination Services
The primary operational costs for the Spay and Neuter Clinic include staffing,
medical equipment maintenance, and medical supplies. A cost recovery analysis
on the Spay and Neuter Clinic will be provided prior to the meeting, utilizing
additional information from the fee study which was not available in time to
include in this staff report.
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Pet Recovery and Adoption - Attempts to reunite lost pets with their owners are a
priority. Stray animals picked up by ACOs are checked for identification and
scanned for a microchip. If an owner can be ascertained, the officer makes every
reasonable attempt to reunite the animal with its owners. In calendar year 2011,
PAAS’ returned 268 dogs or 55% to their owners and returned 49 cats or 12% to
their owners; SVACA’s return-to-owner rates were 42% for dogs and 8% for cats
over the same period. Those animals that are not reunited are evaluated to
determine adoptability. Animals that are approved for adoption are held for an
indeterminate amount of time with the hopes of finding an appropriate home.
Of those dogs and cats that are put up for adoption, 95% are successfully placed
in new homes. In FY 2011, PAAS completed nearly 270 adoptions and successfully
transferred another 610 to rescue groups. PAAS staff members, who are certified
as euthanasia technicians, humanely euthanize animals that are deemed
unadoptable due to their medical condition or behavioral problems.
Animals surrendered by their owners occur for a number of reasons including loss
of housing, loss of income, combining families, etc. Many shelters will not accept
surrendered animals or they may charge a fee, resulting in the owner abandoning
the animal. PAAS is one of only a few shelters in the area that accepts
surrendered animals at no charge to the owner.
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Fees for Services
PAAS charges a variety of fees for services performed at the shelter. Fees may be
based on the type and size of animal, the type of service provided and incentives
to ensure animals are altered. The primary fees charged by the shelter are
outlined in the table below; most of these fees have been updated in the last
three years.
Table 3: PAAS Fees for Services
Adoption Fees
Dog $100*
Cat $100*
Rabbit $40*
Hamster $5
Mice $5
Bird $5-$25
Licensing
Dog Altered (1 Year) $15
Altered (2 Year) $25
Altered (3 Year) $35
Unaltered (1 year) $30
Cats Altered (5 Year) $5
Unaltered (5 year) $10
Late Penalty $20 ($30 if unaltered)
Vaccinations
Rabies $10
Cat Vaccination - FVRCP $15
Dog Vaccination - DA2PP $15
FIV/Feline Leukemia Test $30
Microchip $35
Spay/Neuter
Cat $55 (Neuter) $80 (Spay)
Dog $85-$195 (Neuter) $100-$215 (Spay)
* Includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchip
Options for Future Service Delivery
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The departure of Mountain View from the shared services agreement in FY 2012
represents a significant fiscal challenge for the FY 2013 budget and future
budgets. In light of these challenges, the Budget division of Administrative
Services recommended the consideration of fully contracting out Animal Services
beginning in FY 2013 with an estimated annual cost to the City of approximately
$500,000, based on a quote obtained from SVACA. This recommendation was
discussed at a Council retreat in March. At this meeting, staff was directed to
bring back additional information to the Policy & Services Committee for further
discussion.
Table 4: Outsource Animal Control and Care Services
Description Cost
Expenditure Changes
Eliminate 13.14 FTE Animal Services
Staff
Based on FY2013 budget estimate ($1,610,000)
Eliminate all non-personnel costs
associated with Animal Services
Based on FY2013 budget estimate ($273,639)
Contract for Animal Services (annual
cost)
Based on preliminary quote $500,000
Expenditure Subtotal ($1,383,639)
Revenue Impacts
Loss of all revenue generated from
Animal Services
Based on FY2013 budget estimate, assuming
$470k revenue loss from Mountain View
($764,534)
Revenue Subtotal ($764,534)
Net Savings to the City $619,105
Outsourcing Animal Services to Another Agency – Staff have identified several
potential animal service providers based on the feasibility of maintaining most
existing services, and the ability and desire of the potential alternate service
providers to fully serve Palo Alto, including:
• Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA) - Located in Santa Clara,
SVACA is a Joint Powers Authority between the cities of Santa Clara,
Campbell and Monte Sereno (Mountain View will join SVACA in November
2012). SVACA is located 10 miles from PAAS.
