HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - April 17, 2001 SSCITY OF LODI
INFORMAL INFORMATIONAL MEETING
"SHIRTSLEEVE" SESSION
CARNEGIE FORUM, 305 WEST PINE STREET
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2001
An Informal Informational Meeting ("Shirtsleeve" Session) of the Lodi City Council was held Tuesday,
April 17, 2001 commencing at 7:00 a.m.
A. ROLL CALL
Present: Council Members — Hitchcock, Howard, Land, Pennino (arrived at 7:03 a.m.) and
Mayor Nakanishi
Absent: Council Members — None
Also Present: City Manager Flynn, City Attorney Hays and Deputy City Clerk Perrin
B. CITY COUNCIL CALENDAR UPDATE
Deputy City Clerk Perrin reviewed the weekly calendar (filed).
C. TOPIC(S)
C-1 "Animal Shelter Feasibility Study"
City Manager Flynn indicated that there has been great interest within the community to
improve the animal shelter. The senate has increased the standards of keeping animals
in safe conditions. As a result, the county contacted each of the cities to join together in
preparing an animal shelter feasibility study. The report, which was extensive and
revealed shortcomings, was completed last fall and distributed to the City Council at that
time. It addressed issues such as how many animals and officers Lodi had in comparison
to its population. Staff has made temporary improvements at the shelter in order to
address the concerns pointed out in the study.
Former Mayor Steve Mann appointed citizens to an Animal Shelter Task Force to review
this study and make recommendations to the Council. A preliminary report from the task
force was distributed to Council at the March 5, 2001 Town Hall meeting. City Manager
Flynn thanked and gave credit to Management Analyst Janet Hamilton, who served as the
liaison to the county during this study process; Animal Services Officer (ASO) Terri
Arbuckle; and task force member Sue Pixler. The purpose of this morning's meeting is to
present thoughts and ideas on this matter, as it is a capital project. As part of the
feasibility study, staff must enter the study phase by gathering information and
understanding the issues, in order to determine an approximate cost. At this point, staff
has estimated the cost at $2.5 million.
Police Chief Jerry Adams reported that the animal shelter was built in the 1960s and was
used seven days a week to house up to ten dogs. It was originally built as a "dog pound,"
and in today's time that connotation is perceived negatively. At that time, there was no
consideration given for the welfare and protection of animals, nor for spay and neuter
programs. There have been minor modifications to the animal shelter since 1960. In
1983-84 modifications were made to the cat cages. In this budget cycle, funds are being
requested for a trailer to be used as an office that would allow for additional space in the
shelter. In addition, Lodi Police Partners are devoting hours at the front counter so that
officers may spend more time in the field, eliminating the need to close the animal shelter
during office hours.
In September 2000, a task force was created through the county, and the City Council
appointed Lodi members from the Animal Friends Connection, animal shelter volunteers,
community members, and City staff. Police Lieutenant David Main, who coordinates the
animal shelter activities along with ASO Arbuckle, provided input on the task force report,
which recommended additional staffing and equipment and ultimately a new facility. The
current shelter is approximately 2,155 square feet, and the proposed shelter is projected
Continued April 17, 2001
at 15,000 square feet. New state standards and mandates have created an urgent need
for adequate shelters. George Miers & Associates is the firm that the county retained for
this study and is the same architect Lodi hired for the public safety building. In addition to
providing increased space, a new facility would attract and encourage more volunteers
and public-private partnerships with the Police Department. Chief Adams thanked the
task force members that worked on the study, both the county's and City's groups; Animal
Friends Connection; Lt. Main, ASO Arbuckle, Deputy City Manager Keeter, and
Management Analyst Hamilton for the time and effort spent on this project.
Following introduction by Project Coordinator Gary Wiman, George Miers, with George
Miers & Associates, presented the Council Members with copies of informative articles on
animal care design. He reported that over the last 2-3 years, legislation has caused
larger cities and counties to revamp their operational programs and to build larger
facilities. The county's study focused on the feasibility of a regional facility with a series of
satellite facilities.
