Drafter
Clerk 06/01/2010
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the provision of regional animal services, authorizing the executive to enter into an interlocal agreement and Enhanced Control Services Contract with cities and towns in King County for the provision of regional animal services.
body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County animal care and control has provided services to the unincorporated areas of King County and by contract to the majority of cities and towns in the county in exchange for retention of pet licensing revenue since the mid-1980s.
2. The county general fund contribution to the provision of animal services has increased over the years culminating in a general fund contribution of nearly $3 million in recent years.
3. Motion 13092, adopted by the metropolitan King County council on November 9, 2009, directed the county executive to end the provision of animal shelter services by King County for contract cities and towns and for unincorporated King County as soon as possible but no later than January 31, 2010, and to enter into new contracts with cities and towns for animal control and licensing services by June 30, 2010.
4. The 2010 Budget Ordinance, Ordinance 16717, Section 30, provided funding for animal care and control such that sheltering services would be provided only through January 31, 2010.
5. With the adoption of Ordinance 16750, extending FTE authority for animal sheltering services through June 30, 2010, the county recognized that there is currently not sufficient sheltering capacity in the region to close the King County animal shelter. The extension of FTE authority provided for a common deadline for the county to work with cities and towns on a new regional model for animal services, inclusive of animal sheltering, animal control, and pet licensing functions.
6. A regional model for animal services enables the county and cities and towns to provide for better public health, safety, animal welfare and customer service outcomes at a lower cost than jurisdictions are able to provide for on their own. This is accomplished through: properly aligned financial incentives, partnerships to increase revenue, economies of scale, a consistent regulatory approach across participating jurisdictions and collaborative initiatives to reduce the homeless animal population and leverage private sector resources while providing for a level of animal care respected by the community
7. Beginning in January of 2010, a joint cities-county work group began meeting on a weekly basis to develop a new regional animal services model for King County and individual cities and towns to consider. The work group included representation from King County and the cities of SeaTac, Tukwila, Kent, Bellevue, Redmond, Sammamish, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.
8. On February 26, 2010, the executive transmitted an implementation plan for entering into new animal services contracts with cities and towns. The implementation plan included documents developed by the joint cities-county work group for regional animal services including working principles, a common interests statement and an adopted scope and purpose statement outlining specific timelines and deliverables for entering into a new interlocal agreement between the county and cities and towns for animal services by the end of June.
9. Consistent with the implementation plan, the county executive sent to cities and towns notice of termination of all existing animal services agreements between the county and cities and towns, effective July 1, 2010.
10. Consistent with the implementation plan, the joint cities-county work group for regional animal services developed an agreement in principle for a new regional animal services model that defines services, expenditures, and cost and revenue allocation methodologies for animal shelter, animal control and pet licensing services. The agreement in principle and supporting materials were shared with all cities and towns, the county council, and the public in early April through presentations to city managers and administrators, the suburban cities' association public issues committee, the regional policy committee, numerous city council meetings and through individual meetings with county and city officials and staff.
11. Consistent with the implementation plan, the work group developed an interlocal agreement for animal services based on the agreement in principle.
12. All cities and towns identified in this ordinance have twice formally expressed their interest in participating in a regional animal services model and are considering adoption of the interlocal agreement for regional animal services that is authorized by this ordinance.
13. The proposed interlocal agreement gives cities and towns the option of contracting for a term of either six months or two and one-half years. All cities and towns other than Bothell that seek to contract have twice expressed interest in contracting for a two and one-half-year term. Bothell seeks a six-month term of contract.
14. The proposed interlocal agreement includes a cost allocation methodology that is based on system use and population and shares defined regional animal system costs between the county and all participating cities and towns.
15. The proposed interlocal agreement provides that, if some cities or towns decide not to participate and the costs are thus raised for remaining participants beyond specified levels, the agreement with respect to remaining participants will remain in effect for a term of either six months or sixty days.
16. The county is authorized to enter into the agreement in accordance with the Interlocal Cooperation Act, chapter 39.34 RCW, and Section 12 of the King County Charter.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The executive is hereby authorized to enter into an interlocal agreement for the provision of regional animal services with the cities and towns of Auburn, Beaux Arts, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Bothell, Carnation, Clyde Hill, Covington, Duvall, Enumclaw, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Maple Valley, Medina, Mercer Island, Newcastle, North Bend, Redmond, Sammamish, SeaTac, Shoreline, Snoqualmie, Tukwila, Woodinville and Yarrow Point, in substantially the same form as Attachment A to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. The executive is additionally authorized to enter into the Enhanced Control Services Contract with such cities and towns as may so request, such as in substantially the form that is included as Exhibit E to Attachment A to this ordinance. The executive is authorized to enter into these agreements insofar as they do not exceed
the FTE authority authorized by the King County council for the purposes of providing enhanced control services.