HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/19/2025 Item 6g, Scott - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
City of San Luis Obispo
Council Agenda Correspondence
DATE: August 19, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Rick Scott, Police Chief
VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager
SUBJECT: Item 6g – San Luis Obispo County Animal Control Services Agreement FY
2025-2030
Staff received the following questions regarding the Animal Services Contract.
The questions are below with staff response s shown in italics. Staff solicited assistance
from Eric Anderson, Animal Services Manager for the County of San Luis Obispo , to
provide context for these questions.
1) It states in the staff report that all the other jurisdictions except for
Atascadero had increased fees. Do we know what happened with
Atascadero and why they did not also see increases?
For FY24-25 projections, Atascadero appears to have had a favorable increase
in revenue generation coupled with a relative decrease in proportionate share of
both Field Services and Shelter Services usage.
2) Did we receive any data explaining how our requests for services have
increased to justify the increased cost?
Costs are not based upon the actual number of service units provided, but rather
they are calculated based on the City’s proportionate share of total shelter
operations, which is comprised of both field services and shelter services. That is
further averaged over the past three years to minimize any significant one -time
variances. Because service fees are based upon proportionate share, the costs
for San Luis Obispo are impacted both directly by the City’s own usage rates and
indirectly by changes in usage rates of each of the six other partner cities and the
unincorporated County communities.
ITEM 6g – San Luis Obispo County Animal Control Services Agreement FY 2025-2030 Page 2
For example: If the San Luis Obispo usage rate remains steady, but another
partner city decreases, this places an upward pressure on San Luis Obispo’s
proportionate usage rate. Similarly, a slight rise in usage by San Luis Obispo
could be offset by a more significant increase in usage by the other partners.
Specific usage factors driving cost increase for the City of San Luis Obispo for
FY25-26 are:
• 13.99% increase in proportionate share of Field Services usage
• 3.37% increase in proportionate share of Shelter Services usage
3) Is there anything we can do to increase the revenue they receive from the
city, to offset/lower our costs in the future?
There are multiple revenue sources which help to offset service fees, the most
consequential being dog licensing. Animal Services utilizes rabies vaccination
databases to identify and contact owners of unlicensed animals to promote
licensing compliance. Promotion of other revenue generating services – reclaim
of impounded animals and shelter adoption – offers an additional revenue
source, though not as substantial as what is received through licensing.
4) If I am remembering correctly, I think the contract states that we will
receive our new rates each year by April. Did we receive that information
timely so that we could budget the right amount in the approved 2025 -26
budget?
Yes. FY2025-26 rates were provided at the Spring Contract Group meeting on
April 3rd which informed the department’s budget request for FY25-26.