R40 Animal Services fee schedule update

1:42:14That ends the public hearing and we move on to back to uh regular agenda item which is P forty, I believe.

1:42:23R forty.

1:42:24R forty

1:42:24R forty.

1:42:25Oh R forty, excuse me. R forty.

1:42:28Close. The right number. The right number.

1:42:42Indian echo.

1:42:44Yeah. Who's on first?

1:42:48Get this right.

1:42:59Hello everyone.

1:43:01Hello. Before I get started, I'm Spencer Conelberg, the Assistant Director with Pasco County Animal Services. And I feel very blessed to be here today, although I've been with the county for over six years. This is the first time I've ever presented in front of the board, so I feel blessed to be here. Take it easy on me. But today we're talking about the proposed fee schedule update for the Animal Services Department, adopting a new fee schedule. The fee schedule sets reasonable fees for services. Provided to pet earning public. The fee schedule was last updated in June of 2022. During that time, it was some

1:43:31minor adjustments just to cover the cost of medical increases for services that we provide. The fee schedule update reflects the increased costs associated with care, treatment, sterilization of animals as part of our Save 90 program. The fees that we're looking at increasing are pet licensing for dogs and cats, owner surrender fees, boarding fees, quarantine boarding fees, annual registration costs for those large kennels, breeders, and pet dealers, and a new convenience fee for medications for pets returning to their homes. Basically, in the past, we had done a la carte costs for medical things. We're

1:44:01looking at one convenient cost for pet owners to get them out the door a lot quicker. So as you can see, this is currently. Current pet licensing costs as of this year, as compared to some of our our surrounding counties and our surrounding friends, these fees have not been increased in over 10 years. Although cat licensing was introduced in 2017, these fees have not been increased in over 10 years. And so our proposal. is looking at our fiscal year 23 costs and the new costs in fiscal year 24. Those would be incremental increases based

1:44:31on the type of animal, whether it be a cat or a dog, and whether that animal is altered or unaltered, whether they're fixed or not fixed. This uh graph shows uh based on 2023 sales what the increased revenue to our organization would be. It would be approximately, if we were to change this tomorrow, approximately an additional $422,000 annually uh for the department. Although we are very excited to share the vast majority of that with our friends in the general fund. We

1:45:02are more excited uh to have it help our programs as well. We're looking at uh various programs like uh beeper investigations for bytes, if you guys haven't seen um Bytes in Pasco County have been on the rise lately and we're looking at um better investigating those. Helping stray dogs get back to their owners. Because of more people or animals? There's a lot of different reasons. It's both. Yeah, it's a that's a lot of different reasons. It's actually both. As recently as September of 2022, there was 130

1:45:32to 140 bites in our county every month. Last month there were 320 bites in Pasco County. So it's almost doubled in the matter of two years. And last but not least, as you all know, the 100% of cat licensing goes to fixing cats in our community through our SNP program. So any increase that you all see for that cat licensing, it's gonna go directly back into those calls that you receive about cats in people's yards, which we're excited to take care of as well. Some other fees that we're looking at increasing are the boarding fees and the quarantine fees. These are simply because it is getting more expensive to care for the animals

1:46:02while they're in our shelter. the fees that are charged to pet owners for picking up their stray animals. Looking at doubling that uh fee for the application for breeders, pet dealers, and large kennels, as well as their renewal fees every year, those costs have gone up. And then we are looking at deincentivizing people surrendering their pets to our shelter. And so owner surrender fees by owner by people who are looking to surrender them to our shelter would go up as well. And then as you can see next to medication fee for return to owner pets, there is no fee for that now because once again we were doing a

1:46:32la carte, basically charging people for individual medical costs, getting very, very complicated when you're figuring out how much you have to charge per pill. And so we're looking at a blanket, $20, we will help your pet out and give you the medication to go home if it's on any medication while it's in our shelter. So our recommendation is approve proposed update to the Animal Services Department fee schedule for services by authorizing the chairman to execute the original resolution provided and direct board records to distribute and set forth under the distribution section. And I'm happy to ask answer any questions.

1:47:01Any questions from the board?

1:47:04Pleasure of the board?

1:47:06Move to

1:47:06approve.

1:47:08I'll second my further discussion though.

1:47:10Okay, I got a I got a motion and second and discussion.

1:47:13Yeah. I don't I don't mind the fees, but I don't want to see the money just go to the general fund. If you guys are doing projects that you're trying to do, so be it.

1:47:21Built that new building.

1:47:22But I'm not looking um but uh but I think the money is kinda like an enterprise, should be like an enterprise fund where you're gonna You collect what you need to go.

1:47:29Yeah.

1:47:29If there's a way that we if you find you're over collecting then we come back and we take a look at it to go in

1:47:34their new building that they need.

1:47:36Whatever it may whatever it may be, as long as it stays within. I don't want to see it just like

1:47:41be absorbed.

1:47:43So typically funds like animal services are funded out of the Municipal Services Fund, which is backstopped by the general fund. So typically we look to Like I tell my my children here, reduce the subsidy of mom and dad uh to to run to run your business. And so we'll we look at that through the budget process on on what makes sense and and look at the overall health of the general fund and the subsidy that comes into the 104 fund. So these fees needed to be raised, so presumably that will uh offset some of the subsidy that the department currently has, but

1:48:13we'll uh we'll certainly have a lot of the same. look at programs and look at what these fees are intended to unless, you know, during the budget process the board wants to give some additional guidance on that. But I would suggest we take that up at the budget process if that's okay.

1:48:25Okay. Okay. Yeah. We're good. Any other discussion? Saying none. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye.

1:48:33Aye. Aye.

1:48:35All opposed, black, sign? Motion passed 4-0. Thank you. At this time we will move to um Our miscellaneous business. Uh Mr. Whiteman.