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• City of San Jose - The City of San Jose provides animal services to its city,
Cupertino, Los Gatos, Milpitas and Saratoga. Their facility is located near
the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. The City of San Jose facility is located
17.4 miles from PAAS
• Humane Society of Silicon Valley (HSSV) - HSSV is located in Milpitas and
only provides sheltering services. HSSV is located 14.4 miles from PAAS.
• Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) – PHS is located in San Mateo and
provides animal services to San Mateo County. PHS is located 16.4 miles
from PAAS.
SVACA, PHS, and the City of San Jose operate the most complete animal service
and control operations of the three providers. HSSV would not provide animal
control field services, which would require animal control resources to be
retained by the City. Service levels would vary by provider and would have to be
thoroughly evaluated through the RFP process.
While SVACA and San Jose provide many of the same services as the City of Palo
Alto, there are several important service level differences between SVACA and
the City of Palo Alto which should be considered. For instance, SVACA provides
follow-up on barking dog complaints but the responsibility to respond to the call
would fall on the City’s police officers. Jurisdictions may also handle barking dog
complaints differently. For example, in San Jose, residents may file a complaint
with Animal Services, generating a warning to the pet owner. Complainants may
then maintain a Nuisance Petition and Log form which could result in an
administrative citation for the pet owner if remedial action is not taken. Palo Alto
could adopt a similar approach or consider absorbing these complaints into
existing code enforcement responsibilities.
Another difference is in the approach accepting surrendered animals as noted
below:
The City of San Jose does not accept owner surrenders. Residents of San
Jose and its member agencies are directed to the HSSV for pet surrender
services.
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SVACA, HSSV and PHS advertise acceptance of owner surrenders. However,
SVACA charges a surrender fee of $150, HSSV charges a fee of $160, and
PHS charges a fee of $20.
As indicated earlier, PAAS does not charge any fees for surrenders at the shelter.
A detailed description of services provided by the City of Palo Alto, along with
mandated services, is included as attachment 2.
Expenditure reduction options – Should the Council not wish to fully outsource
the function, staff has identified other cost-saving options for consideration that
seek to close the gap between revenues and expenditures in animal services.
These expenditure reduction options, along with associated service level impacts,
are outlined in the table below:
Animal Control Officer field coverage would go from 2 officers to one officer 85%
of the time. Because Palo Alto is contractually obligated to provide animal control
services seven days per week, from 8:00am to 5:00pm, to its partner cities, ACOs
would have to work a 4/10 schedule to cover the hours in the contract. Under this
Option1: Reduce Management Oversight and Level of Field Services
Description Cost
Expenditure Changes
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Animal Services
Supervisor
Annual salary of $79,643 + 63%
benefit rate
($129,818)
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Animal Control Officer Annual salary of $55,984 + 63%
benefit rate
($91,254)
Eliminate 0.5 FTE Volunteer Coordinator Annual salary of $34,491 + 63%
benefit rate
($56,220)
Expenditure Subtotal ($277,292)
Revenue Impacts*
Store sales revenue reduction Estimated 16% sales revenue loss
from reduced shelter hours
($6,467)
Revenue Subtotal ($6,467)
Net Savings to the City $270,826
* There is no anticipated revenue loss to impound fees, administrative citation revenue, or other
revenue generated by the ACO. Field service will be prioritized, primarily effecting responses that
are not revenue generating. Staffing costs are estimated using the overall city-wide benefit rate of
63%, actual rates for each personal area may vary.
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scenario, there would be no back up officer in cases of simultaneous calls for
service, calls for service with multiple animals, nor field coverage in times of
illness, vacation or family leave. With only one field officer on duty, field safety
would require back-up response from other public safety officers. Emergency field
services must be performed 365 days/year, 24 hours/day; with a smaller staff
pool to share the burden, the propensity of staff burnout and risk of injury would
increase. In FY 2011, on call ACOs responded to approximately 300 calls for
service. It is reasonable to assume that the animal control officer will work a ten
hour day, go on-call and receive one to three calls for service between the hours
of 5 pm and 7 am. That same officer is expected to be on-duty the following day
for another ten hour shift with limited or interrupted rest.