There have been consistent efforts for the past 3-4 years to improve conditions at animal
shelters. The pound -type facilities are out -dated, do not offer spay and neuter programs,
and continue to have extremely high euthanasia rates. The mandate requires the spaying
or neutering of animals prior to adoption and that facilities include some sort of medical
area or clinic. There is an increased awareness in disease control. Many of the older
facilities did not have segregated areas and diseases would transfer from the sick
animals to the healthy ones. Often times the entire population of animals in the shelter
would be euthanized because of the upper respiratory problems and skin diseases that
would pass among them all. The air -handling situation increases this problem by
circulating the diseases. Therefore, about ten years ago the practice started of breaking
down the shelter into wards with approximately eight dogs per ward. Doing this, however,
drives up the necessary square footage in a facility that would normally hold 40-50 dogs in
one ward. Additionally, there has been increased emphasis in creating a people -oriented
facility to encourage visitors to view and adopt animals and to include classrooms to allow
for education programs. The hope is that the euthanasia rate over the last 10-20 years
can be turned around by public education and spay and neuter programs.
Animal shelters endure an enormous amount of abuse because of the number of dogs,
the constant cleaning it goes through, and the hot water and chemicals. There are many
ways to design an animal shelter, but it must be a facility that will last 30-40 years with
finishes and mechanical systems that are at a higher level than the typical office building.
Mayor Pro Tempore Pennino commented on the county's report that described scenarios
of one countywide facility and several satellite facilities. He asked Mr. Miers to expand on
the idea of a north county facility.
Mr. Miers responded that this study was a collaborative effort between himself and
Michael Ross, Director of the Contra Costa Animal Shelter. Mr. Miers' focus was to look
at the physical plans and the many ways to organize animal care facilities; whereas,
Mr. Ross focused on the operations and financial side. The concept of a regional facility,
where staff and officers are combined at one facility, would be the least expensive;
however, from a public convenience point of view, it would be the least convenient, as it
would mean longer travel time and distance to the animal shelter. A regional site with
satellite facilities would allow for a certain amount of financial economy, as well as public
convenience. The premise is that the satellite facility would have minimal staff and a
small adoption component. Animals would be held at the satellite facility for the minimum
required time allowing for public retrieval of lost pets, but extended adoption time would
be at the regional facility. The other scenario is the possibility of having two or three
regional facilities, each of which would be full -serve facilities used for retrieval and
adoption of animals and be somewhat smaller than a total regional facility. This concept
would cost more than the regional/satellite scenario, but would provide better public
service and convenience.
2
Continued April 17, 2001
Mayor Pro Tempore Pennino noted that the report indicates the best option would be a
north county facility.
Council Member Howard commented on the fact that Los Angeles County passed a bond
measure of $15 million for an animal -care facility and she asked if most cities have
passed bonds in order to build animal shelters.
Mr. Miers replied that he was unsure what other cities and counties have done to fund the
building of animal shelters; however, most have used some general fund dollars. The
County of San Diego embarked on a combination of city and county financing and public
donations in raising the money, including being joined by the Humane Society. This has
led a number of communities to look at a similar model of involving the public in the
financing.
In response to Council Member Hitchcock, Mr. Miers reported that the suggested 15,000
square foot facility in the study is based on the number of animals and assumptions on
Lodi's future population. When calculating Antioch's facility, a 12,000 square foot building
was projected to serve a future population of 120,000 with the understanding that the
facility would be a smaller size because some of the functions were combined and
already in the main police department facility. If that facility were done as a stand-alone
site, it would have been 15,000 square feet. Based on the information he had from the
county's study, Mr. Miers believed that 15,000 square feet would meet Lodi's needs
projected into the future.
Council Member Hitchcock questioned what growth rate the study took into account, and
if the 15,000 square foot building was the minimum size based on the population growth.
Mr. Miers responded that the growth of cities today is not necessarily the factor that
should be used to design the facility. Cities that have incorporated aggressive spay and
neuter programs continue to show a reduction in the number of animals held in shelters
as the population grows. Even cities with a high growth rate will either stay the same or
decrease its number of animals.
