STAFF REPORT
PARKS AND
RECREATION DEPARTMENT
DATE: January 25, 2022
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Marisa Garcia, Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director Michael Albanese, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Update on The Burbank Animal Shelter Transitioning f rom The Police Department to Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department
RECOMMENDATION
Note and File.
BACKGROUND
Since 1955, the Burbank Animal Shelter (BAS) has been operating under the oversight of the Burbank Police Department (BPD). Recently, consideration for moving the BAS to the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services (P&R) Department was discussed during a review and evaluation of City services . The goals brought forth were to enhance efficiencies and align operations in departments in a manner that may better serve the community.
DISCUSSION
In July 2021, BPD, BAS, and P&R regularly met to discuss the feasibility of a potential transition, meetings included analyzing the pros and cons. Over the course of the last six months, staff concluded that it is in the best interest of the City and community to transition the BAS to P&R. Outlined below are many benefits associated with the transition. • P&R manages and maintains multiple offsite facilities and can provide support to BAS, in line with other offsite facilities.
• Caring for the community’s most vulnerable populations, seniors and children, is a fundamental aspect of P&R. It is a natural fit to add animals under that umbrella. • P&R can provide a different perspective of the BAS operation, focusing on enhancing community service such as animal companionship, education, animal care, spaying and neutering, other aspects of responsible pet ownership, and promoting increased physical activity with pets.
• BAS will have increased access to off-site/community events to showcase animals for adoption.
• BAS will have increased access to local community organizations and non-profits to assist those in need through its newly formed association with P&R.
2 • P&R administers the Burbank Volunteer Program and can help secure community volunteers to support BAS and Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter (VBAS) operations.
• BAS and VBAS programs and services will greatly benefi t from P&R’s marketing efforts through website, social media, e- newsletter, and printed materials (Recreation Guide).
• BAS employees will have additional advancement opportunities in P&R. • BAS will benefit from additional grant opportunities available to P&R. • BAS will be instrumental in the success of the future Dick Clark Dog Park. • P&R’s pilot Park Patrol program can be modeled after the BAS’s animal control enforcement whereby Animal Control Officer’s (ACO) currently provide residents and visitors an educational and enforcement presence throughout the community including in City parks.
• BPD would no longer be responsible for background screening on VBAS volunteers. All background screenings would be handled by BVP staff. • Provide ACOs with the ability to spend more time in the field responding to calls for service, outreach/education, and evening patrols.
The staff also discussed potential challenges with the transition, as well as noting the functions that would need to remain within the BPD to ensure the BAS is able to continue current operations. A possible concern was the potential for the public not to take law enforcement aspects of BAS seriously once it is removed from BPD. However, after reaching out to other communities who have undergone a similar transition , specifically the cities of Oakland, Torrance, and San Bernardino, the agencies shared that they did not experience any issues with the public dismissing their animal shelter law enforcement capacity. Specific benefits mentioned were the following: the t ransition resulted in increased support for shelter animals, better resources, increased public safety credibility and decreased euthanasia rates and a shift towards increased education and support as opposed to penalizing the public.
On that note, as part of the transition, a number of changes within the BAS are inevitable both for function and efficiency . With the law enforcement background of the BAS, the ACOs will have the opportunity to have broader presence in parks. ACOs are an already established position capable of providing targeted park patrol, par ticularly in areas City Council and the public expressed interest in, but never fully executed because of various obstacles associated with establishing a brand-new position. ACOs have the training, tools, and background to provide the public education as well as enforcement of park rules, thus eliminating the need to establish a new position to fit this role. The merging of the BAS with P&R will create efficiencies in this field. The second inevitable change from the transition will be the stand- alone administration function of the BAS to manage and support operational needs. These needs are currently supported by BPD Administration personnel.
Consequently, as part of the six-month review, staff developed a viable transition plan to strategically and seamlessly shift the BAS to P&R. A two- phase transition plan was developed to ensure BAS maintains its current level of operations, and customer service expectations for residents and the animals served. In early 2022, Phase 1 will roll -out whereby BAS operations and supervision will partially transition from oversight by BPD
3 to P&R. The management staff from both departments will work closely together to co - manage the BAS and ensure a smooth transition. During the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2023 Budget Process, all financial accounts will be reassigned to P&R. Beginning on July 1, 2022, the BAS will be officially transitioned to the P&R Department.
FISCAL IMPACT
The BAS’s operating budget of $1,878,275 will be moved from BPD to P&R during the FY 2022-2023 Budget Process. There is a modest fiscal impact in the amount of $71,100 related to the immediate changes that will be absorbed within P&R’s FY 2021- 2022 Budget through one- time dollars allocated towards a pilot park patrol program . The recurring fiscal impact will be included as part of the FY 2022-2023 Budget. Any desire to enhance BAS programs and services will be included in future budget requests.
CONCLUSION
After lengthy analysis, staff has concluded that it is in the best interest of the City and community to transition BAS to P&R. The transition will create efficiencies in operat ions for both the BAS and P&R and open doors for enhanced community services.
ATTACHMENTS
None.