City Council to examine contract with EDC Animal Control Services

El Dorado County has supplied animal control services to the City of South Lake Tahoe since 1998.

In the past twenty years, the City has entered into seven different agreements with the County for rabies quarantine investigations, humane investigations, vicious animal complaints, shelter services, impoundment of strays, removal of dead animals from City roadways, enforcement of all State, County and City codes dealing with animals, and maintenance of a County Animal Shelter, all six-days-a-week, with options of emergency services.

During that same 20 years, the cost of the contract has gone from $91,851 a year to $632,894. Some years have had a 42 percent to 51.7 percent increase, while three years had a slight decrease in the contract cost.

During their Tuesday, June 19 meeting, the City Council will be evaluating that contract to see if the best value for their money. Based on the significant increase in cost for services since first contracting with the County, a comprehensive review was started that allows the City to look at alternate options that could be cost beneficial:

1) Option 1: Continue as normal with the County
2) Option 2: Enter into new Agreement with El Dorado County requesting a revised
methodology for calculating compensation for services including a cost cap
3) Option 3: Discontinue Services with El Dorado County; Solicit for Comprehensive Animal Control Services through an RFP for Shelter and Enforcement or a Hybrid of Services.

The Council meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers in the airport.