City Manager Flynn added that a regional plan would include the county, but if the county
did not participate, the City could adjust the facility to meet Lodi's needs. At this point, it
has not been determined if 15,000 square feet is the correct size, as it needs to be
studied further. In regard to funding, there is a substantial amount of money available for
private, non-profit shelters, but not for cities. It may be beneficial to the City to form or
sponsor a non-profit organization to seek and obtain the necessary funding. Inasmuch as
this is driven by new state mandates and costs, it would also be worthwhile to see if the
state is willing to contribute, since it raised the standard for cities and counties. Further,
the possibility of sharing the costs with the county could be an option, since county
residents bring animals into Lodi's facility. Also, the community may be supportive of
voting for financing of the animal shelter.
Project Manager Wiman outlined purchases that would immediately improve the existing
facility:
• Purchase of a trailer that would include two offices and a waiting area for the public.
This would be used for approximately 20 -months pending construction of a new
facility. The offices in the trailer would free up space in the facility for a new cat
holding area.
• The purchase of cat holding cages and dog kennels would be used for temporary
quarantine areas.
• Purchase of office systems furniture for the trailer.
• Purchase of air conditioning and odor control options, including the addition of roof
exhaust fans to help the odor situation.
The Police Department budget will include $70,000 to address these needs, $45,000 of
which could be transferred to the new facility, i.e., the office systems furniture, cages, and
kennels.
ContinuedApri117, 2001
The long-term solution would include obtaining a design contract with an architect to
begin the schematic or concept design. Mr. Miers used the statistical figures from the
county's study to arrive at his estimate. Until staff gets to the design stage of the project,
the actual dollar figures and square footage cannot be determined. The Police
Department was contacted by the county with a request that it participate with Lodi in
some way. It would certainly be possible to build extra square footage for the county and
bill them for its portion. Growth of the facility is being taken into account so that the facility
can be expanded upon on the same site should the need arise.
City Manager Flynn indicated that preliminary discussions have taken place on what the
needs are and what property is available. There is an acre of property on the land set
aside for the Municipal Service Center (MSC) and Electric Utility Department that could be
used, which would eliminate the need to purchase land. All of the ideas expressed need
to be looked at as a part of the feasibility study and presented to the Council as a part of
Capital Improvement Project.
In reply to Mayor Nakanishi, Mr. Wiman reported that the design phase would cost
roughly $50,000.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Elaine Dornton, a veterinarian in Lodi and member of the task force, Acampo,
commented that Lodi is fortunate to be working with capable Police Department staff
and recognized the Animal Friends Connection for the work it is doing in this
community. It is because of this that she and the veterinary community became
involved with and supports the animal shelter and the future facility. It is not just the
idea of a larger facility, but an entire new concept that involves medical treatment of
animals and educational programs. There is an increase in abuse and improper care
of animals, as well as a poor safety cap on breeding of vicious dogs, all of which
would be addressed with the new shelter and education programs.
• Linda Sunday Hansen commented that she has been a member of this community for
most of her life. She took this opportunity to thank the City Council for its foresight in
appointing a task force to address the needs of the shelter. Mrs. Hansen is
impressed by the animal shelter staff, which must operate under difficult conditions.
Mr. Miers offered to work with staff at no additional cost to the City in completing the
program, which would aid staff in the study of different sites and a projected budget.
Council Member Hitchcock expressed a concern of spending money on short-term
options, like the purchase of the trailer, that could eventually end up being long term.
There is great potential for public-private funds similar to how Hutchins Street Square was
financed. She suggested that the City initiate a group of volunteers to start the private
end of fundraising for the shelter and simultaneously proceed with Mr. Miers' proposal,
reducing the time it would take to complete this project.
Mayor Pro Tempore Pennino stated that he has concerns about the report and would like
staffs responses to his previous questions before proceeding. He suggested looking at
partnering with the county on a north county facility, as its residents use Lodi's facilities as
well. He reminded the public that building a facility such as this is a long, complicated
process. Currently, the City is at step two (study phase) out of six steps, and he
encouraged everyone involved to be patient.
Council Member Howard also spoke in support of partnering with the county on a north
county facility, and for seeking private contributions as well as City funds toward the
project.
