To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services, Human Resources Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jennifer Solito 707-565-4774, Janell Crane 707-565-2885
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Humane Society of Sonoma County Agreement and Side Letter of Agreement to the Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Sonoma and the Service Employees International Union, Local 1021
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Recommended Action:
recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of the Department of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with the Humane Society of Sonoma County and any amendments thereto which don’t significantly change the scope of work, subject to review and approval as to form by County Counsel, for the County of Sonoma to provide animal control field services and animal licensing for the City of Healdsburg for the term of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027, resulting in revenue to the Department of Health Services in the amount of $342,000.
B) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution approving the Side Letter of Agreement between the County of Sonoma and Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, amending Article 9.9 to allow the animal removal assignment premium to apply to contracts with all agencies with whom Animal Control Services negotiates animal removal services, effective for the pay period following adoption by the Board of Supervisors.
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Executive Summary:
This item requests the Board authorize the Director of the Department of Health Services, or designee, to execute a memorandum of understanding with the Human Society of Sonoma County and any amendments thereto which don’t significantly change the scope of work, for the County of Sonoma to provide animal control and licensing services for City of Healdsburg for the term January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027, resulting in revenue to the Department of Health Services in the amount of $342,000.
The item also requests that the Board adopt a concurrent resolution would approve a Side Letter of Agreement amending Article 9.9 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1021 memorandum of understanding to allow employees performing animal removal services in the City of Healdsburg to receive the same premium for performing this service as employees who already perform the service in the City of Santa Rosa.
Discussion:
Department of Health Services
In early 2024 the Humane Society of Sonoma County (Humane Society) solicited a proposal to provide animal control and licensing services to the City of Healdsburg. Sonoma County Animal Services (SCAS) submitted a proposal for the proposed services at a cost of $9,500 per month in addition to the retention of all fee revenue from licenses, penalties, and impounds. The Humane Society accepted the SCAS proposal and the proposed agreement for the following services:
• Animal Control Field Services: Aligned with existing SCAS standards in unincorporated areas and the City of Santa Rosa including investigations and response to the following:
• Dogs at large
• Animal cruelty and neglect
• Domestic animals in distress
• Nuisance animal issues
• Assisting the Healdsburg Police Department, Fire Department, and other City of Healdsburg departments in relation to animal issues
• Deceased domestic animal pickup on public ways
• Natural and man-made disaster response
• Animal bites, including potentially dangerous and vicious animal issues
• Licensing Services: Handling of all licensing needs for Healdsburg residents.
• As an acting agent for the local Health Officer, SCAS will also manage rabies control matters in compliance with California regulations, responding to reported potential rabies exposures.
SCAS’ annual operating expenses for providing services across jurisdictions totals $7,304,123. The estimated costs to provide services to the City of Healdsburg are derived from historical service call data and include 0.5 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Animal Control Officer for field work and vehicle costs to provide field service. SCAS will review associated program costs and fee collections during the first year of service and will report to the Board of Supervisors and to the City of Healdsburg.
SCAS has allocated the following existing staffing to provide the required services:
• 0.5 FTE Animal Control Officer for field work
• 0.25 FTE Account Clerk II for processing fees and licensing
Human Resources Department
Should the Board authorize the execution of the memorandum of understanding with the Humane Society of Sonoma County, employees of Animal Control Services will be required to perform removals of dead animals from the City of Healdsburg in addition to their existing requirement to remove them from the City of Santa Rosa. Article 9.9 of the memorandum of understanding between the County of Sonoma and SEIU provides for an animal removal assignment premium to be paid to employees performing this service only in the City of Santa Rosa, which would not allow the premium to be paid to employees performing the same service in the City of Healdsburg.
On September 20, 2024, representatives from the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, Sonoma County Human Resources, and SEIU met and conferred regarding the possibility of a contract between SCAS and the Humane Society to provide animal control field services and animal licensing for the City of Healdsburg. Article 9.9 of the SEIU MOU identifies a premium paid to employees performing animal removal assignments in the City of Santa Rosa. Both County and SEIU representatives agreed that employees performing animal removal assignments in the City of Healdsburg should receive the same premium as those performing animal removal assignments in the City of Santa Rosa. On November 25, 2024 SEIU signed a side letter amending Article 9.9 of the SEIU MOU to allow the animal removal assignment premium to apply to contracts with all agencies with whom Animal Control Services negotiates animal removal services.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$57,000 |
$114,000 |
$114,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$57,000 |
$114,000 |
$114,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
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Fees/Other |
$57,000 |
$114,000 |
$114,000 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$57,000 |
$114,000 |
$114,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The FY 2024-2025 adopted budget includes the salary and benefit costs associated with the existing 0.50 FTE Animal Control Officer and 0.25 FTE Account Clerk II, and therefore no additional expenditure appropriations are required.
Future year revenue and expenditures of $114,000 per year will be included in the appropriate year budgets.
Approval of this item will expand Animal Service Officer premium pay to include work performed for the City of Healdsburg. There is no fiscal impact, as the work will be carried out by existing personnel who are already receiving the premium.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Concurrent Resolution Approving a Side-Letter Agreement Between the County of Sonoma and The Service Employees’ International Union, Local 1021
Attachment 2 - Signed Side Letter between the County of Sonoma and SEIU
Attachment 3 - Draft Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None