TITLE:
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ANIMAL CARE SHELTER SERVICES - PRICELESS PETS RESCUE
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DEPARTMENT: POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESENTED BY: STEPHANIE SELINSKE, LIEUTENANT
CONTACT INFORMATION: STEPHANIE SELINSKE, (714) 754-5293
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council:
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Professional Services Agreement with Priceless Pets Rescue (PPR) to provide full-service animal sheltering and animal adoption services. PPR will be responsible for the intake, coordination, and management of animals within the City of Costa Mesa for a five-year term, July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2029, for a not to exceed amount of $480,000 annually.
2. Approve an annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) escalation and de-escalation not exceeding 5%.
3. Authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the agreement and any future authorized amendments to the agreement.
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to extend the PPR interim service agreement (Amendment #6) until June 30, 2024, for a not to exceed amount of $33,000 monthly.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2018, the City explored opportunities to provide a more personalized approach to animal care. At that time, the City created the Animal Services Unit within the Parks and Community Services Department to directly oversee the Animal Care Services’ contracts and to track animals from impound to adoption. With an immediate need to put a new animal shelter and adoption service plan in place, City staff from the Police Department, Parks and Community Services Department, and the City Manager’s Office worked together to identify possible solutions located in and around the city to care for the communities’ animals. At the conclusion of this process, the responsibility for animal sheltering and animal adoption services was contracted to two separate service providers.
In the years that followed, management and oversight of the two providers were determined to be inefficient. Having two separate service providers created communication challenges, resulting in City staff mediating between the two providers. It was determined that to provide the best and most efficient care for our animals, the City would seek a single provider to administer both shelter and adoption services.
Additionally, effective July 1, 2023, the responsibility for managing Animal Services was transferred to the Police Department.
ANALYSIS:
On June 8, 2023, the City of Costa Mesa released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for animal care services. The goals of the RFP were:
1. Identify a single service provider for animal shelter and adoption services as outlined in the scope of work.
2. Ensure the shelter is managed as a minimal/low kill facility and all animals receive the best care possible.
3. Establish and maintain a positive working relationship with City staff and work cooperatively to ensure all city animal care services are met.
Only two proposals were received, both from the previous service providers, Newport Center Animal Hospital (NCAH) and Priceless Pets Rescue (PPR). Proposals were reviewed by an evaluation committee which included staff from Costa Mesa Police Department, City Manager, Finance, and Parks. Proposals were evaluated based on project understanding, depth of experience, technical expertise, and associated evaluation criteria. Due to the similarity of proposal scoring, the service providers were interviewed for further evaluation.
During the evaluation phase, NCAH who was providing animal shelter and veterinarian services at the time, submitted a 60-day notice to terminate the current service agreement and withdrew from the RFP process on November 2, 2023. Due to the unplanned termination of the services agreement with NCAH and based on purchasing guidelines, Section 2-171(2), the agreement with PPR was amended to include interim animal shelter and veterinarian services to ensure there were no lapses in services for the community. PPR agreed to continue to provide the interim services at a monthly cost of $33,000 until the City secured a new long-term agreement.
On January 29, 2024, the City requested a revised service and cost proposal from PPR based on a revised scope of work that included services for adoption, veterinarian and other services not included in the original scope of work that was a part of the original RFP.
PPR was able to demonstrate the ability to provide all services required in the revised scope of work. They have over 15 years of experience in the animal welfare, care and adoption field. PPR has been providing animal adoption services to the City of Costa Mesa since early 2018. PPR is currently and will continue to provide animal services from their current location at 1536 Newport Blvd. and has established a temporary partnership with Newport Mesa Animal Hospital, 1542 Newport Blvd., to provide veterinary services.
Upon approval of this agreement, PPR will have reasonable time to identify and secure a stand-alone facility in Costa Mesa, establish a lease, and take steps to apply for any required permits. PPR will make the necessary upgrades to the location to provide an intake area, isolation area, quarantine area, and a fully staffed veterinary suite and open to the public to redeem their lost/stray animals. The facility will adhere to guidelines set forth in the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animals Shelters - Second Edition, published by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and as recommended by The Humane Society of the United States. PPR will provide hours of operation that allow for general intake from Animal Control and provide extended hours for the public to allow for return to owner activity, owner surrender, and be staffed 24/7 with trained personnel with access at any time to the City of Costa Mesa’s Animal Services personnel. PPR will provide standard veterinary care for all animals based on their needs, including spay/neuter procedures, microchips, emergency medical care, vaccines, health assessment, daily treatment, monitoring, etc. PPR will provide all adoption services, utilize specialty rescue groups, volunteer and foster programs, and other animal services such as low-cost spay/neuter and microchip clinics for community members.
PPR has a long-standing connection and support in Costa Mesa and is active within the community providing animal care and adoption outreach. The City of Costa Mesa has a long-standing working relationship with PPR, its management, staff, and volunteers. Approving the animal services agreement will allow for an uninterrupted continuation of these vital services.
Based upon this agreement, PPR will continue to provide interim services at a rate of $33,000 through June 30, 2024. Beginning July 1, 2024, the negotiated compensation under this animal shelter services agreement would not exceed $40,000 monthly.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could choose not to approve the contract with Priceless Pets Rescue; however, this alternative is not recommended as contracting with PPR would be in the City's best interest due to the level of comprehensive services they can provide to all animals within the City of Costa Mesa, their existing working relationship with Costa Mesa Animal Services, and the ability to provide care for animals without a delay or gap in services and their geographic proximity, which ensures expedient care for animals within the city limits.
FISCAL REVIEW:
The annual budget in the amount of $425,000 for the interim service agreement with Priceless Pets Rescue is in the Police Department’s budget in the General Fund 101. An additional $55,000 has been requested in the budget development process to bring the total annual budget to $480,000 to cover the increase to the service agreement beginning July 1, 2024.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this report and drafted the Professional Services Agreement and approves them as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item supports the City Council Goal: Strengthen the public’s safety and improve the quality of life.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the City Council:
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Professional Services Agreement with Priceless Pets Rescue (PPR) to provide full-service animal sheltering and animal adoption services. PPR will be responsible for the intake, coordination, and management of animals within the City of Costa Mesa for a five-year term, July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2029, for a not to exceed amount of $480,000 annually.
2. Approve an annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) escalation and de-escalation not exceeding 5%.
3. Authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the agreement and any future authorized amendments to the agreement.
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to extend the PPR interim service agreement (Amendment #6) until June 30, 2024, for a not to exceed amount of $33,000 monthly.