Under this option, services such as shelter tours and talks may be reduced due to
staffing shortages. In addition, when staffing is reduced, longer-term planning
such as disaster preparedness, training, participation in numerous countywide
programs, and mutual aid would be prioritized against other responsibilities. Due
to the increased workload, the shelter may need to close an additional day to the
public to provide staff an opportunity to work on these planning issues and other
administrative responsibilities.
Option 2: Reduce Management Oversight and Level of Field Services; hybrid staffing
Description Cost
Expenditure Changes
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Animal Services
Supervisor
Annual salary of $79,643 + 63%
benefit rate
($129,818)
Eliminate 2.0 FTE Animal Control Officer Annual salary of $55,984 + 63%
benefit rate
($182,508)
Eliminate 0.5 FTE Volunteer Coordinator Annual salary of $34,491 + 63%
benefit rate
($56,220)
Eliminate 1.0 Animal Services Specialist Annual salary of $60,869 + 63%
benefit rate
($99,216)
Add 1.0 Animal Control Specialist Estimated annual salary of $58,425
+ 63% benefit rate
$95,233
Expenditure Subtotal ($372,530)
Revenue Impacts*
Store sales revenue reduction Estimated 16% sales revenue loss
from reduced shelter hours
($6,467)
Revenue Subtotal ($6,467)
Net Savings to the City $366,063
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* There is no anticipated revenue loss to impound fees, administrative citation revenue, or other
revenue generated by the ACO. Field service will be prioritized, primarily effecting responses that
are not revenue generating. Staffing costs are estimated using the overall city-wide benefit rate of
63%, actual rates for each personal area may vary.
This option is the same as #1, with the addition of a new employee classification
that combines the duties of an ACO with office staff to better meet changing
seasonal needs and to be available as back-up for critical situations in the field.
Option 3: Service Reduction to Mandated and Essential Levels
Description Cost
Expenditure Changes
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Animal Services
Supervisor
Annual salary of $79,643 + 63%
benefit rate
($129,818)
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Veterinarian Annual salary of $113,452 + 63%
benefit rate
($184,927)
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Veterinary Technician Annual salary of $57,172 + 63%
benefit rate
($93,190)
Eliminate 0.5 FTE Animal Control Officer Annual salary of $27,992 + 63%
benefit rate
($45,627)
Eliminate 0.5 FTE Volunteer Coordinator Annual salary of $34,491 + 63%
benefit rate
($56,220)
Eliminate supplies and general expense costs associated with spay/neuter clinic,
volunteer program, and store
($99,638)
Add Contract Veterinarian $500 per day rate, 80 days per
year
$40,000
Increase in emergency veterinarian care Approx. $250 per animal for 180
animals per year
$45,000
Expenditure Subtotal ($524,421)
Revenue Impacts
Loss of all spay/neuter fee revenue Three year annual average
revenue ($233,000)
Loss of all euthanasia fee revenue Fees collected from euthanasia
performed at owner request ($3,950)
Loss of all store sales Three year annual average
revenue ($40,417)
Loss of vaccination fee revenue Estimated 75% loss ($49,946)
Kennel boarding fees Estimated 50% loss ($3,074)
Revenue Subtotal ($330,387)
Net Savings to the City $194,034
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Staffing costs are estimated using the overall city-wide benefit rate of 63%, actual rates for each
personal area may vary.
In this scenario the mandated and essential services are kept intact. Response
times will remain at an acceptable level and the field services, license services,
rabies quarantines, lost and found, adoption and emergency care will be
maintained. This option would include the elimination of the following positions:
Animal Services Supervisor - 1 FTE
Registered Veterinary Technician - 1 FTE
City Veterinarian - 1 FTE
Volunteer Coordinator - .5 FTE
Animal Control Officer - .5 FTE
A part-time or contract veterinarian would perform spay and neuter surgeries on
animals going up for adoption. Dependent on the veterinarians schedule, public
spay and neuter surgeries may be performed on a very limited basis, perhaps one
or two days per week. The remaining technician would assist in surgery and
provide follow-up care under the doctor’s direction. The ability of shelter staff to
devote considerable resources to public education and volunteer programs would
be diminished and prioritized against other responsibilities.
