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HomeMy WebLinkAbout15-Animal Control .0 _n CITY OF SAN BERNARDIRO - REQUaOr FOR COUNCIL AC-Q,N From: Deborah L. Biggs Dept: Animal Control Subject: Citation/ Spay-Neuter Tracking Program Date: June 28. 1988 Synopsis of Previous Council action: 6-27-88: Ways and Means Committee recommends approval of a program that would-allow Animal Control to collect bail/penalties for citations issued by the department, much the same way that Public Buildings does for Parking Control citations. ~his would be combined with the spay-neuter deposit tracking system needed for an effective audit trail. Recommended motion: That the program be approved as recommended contingent upon execution of a memorandum of understanding between the City of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino County Municipal Court District for the purpose of accepting pleas of not guilty and accepting bail on '. animal control citations ~~~ Signature Contact perlon: Deborah L. Biggs Phone: 5275 Supporting data attached: Ward: FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: Source: (ACCT. ND.) (ACCT. DESCRIPTION) Finance: Council Notes: 1.5.0262 Agenda Item No. IS .c 0 CITY OF SAN BERNARDI lID - REQU.Qr FOR COUNCIL ACQaN STAFF REPORT PART 1 - CITATION SYSTEM In the fall of 1987, staff from Animal Control, the City Administrator's office, and Finance started to examine the fines generated from citations issued by Animal Control. It was de- termined that these fines were being collected by the San Bernardino County Municipal Court District on the City's behalf and the revenue deposited in the General Fund under "General Fines" (001-000-41410). There is no documentation received with the checks that gives any indication as to the citations from which this money is generated. After numerous contacts with the Court system through February, staff was still unable to find out this information. Flom July 1, 1987 to May 31, 1988, Animal Control staff issued citations for 1,607 violations of the San Bernardino Municipal Code. Five other departments estimated yearly citations at approximately 61 violations. No data is available from the Police Department for Municipal Code violations at this time. Funds generated and deposited in "General Fines" for FY 87-88 is only $18,308.57 as of April 30, 1988. No funds were received in May. Staff is proposing to change the citation procedure. Penalties would be collected at the Animal Shelter, much similar to the parking citation process with Public Buildings. An "Administrative hearing" process would be established for those who wish to contest the cita- tion. Appeals will be processed through the County Court system. The City will need to sign a memorandum of understanding with the San Bernardino County Municipal Court District and an Oath of Office for the purpose of accepting bail and pleas of not guilty. This is the same procedure used for Parking citations. PART 11 - SPAY/NEUTER DEPOSIT TRACKING In 1985, the State of California enacted a law that states no public or private animal shelter shall sell any dog or cat that has not been spay or neutered unless a deposit for such surgery for that animal has been collected. Any deposit that has not been claimed can only be used for specific purposes. Two of these are: a follow-up program to assure that the animals sold are altered; and any additional costs incurred by the agency to institute and maintain this satute. Prior to the fall of 1987, no tracking system (or audit trail) existed for the spay/neuter trust account. Such a system is now in place. Time consuming manual research and a great deal of paperwork is generated in order to comply with this mandate. When an animal is adopted, a refundable spay/neuter deposit is collected. When the surgery is completed, the receipt is returned to our office for payment. Our records are marked to indi- cate the surgery was performed and the deposit is refunded through a request for payment. Staff processes approximately 60 such requests per month, at the present time. If the mandatory spay/neuter policy currently being considered by the Animal Advisory Commission is adopted, our jfrkload is expected to increase significantly. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND FISCAL IMPACT There are two Animal Shelter Office Specialists on staff. They are the focal point of the entire animal control/shelter operation, coordinating the respective work activity. Staffing the office six days weekly, the Shelter Office Specialists deal with an estimated 15,000 visitors and 40,000 telephone calls annually. They are responsible for the maintenance of all records, cash receipting, billing, accounts payable, ordering of certain supplies, dispatching calls to field personnel, and typing correspondence and reports for the Director. Field and kennel personnel are pulled from their respective work areas to cover the front office when the Shelter Office Specialists are required to perform the "bookkeeping" portion of their jobs; thus taking away productivity in their areas. Staff is proposing the hiring of one Animal Shelter Office Specialist to coordinate and handle the administrative functions necessary for the citation system and spay/neuter tracking. The addition of office staff will also relieve the burden on the two current staff members. It is anticipated that with the addition of office staff, field and kennel operations will no longer be adversly affected. . -continued- 15-0264 c o -2- o o Staff is proposing one half of the salary and benefit be derived from the spay/neuter trust, thus reducing the budget obligation. EXPENSES: First Year Salary and Beneftis Printing of Forms Total Expenses $22,788 5,000 ($27,788) REVENUE: Citation penalties Spay/neuter Trust Total Revenue $35,140 11, 394 $46,534 Net Revenue $18,746 With the combination of the citation/spay-neuter programs and the addition of one Shelter Office Specialist, we feel we will have a more effective and efficient front office and better control of our citation system.