Council Member Land affirmed that he heard consensus among the Council that
something needs to be done to upgrade the shelter for the animals. He would like to see
the City move forward with the design phase in order to assess what costs are involved.
4
Continued April 17,1001
On May 23, 2001, the City will have the opportunity to meet with legislators at the State
Capital, and Mr. Land suggested that this would be an opportune time to discuss funding
support for animal shelters.
City Manager Flynn stated that staff would now move forward with the design phase and
obtain more factual information on funding sources.
Mayor Nakanishi pointed out that Council has not yet prioritized its projects and is also
looking for potential funding sources for the indoor sports complex, aquatics center, and
DeBenedetti Park. Mayor Nakanishi expressed his support for the animal shelter and for
the public-private funding concept.
D. COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC ON NON -AGENDA ITEMS
• Management Analyst Hamilton announced that Kelsey Cardoni, an intern in the City
Manager's office, unveiled on Friday the animal shelter's completed Web site, which includes
weekly updates, pictures, and history of adoptable pets.
• Jerry Glenn, member of the board of directors of Lodi Adopt -A -Child, invited the City Council
to two upcoming events: 1) the Annual Angel Recognition Awards dinner on Saturday, May 5,
2001; and 2) the Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, August 20, 2001.
E. ADJOURNMENT
No action was taken by the City Council. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:19 a.m.
ATTEST:
Jennifer M. Perrin
Deputy City Clerk
W
Mayor's & Council Member's Weekly Calendar
WEEK OF APRIL 17, 2001
Tuesday, April 17, 2001
7:00 a.m. Shirtsleeve Session
1. Animal Shelter Feasibility Study
Wednesday, April 18, 2001
7:30 - 9:30 a.m. Nakanishi and Land. San Joaquin Partnership and Business Council Annual
Meeting, Brookside Country Club, Stockton.
7:00 p.m. City Council meeting
3 Closed session items
5 Presentations
18 Consent Calendar items
3 Public Hearings
No Regular Calendar items
Meeting of the Redevelopment Agency
Thursday, April 19, 2001
8:00 C.M. Nakanishi. "Principal for the Day" at Heritage School. Meet Principal
Cervantes at the Intermediate Site (the old Needham School) on the
corner of Pleasant and Chestnut.
5:30 p.m. Pennine. Lodi Memorial Hospital Annual Meeting. Program at 6:15 p.m.
6:00 p.m. Nakanishi. Guest speaker for Chamber of Commerce Lodi Industrial Group.
Friday, April 20, 2001
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Nakanishi. Special recognition event acknowledging participants of LUSD's
"Principal for the Day," at the LU51) office, 1305 E. Vine 5treet
Saturday, April 21, 2001
6:00 p.m. Nakanishi, Hitchcock and Howard. Boys and Girls Club Annual Benefit
Dinner and Auction.
Sunday, April 22, 2001
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Nakanishi. Dedication of Memorial Flag Pale in honor of Sister Madeleine
Hanot and Albert Warmerdam, Hanot Foundation, 14373 E. Sargent Road,
Lodi.
3:00 p.m. Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Erik Nicholas and Mark Robert Carlin, St.
Paul's Lutheran Church, Lodi.
Monday, April 23, 2001
Disclaimer: This calendar contains only information that was provided to the City Clerk's office
councillmisc\mcalndr.doc
LODI POLICE DEPARTMENT
October 3, 2000
Chief of Police
(1)
%nknal Services (2) Adminlstsialive Administrative
mar Asst. (�)- IdLieutenant (1) Secretary (1)
(Part-time)
Administrative Management
Corporal (1) Analyst (1)
Operatlona plvlalon Senior
Captain (1) Rew►ds Clerk (1)
—1
Services Division Senior
Captain (1) Records Clerk (1)
Watch Commander
Partners
Servkes Div.
Lieutenant (4)
Supervisor (1)
Lieutenant (1)
Patrol
Crime Prevention
Dispatch
Sergeant (8)
C.:i.O. (1)
ESY.Inftions
Supervisor (2) fficer (1)
Patrol Corporal (7)
Telephone
Lead Dispatcher (3) Records
Patrol Offlcar (32)
Report Unit (2)
Dispatcher (13) Supervisor (1)
Motor Officer (4)
Parks Oftker (3)-
(Part4lme)-
Properly Records
C.S.O. (1) Clerks (5)
General Invest.