The office staff will be able to continue to evaluate animals coming up for
adoption, assist the public in the areas of lost and found, disposal of dead
animals, animals being surrendered by their owners, questions regarding animal
behavior and process adoptions. The front office will also continue to take phone
calls and direct them to the proper resources.
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Option 4: Eliminate Spay/Neuter Clinic, Keep Vaccination Program
Description Cost
Expenditure Changes
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Veterinarian Annual salary of $113,452 + 63%
benefit rate
($184,927)
Eliminate 1.0 FTE Veterinary Technician Annual salary of $57,172 + 63%
benefit rate
($93,190)
Eliminate associated supplies and general
expense costs
($43,750)
Add Contract Veterinarian $500 per day rate, 55 days per
year
$27,500
Increase in emergency veterinarian care Approx. $250 per animal for 300
animals per year
$75,000
Expenditure Subtotal ($219,367)
Revenue Impacts
Loss of all spay/neuter fee revenue Three year annual average
revenue
($233,000)
Loss of all euthanasia and disposal fee
revenue
Fees collected from euthanasia
performed at owner request
($3,950)
Revenue Subtotal ($236,950)
Net Cost to the City $17,583
Staffing costs are estimated using the overall city-wide benefit rate of 63%, actual rates for each
personal area may vary.
Under this option all veterinary care would be provided by a contract veterinarian
and the City would eliminate the public spay and neuter clinic and associated
revenues of $233,000 per year. Emergency veterinary care would be outsourced
to various local veterinary hospitals for services. The City would save
approximately $278,000 in staff costs and $43,000 in veterinary supplies and
general expense costs. PAAS would contract with a veterinarian for one day per
week spay and neuter surgeries for shelter animals going up for adoption
(approximately 250/year) and to continue with the weekly vaccination clinic at a
cost of $400-$500/day. The remaining veterinary technician will assist the
veterinarian with surgeries and assess all incoming animals. Treatments and
May 10, 2012 Page 21 of 22
(ID # 2839)
follow-up from outside veterinarians will be done by the technician M-F and by
the kennel staff Saturday and Sunday.
Under this option PAAS could no longer offer to waive impound fees in lieu of
having the animal spayed and neutered and would no longer offer euthanasia for
owned animals, a loss of nearly $3,950 in revenue.
In addition, all animal medical issues would be handled by contract veterinarians.
Currently, the City Veterinarian handles medical issues that are not chronic in
nature and with a positive outcome could make an animal adoptable. Some
examples of these life-saving procedures are: amputation, eye enucleation,
splinting, hernia repair, crytorchid surgeries and cherry eye. Treatments such as
those listed are done in the regular course of work by the veterinary staff and
adoption or rescue is the likely outcome. If these procedures were to be
contracted out to regular veterinary practices the costs associated with these
services may make them unobtainable and the animal would be euthanized.
The euthanasia of animals with treatable medical issues has been eliminated by
the six Santa Clara County shelters. PAAS could no longer ensure residents or
grantors that this would take place.
Expand partnerships and existing services – The City could also make an effort to
take on additional partners when existing contractual relationships terminate.
Staff has identified several potential new partners beginning in FY 2015, but the
exact amount of revenue that could be anticipated from new partners is unknown
at this time. There are also hybrid approaches available where some functions
could be outsourced while some staff is retained to perform additional duties not
available through a contracted provider. For example, an Animal Control Officer
could be retained at an annual cost of $90,000 to provide some of the services
that may be unavailable if animal services were performed by a contractor.
However, this does not ensure that residents would not experience changes in
service levels.
In addition, the City may be able to partner with local non-profits to deliver
services. Additional revenue generating services and programs could also be
considered, such as providing boarding services to the public, dog training, low
cost veterinary services (in addition to spay/neuter and vaccinations), and
May 10, 2012 Page 22 of 22
(ID # 2839)
expanding the shelter’s retail operation. Most of these options would require
capital outlays to accommodate space needs.
