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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 06-08-2004-5dORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 8, 2004 Action Agenda Item No. 5-d SUBJECT: Contract with the Town of Chapel Hill for Animal Control and Emergency Animal Rescue Services (EARS) DEPARTMENT: County Manager's Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y(N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: John Link, County Manager, ext 2300 Proposed Contract Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager, ext 2307 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To request BOCC approval for entering into a contract with the Town of Chapel Hill to provide the Town with animal control and emergency animal rescue services beginning July 1.2004. BACKGROUND: On April 20, 2004, the BOCC authorized action steps for the transition of the Orange County Shelter operations from the Animal Protection Society (APS) to the County Manager effective July 1, 2004. The BOCC was informed at that time of several pending contracts that would need to be negotiated and brought forward for approval consistent with the agreed upon transition. The attached contract has been developed and reviewed by the Town of Chapel Hill to provide for the continuation of animal control services and emergency animal rescue services to the Town as were previously provided to the Town through contract with the APS. Under the proposed contract with the County, as was the case under the contract with APS, an Animal Control Officer is housed at the Shelter whose principal responsibilities are the enforcement of the Town's animal control ordinance within the Town limits, including the response to animal control emergencies within the Town that occur Monday-Friday between 8:OOAM and 6:OOPM. The Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) is a program that APS had provided under contract to both Chapel Hill and Carrboro. EARS covered the response by an-call APS kennel technicians to animal injuries, animal cruelty, animal rescue, animals in need of assistance, rabies suspects in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and all calls in the Town limits of Chapel Hill and Carrboro after hours -from 6:OOPM to 8:OOAM, Monday through Friday, and 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday, Again, the proposed contract will continue this same level of service to the Town of Chapel Hill. The County employees who will provide the contract services will be either new hires or transferred employees from APS in the case of EARS, and, in the case of animal control, the former APS employee who has declared his intention to transfer to the County under the transition plan for all Shelter employees approved by the BOCC on May 18, 2004, FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed contract would provide revenue to the County in the amount of $66,820 for Fiscal 2004-2005. Start-up capital casts in the full amount of $18,604 (principally, the casts of the Animal Control Officer vehicle and share of EARS van) are being split such that half is paid in this first contract year and the other half is due in the second contract year. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board authorize the Chair to sign the contract with the Town of Chapel Hill for Animal Control Services and Emergency Animal Rescue Services in the amount of $66,820, subject to final review by the County Manager and County Attorney, 3 NORTH CAROLINA ORANGE COUNTY AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN ORANGE COUNTY, HEREINAFTER THE COUNTY; AND THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, HEREINAFTER THE TOWN: FOR ANIMAL CONTROL AND PROTECTION SERVICES AND EMERGENCY ANIMAL RESCUE SERVICES (EARS) WHEREAS, the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill does appropriate funds for the 2004- 2005 fiscal year for the performance of animal control and Emergency Animal Rescue Services in Chapel Hill; and WHEREAS, the County having assumed direct operation of the Orange County Animal Shelter in 2004-OS has the capability and a shared interest in continuing to offer this service through agreement to the Town: WITNESSETH 1. The County and Town hereby agree as follows: The Town will designate the Orange County Animal Shelter as its "Office of Animal Control," hereby known as the OAC. The OAC is auflrorized to appoint Animal Control Officers to respond to emergency and routine animal service calls within the Town. During the hours of 9:00 am through 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday, the Shelter shall provide animal control and protection services to the Town.. The Shelter's Emergency Animal Rescue Service will respond to emergency calls all hours the OAC is closed, providing 24-hour service to the Town. The Shelter's services to the Town are listed in 2.A. and 2.B below. 2. A. Chapel Hill Animal Control And Protection Services • During the hours of 9:00 am through 6:00 pm the Animal Control Officer will respond to all animal services calls within the Town, both emergency and routine. • All service calls responded to on behalf of the Town under this agreement will be handled in accordance to the Town's Animal Control Ordinance and policies developed mutually by representatives of the Town and the County. • The Shelter will maintain a phone line at their facility for the purpose of receiving animal service calls during the hours noted in 1 above, • A quarterly report listing the number and types of calls handled by the Shelter within the Town limits will he forwarded to the Chapel Hill Police Department. • All Shelter employees responding to service calls under this agreement will receive training pertahzing to the Town's Animal Control Ordinance. • The County agrees to provide an animal control vehicle and necessary animal control equipment for the use in the Town. • Scheduled vacation time and sick leave time for the appointed Animal Control officer will be covered by the Shelter from Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, for emergency services only, 2. B. Chapel Hill Emergency Animal Rescue Services (EARS) • Emergency Animal Rescue Service hours are from 6:00 pm to 9:00 am Monday through Friday and all Holidays and weekends. • The Shelter shall provide trained, qualified personnel to respond to calls for animal- related emergency assistance within the Town of Chapel Hill by going to the scene when necessary to protect and preserve the health and safety ofpersons and /or the life and health of animals. Qualified persomiel of the Shelter shall, when necessary and proper in the judgment of the Society personnel, provide first aid treatment and/or take animals requiring care to veterinary facilities according to County policy, When immediate veterinary care is not needed in the judgment of the Shelter personnel, an animal may be taken to the Animal Shelter.. Siclc and injured animals will be handled according to the Orange County Animal Shelter operating policy. The Shelter may in its discretion bear the cost of emergency care for animals that do not appear to have an owner or custodian. The Shelter shall attempt to contact at a time which is reasonable under the circumstances in each situation, the owner or custodian of each animal involved in an emergency requiring the assistance of the Shelter. Where Town Public Safety, Police, and/or Animal Control officers are also on the scene of an animal-related emergency, the Society's personnel shall cooperate with Town personnel in matters involving safety of persons and/or enforcement of the Town's animal control ordinance. Upon receipt of invoice and for the services of?,nimal Control and EARS, the Town shall make four equal quarterly installments to the County of $16,705.00 for a total payment of $66,820.00 for the first fiscal year of 2004-2005. Of this amount $9,:302.00 is one half of the start up capital costs, creating acarry-over of $9,302A0 payable to the County in fiscal year 2005-2006 as required for the perforrnance of this agreement 4. This agreement shall be in effect for the period begimiing July 1, 2004 and ending on ,June .30, 2005, subject to annual renewal as negotiated and agreed upon by both parties, unless either party gives 30 days notice of intention to cancel this agreement. bi witness ~~hereof, the parties hereunto cause tTris agreement to be executed in their respective names on this the clay of , 1004, by Orange County Board of Commissioners Barry Jacobs, Chair Town Manager, Town of Chapel Hill Chief of Police, Town of Chapel Hill Approved as to Form: County Attorney This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by dre Local Government and Fiscal Control Act. Finance Director Town of Chapel Hill