FROM: David J. Deutsch City Manager Animal Shelter Update DATE: November 20, 2013 When the alternative to a standalone animal shelter facility was broached last month, directed staff to meet with Bowie CLAW prior to bringing the matter back before. Staff met on October 21, 2013 with Ms. Tara Kelley- Baker and Mr. Michael Semeniuk, the President and Vice President respectively of Bowie CLAW. Staff showed the CLAW representatives the existing Animal Holding Room and the adjoining room that, although designed for storage, has been cleared out and could accommodate an expansion of the existing Animal Holding Room. In an email dated November 13, 2013, CLAW notified staff that the Bowie CLAW Board of Directors, supported by those in attendance of [sic] our general meeting, voted to endorse the City Hall animal facility proposal you and your staff recently outlined. As was pointed out in the attached October 2, 2013 memorandum, staff will need to obtain cost information for necessary modifications (exhaust fan, HVAC changes, cage compartments, etc.) to the second room before any animals could be placed there. Given the relatively low number of animals involved, staff further suggests implementing the new operational approach for a six-month period to determine if the second room is indeed needed. We would recommend funds in the FY15 Budget to make the second room operational, so that if the experience of the first six months leads us to that conclusion, we would be ready to move quickly into the expanded area. There are also staff implications that need to be addressed as we prepare for overnight animals. With Council s endorsement of expanding the Animal Holding Room concept to permit overnight stays, staff will take the next 90-120 days to address all of the issues. Bowie CLAW will be kept informed of our progress, and we expect the facility could be operational in April 2014. DJD/asf Attachments
FROM: David J. Deutsch City Manager Attached Memorandum re: Animal Shelter DATE: October 3, 2013 Please review the attached memorandum that suggests a reexamination of the animal shelter matter. The numbers of animals continues to be low, and does not overtax the facility at City Hall. We suggest expanding the existing facility into an adjoining storage room, providing greater capacity for animals and some limited additional staff. What we are talking about is a lower cost option than the CLAW proposal. It needs to be recognized that the $100,000 CLAW commitment will not cover the capital cost of a 1,500-square foot facility, the size recommended by CLAW. Depending on location, a standalone facility can be expected to cost upward of $400,000 to $600,000 in construction cost alone. Perhaps you can take this information, study it, and be prepared to discuss it as an Agenda item at the October 21 or November 25 Council Meeting. I have not put the item on the Tentative Agenda yet so I would appreciate your feedback, both on the substantive items and the calendar suggestions. I also have no problem sharing this material with CLAW, although I have not done so yet. DJD/asf Attachment
FROM : David J. Deutsch, City Manager Meeting with County Animal Control Officials DATE: October 2, 2013 Since the end of the budget cycle in May, staff has communicated via letter to the Prince George s County Animal Management Division to clarify the relationship that will exist between the City and the County after the proposed animal holding facility is opened in the City. Staff met with Prince George s County Animal Management staff on Wednesday, September 11 th. Chief Rodney Taylor, Assistant Chief Terry Littlejohn from the Prince George s County Animal Management Division (PGCAMD), City of Bowie Animal Control Supervisor Steve Roberts, Animal Control Officer Harmony Dale, Department of Community Services Assistant Director Sally Hein and I were in attendance. The meeting was convened at the request of the County and in response to a letter sent by the City in July. In the letter the City posed several questions related to procedures/policies that would be followed by the County after the City opens a short term animal holding facility. Both the questions and the answers are provided below: Question: Will the PGCAMD continue to receive wildlife, vicious animals, attack dogs, Pit Bull Terriers, maladjusted, diseased, injured or deceased animals brought to the County facility by City residents and Bowie Animal Control Officers? Answer: Yes Question: Will any services currently provided by PGCAMD to the City and residents be altered as a result of a shelter being opened? If so, in what manner? Answer: If the holding facility is designated as/or becomes a no kill shelter, the County will not take the animals that are deemed to be not placeable.
Meeting with County Animal Control Officials 2 October 2, 2013 Question: If an unclaimed healthy dog or cat is kept at the City facility for the proposed maximum five days and then is delivered to your facility, will PGCAMD accept the animal? Answer: Yes Question: How long will the dog or cat be kept at your facility after spending time in the City facility? Answer: The County requires a hold of three days (if no indication of ownership is present) or five days (if there is an indication of ownership). Those animals which are ultimately transferred to the PGCAMD from the City holding facility will have had their three and five-day hold met while in the custody of the City and will be immediately released for adoption or euthanasia as appropriate. No additional hold days will be added. We further discussed some procedures and costs such as the need to provide all incoming animals with flea and tick protection/elimination; the need for contractual veterinarian services (the County pays over $100,000 annually); pharmaceuticals (the County pays over $10,000+ annually). There is a need to make sure all guests in the shelter have rabies shots, or require that when the animal is retrieved. In addition, we discussed the size of the proposed shelter. The County expressed a desire for us to build one large enough to assist with their overflow animals when County-wide emergencies occur. In the July 2, 2013 letter from CLAW attorneys, Byrd & Byrd, several minimal parameters for use of the CLAW benefactor donation for the new facility were spelled out. They included that animals be held for five days before transferring them to the County facility; that the structure accommodate at least four dogs and eight cats. Given the information gleaned from the meeting with the PGCAMD and the letter from the CLAW attorneys, staff suggests a new option for consideration. We believe this new option will allow the City to more quickly begin operation of the holding facility, meet the minimum requirements requested by CLAW, and provide a right-sized facility for the City of Bowie. It is our belief that the existing animal holding area with the addition of the similar-sized room adjacent to it, with some reasonable modifications, will provide a suitable facility. We also believe the cost to modify the City Hall location will be less than the $100,000 pledged, whereas the cost of constructing a standalone facility will be in excess of the $100,000. Under this new scenario the City can provide two separate areas, one for the four dogs (two large and two
Meeting with County Animal Control Officials 3 October 2, 2013 small) and the other for the eight (possibly more) cats. This facility could be operational within this fiscal year, whereas it is doubtful that timeline can be achieved if a new location needs to be selected and construction undertaken. Keeping the facility here at City Hall will allow us to reduce expected ongoing staff costs by sharing staff already stationed in the building and minimizing travel time for our Animal Control Officers. This utilization of existing space will also provide an opportunity to assess usage of the facility. Numbers that have been provided over the past three years would be more indicative of a need for this type of small facility rather than a larger one. With Council concurrence, staff will proceed with getting estimates to provide proper ventilation and temperature control in the new room which will house the cats, and will make modifications to the caging in the existing area to accommodate the four dogs. Staff will also prepare an operating budget to present to Council which will cover the additional staff and materials that will be needed. In addition, a proposed fee structure for use of the facility will be formulated. DJD/SH