Attachments:
Attachment 1-Animal Services Financial Data (PDF)
Attachment 2 -Animal Services Mandates (PDF)
Prepared By: Dennis Burns, Police Chief
Department Head: Dennis Burns, Police Chief
City Manager Approval: ____________________________________
James Keene, City Manager
Palo Alto Animal Services Revenue
Revenue Type Description Rates FY2009
Actuals
FY2010
Actuals
FY2011 Actuals
FY2012
Projected
FY2012
Adopted Budget
FY2013
Budget
Partner City
Agreements
Contract with Mountain
View, Los Altos and Los
Altos Hills
Shared cost model based on
proportion of animals served
annually from the jurisdiction
$573,538 $951,384 $611,394 $668,795 $675,000 $386,250
Spay/Neuter Clinic
Fees
Spay or neuter of dogs,
cats, rabbits, rats and
guinea pigs
$15 to $195 depending on gender
and weight of animal
$230,601 $254,820 $213,328 $214,745 $288,500 $297,155
Vaccination Fees Vaccination and microchip
fees
$6 to $15 per vaccination type;
$75 for puppy/kitten package
$63,327 $69,365 $67,095 $68,350 $70,000 $72,100
Impound Fees State and City
Impoundment Fees
$20 to $175 depending on animal
type and number of previous
offenses
$7,228 $9,666 $7,714 $7,599 $14,650 $17,690
Dog License Fees All dogs are required to be
licensed
$15 to $70, depending on length
of license
$45,192 $48,645 $48,598 $57,507 $51,800 $56,959
Store Sales Sales of food, medicine,
and toys available for sale
Various, prices set by Animal
Services Superintendent
$47,974 $39,750 $33,526 $28,390 $55,000 $5,500
Administrative
Citations
Citations for violations of
all animal related municipal
codes
$25 to $500 depending on type
and number of previous offenses
$10,545 $21,175 $28,095 $20,300 $20,000 $20,600
Euthanasia and
Disposal Fees
Euthanasia services and
proper disposal of animal
remains
$8 to $200, depending on weight
of animal and desired services
$12,178 $12,590 $13,841 $10,632 $13,000 $13,390
Kennel Boarding
Fees
Boarding of animals during
surgeries, quarantine, or
owner requested
$3 to $15 per day, depending on
animal
$5,758 $10,175 $2,508 $3,825 $7,000 $9,210
Special Service
Fees
Reports, home quarantines,
and special pick up
Various $3,970 $3,960 $4,150 $3,960 $3,500 $3,605
Trap and
Equipment Rentals
Feral animal traps $5 per day $1,645 $1,075 $1,295 $1,416 $1,000 $1,030
All other revenue Other pet licenses, state grants and miscellaneous revenue
$675 $1,275 $10,920 $3,450 $1,500 $1,545
TOTAL REVENUE $1,002,631 $1,423,881 $1,042,463 $1,088,999 $1,204,450 $885,034
FY2013 Budget figures include a $300k pro-rated Mountain View revenue loss, and a 3% increase from the FY2012 Adopted Budget in all other revenue from the planned Muni Fee Increase
Attachment 1– Animal Services Financial Detail
Palo Alto Animal Services Expenses
Expense Type Description FY2009
Actuals
FY2010
Actuals
FY2011 Actuals FY2012
Projected
FY2012
Adopted Budget
FY2013
Budget
Regular Salaries Salaries for 12.20 FTE regular employees $855,835 $824,871 $835,742 $811,295 $842,459 $849,256
Overtime and Night Shift Pay Differential pay for overtime and night shift
hours in accordance with memorandums of
agreement
$86,980 $80,247 $80,812 $63,092 $34,255 $34,255
Temporary Salaries Salaries for 1.22 FTE temporary employees $25,632 $52,561 $22,925 $40,928 $64,326 $64,326
Benefits Disability, worker’s comp, health benefits,
retiree medical, Medicare, and others.