Sergeant (1)
�i
Gen. Detective (4)
SRO (3)
Total Sworn 77
Total Civilian 35
Total Employees 112
(does not Include part-time)
Investigations
Lieutenant (1)
Special Invest.
Sergeant (1)
Special Invest.
Detectives (8)
CRACNET (1)
120
100
:,
We
20
D
Chart2
Lodi Animal Services Comparison
Dogs Dogs Cats Cats
Impounded Redeemed Impounded Redeemed
Monthly / Adopted Monthly / Adopted
Avg Monthly Avg Monthly
Page 1
■ 1995
■ 1989
02000 YTD
1 tau
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2000 YTD Impounds and Euthanized
,.,§" ��`0 ���Gr PQM\ '01
Q'
® Total Cats Impounded
❑Total Cats Euthanized
■Total Dogs Impounded
❑ Total Dogs Euthanized
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Volunteer Hours
The following is the average of the minimum volunteer hours spent at the Lodi Animal Shelter.
The average is 20 hours per week.
1996 September to December 240
1997 January to December 1040
1998 January to December 1040
1999 January to December 1040
2000 January to December 1040
2001 January to March 240
Total 4640 hours
4640 hours @ $9.00 per hour = $41,760.00
Many times the volunteers work longer then the minimum. This is not accounted for.
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Spay and Neuter Program
The Lodi Animal Shelter Volunteers have conducted a Spay & Neuter Program
since 1996. Unfortunately the figures for 1996 & 1997 are not available. Listed
below are the 1998 through 2001 annual figures.
Animals Spay or Neuter
1998
333
1999
185
2000
349
2001
181 Another to be held in August 2001
Total
1048
We find it comforting that the citizens of Lodi took advantage of this program and
1048 animals did not produce unwanted litters.
We now spay and neuter many shelter animals prior to adoption. This makes
them appealing and very accessible as they can be taken home immediately.
Our adoption rate has increased in the last few months because of this program
and we expect this to continue.
Adoptions
The Animal Shelter Volunteers use many different ways to advertise the animals
available for adoption.
1. Once a month Lodi News Sentinel runs a full page "Adopt A Pal" ad which
features the animals from the shelter. Private citizens, local businesses and
concerned city employees sponsor this ad. This ad has a great success rate.
2. We also advertise the animals on the Internet. Currently their pictures and
some information are posted on Petfinders.org. Soon we will have a section
of the City's web page to advertise the animals. This is in the process of being
developed.
3. Lodi News Sentinel runs the pet of the week ad that features one of the
animals from the shelter and one from Animal Friends Connection.
4. The public is able to adopt Monday through Saturday 8:00-5:00.
Items purchased with Shelter Volunteers donation money.
Refrigerator to house vaccinations for animals
24 Dog Beds
Micro -chips (electronic ID)
Storage Shed
Card board cat carriers
Air filter to circulate the air 10 times per hoar for cat room
Cage dryer
Paper bowls for the cats to cut down on disease
Frontline and Advantage
Black light to check for Ringworm on cats
Christmas pet stockings
Seasonal dog and cat flags for the front of the Animal Shelter
"Kong" pet toys
Blankets
Robinsons Feed donates $200.00 per month in food
Backup Local Charts
Population Served 1999
Budget dollars 1999
Population
Staff
Result
Stockton
250576
12.5
20046
Lodi
56789
3
18929
Tracy
51631
4
12907
Manteca
49306
3.5
14087
S.J. County
130178
11.3
11520
Animals Handled
1999
Animals In
Staff
Result
Stockton
9814
12.5
785
Lodi
2292
3
764
Tracy
2225
4
556
Manteca
2503
3.5
715
S.J. County
5706
11.3
504
Budget dollars 1999
Population
Budget
Result
Stockton
250576
741432
2.95
Lodi
56789
128135
2.25
Tracy
51631
293360
5.68
Manteca
49306
220166
4.46
S.J. County
130178
793759
6.09
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