$491,327 $466,372 $536,233 $471,786 $563,079 $662,163
Contract Services Clinic equipment maintenance, lab analysis,
advertising, animal disposal/cremation, alarm
maintenance
$33,664 $32,936 $33,108 $29,501 $41,690 $41,690
Facilities & Equipment Animal control equipment
$469 $480 $505 $495 $500 $500
General Expense Bank card processing charges, volunteer
program materials and annual veterinary
licenses
$8,909 $7,314 $7,329 $7,534 $8,050 $8,050
Supplies and Materials Office supplies, food and animal care supplies,
medical supplies and drugs
$104,077 $107,293 $102,622 $98,033 $120,710 $120,710
Allocated Charges Utilities, vehicle maintenance and replacement,
and administrative charges
$103,636 $101,527 $93,285 $94,764 $94,764 $102,689
TOTAL EXPENSES $1,710,529 $1,673,600 $1,712,562 $1,617,428 $1,769,832 $1,883,639
Animal Services Comparison
FIELD SERVICES PAAS MAND SERV
Pick up confined stray domestic animals including livestock x x
Rescue of animals in distress x x
Pick up sick or injured domestic animals x x
Pick up injured or sick wildlife, transfer to wildlife care center x
Pick up dead animals x x
Respond to complaints of animals at large x
Police assists x x
Public Safety Complaints - Venomous snakes, Coyotes, birds of prey x x
Process Permits for livestock, bees, grooming and boarding x
Pick up owner surrendered animals x
Assess Bee swarms, work with Bee Keepers x
Assess complaints of municipal ordinance infractions;animal defecation, excessive #x
Perform park and school patrols for stray or off-leash animals x
Investigate complaints of animal cruelty,neglect,abuse, unsanitary conditions and fighting x x
Investigate complaints of nuisance animals, excluding noise x
Respond to barking dog complaints x
Investigate reports of animal bites and quarantine when necessary x x
Respond immediately to reports of aggressive/dangerous/vicious animals x x
Investigate complaints of excessive animals x
Issue Criminal Citations x x
Issue Administrative citations x x
Administrative hearings for dangerous/vicious dogs; reports, witness at hearing x x
Administrative hearings for Municipal Code violations x
Comprehensive community outreach/humane education programs x
Animal safety training for service workers x x
ANIMAL CARE AND SHELTERING
Shelter abandoned, impounded, stray and surrendered animals x x
Quarantine biting animals x x
Rabies testing of suspected animals x x
After-hours drop facilities x
Veterinary care and treatment at shelter x x
Save all healthy and treatable animals: return to owner/rescue/foster/adoption x
Owner requested euthanasia x
Euthanisia of unadoptable, untreatable animals x x
Disaster supplies on site - water tanks, stationary and mobile trailer, etc.x
Maintain isolation area to limit exposure to zoonotic and contagious diseases x
VETERINARY SERVICES
City Veterinarian and technicians on site for diagnosis, care and treatment x
Emergency after hours veterinary care at outside vet hospitals x x
Weekly public vaccination clinics; including microchips x
Annual At-cost rabies vaccination clinic at shelter x x
Public low-cost spay and neuter clinic (M-F)x
City Veterinarian performs necropsies on suspected cruelty cases x
City Veterinarian provides expert testimony in criminal cases x
City Veterinarian on-call 24/7 for advice and collaboration x
City Veterinarian provides protocols for cleaning, feeding and specialty care x
ADOPTION/ LOST & FOUND/ LICENSING/CUSTOMER SERVICE
Four outside telephone lines answered by live person x
Adoption program; interview, introduction, follow-up x x
Process over the counter strays, surrenders, dead x x
Dog licensing program; new, renewals, expired x x
Enforcement for no dog license, no rabies vaccination x x
Counseling for public on topics of; adoption, euthanasia, behavior issues x
Grief counseling for pet owners x
Issue Assistance Animal identification tags to qualified residents x x
Provide humane traps to the public x
Acceptance of surrendered personally owned animals x
Volunteer opportunities; socialization, foster care, grooming, S/N appts, events x
Pet supplies for sale x
Animal behavior counseling x
Placement partnerships developed and maintained with rescue groups x
Onsite dog training for volunteers, Canine Good Citizen Certification x
Disaster Preparedness Training and Services to residents NIMS, SIMS, CERTS, CPR x x
Responsible for written information for public; Citi-B, pamphletts, disaster prep x
Maintenance of microchip and tag database x x
Process dead owned animals awaiting private cremation x
Process donations received in-kind and monetary x
Provide lost and found services for owners looking for pets x x
5/4/2012
Attachment 2