CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
4/13/2026
1 SUBJECT:
Amendment to the Agreement with the County of San Mateo for Continued Provision of Animal Control Services for an Additional Three Years from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029 RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Amendment to the Agreement with the County of San Mateo and twenty cities in the County for Continued Provision of Animal Control Services to extend the term of the Agreement for an additional three years from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.
STAFF CONTACT:
Yulia Carter, Interim City Manager
650-738-7409
[email protected]
BACKGROUND:
Animal Control has been one of the longest running regional/shared services in San Mateo County. Since 1952, the County has contracted with the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS) for animal control field and sheltering service. All 20 cities in the County have in turn contracted with the County for these services. Historically, cities have taken advantage of the economies of pooling resources in order to realize lower costs for services than each city could likely achieve by providing its own services.
PHS provides animal control services in a County-owned 45,000 square foot building at 12 Airport Boulevard in San Mateo. The mandated animal control service functions, which occur at the Airport Boulevard facility, include: receiving and housing stray animals; serving as the location for the public when looking for lost pets or surrendering animals; sheltering animals; spay/neuter clinic; and, vaccination clinic. For public convenience, licensing, micro-chipping, veterinary care and animal behavior work, and field services staff are at this location and respond to calls for service in the community.
On January 5, 2021, a request for proposals was released to 71 organizations for an Animal Care, Control and Shelter Services Contractor serving San Mateo County. Two contractors submitted proposals on February 18, 2021 (Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and Partners in Animal Care & Compassion/Pets in Need).
On March 4, 2021, the proposals were evaluated by a review committee comprised of nine reviewers including a Deputy County Manager, a San Mateo County Fiscal Officer, five reviewers from various San Mateo Cities, and subject matter experts from Los Angeles and San Bernardino. The evaluation determined that both proposals were acceptable, however, Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS) was scored higher overall.
Contract negotiations with PHS started March 24, 2021. The negotiating team included the County Manager, County Counsel, the County Animal Control Manager, and six City Pacifica City Council 2
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representatives. Then Pacifica City Manager Kevin Woodhouse was part of the negotiating team. Negotiations were amicably concluded on April 3, 2021 with the Agreement for Animal Care and Control, Shelter Services and Animal Licensing (“Agreement”) included as Attachment B.
The Agreement required cities, among other things, to each adopt and maintain animal control ordinance(s) which are substantially the same as the San Mateo County Ordinance. The County, PHS and a committee of five City Attorneys (including City of Pacifica’s City Attorney) worked to prepare an amended County Ordinance to enhance enforceability, streamline processes, clarify definitions and enhance public safety, which was introduced on December 12, 2023 and adopted by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on January 9, 2024. The City of Pacifica, in turn, adopted Ordinance No. 895-C.S. on January 22, 2024 that was substantially the same as the San Mateo County Ordinance and incorporated animal control program fees and charges. The proposed amendment to the Agreement as discussed in further detail below does not require any change to the Ordinance.
Cost Provisions of the Agreement and Allocation of Costs to Cities and Unincorporated County:
Under the current Agreement, the invoicing is based on actual expenditures as opposed to a percent of the contracted budget. Annual costs are divided up in two ways. The first is to divide costs using a three year average of usage, weighted 41% on field services and 59% on shelter usage. The second factor in dividing costs is how to factor in offsetting revenues from animal licensing and collected fees. The Agreement gives each city credit for the animal licensing and collected fees revenue attributable to that particular city as a direct offset of its own share of costs. This gives cities a mechanism to lower their costs by allowing them to do additional outreach to their residents to license and vaccinate their animals. The cities will continue to pay the County for administering the Agreement and this allocation method will continue under the proposed Amendment to the Agreement, with total cost details for each of the three years in the extended term detailed in the Discussion section below.
DISCUSSION:
The current Animal Control agreement between the County and PHS is set to expire on June 30, 2026; however, there is a clause in the contract that reads as follows:
1. Term
Except as otherwise provided herein, and subject to compliance with all terms and conditions, the term of this Agreement shall be from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026. The parties may extend the term for an additional three years if the parties mutually agree in writing. This Agreement becomes effective only after all jurisdictions identified on Exhibit D as Participating Cities adopt it by entering into the agreement for animal control services between the County and participating cities. If such County/Services Agreement is not adopted by all jurisdictions shown on Exhibit D, this Services Agreement is null and void in its entirety unless Contractor and any of the jurisdictions shown on Exhibit D agree to use it as the basis for a Services Agreement applicable to those parties providing such written consent, with such changes in payment, scope of service, and other terms as the parties may agree.
The County has met with the President of PHS and both parties agree to extend the Animal Care and Control Services contract for another three years until June 30, 2029.
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As the Council will recall, the PHS contract was developed in concept and reviewed by a working group of County managers, City Managers, and other interested city participants (e.g., personnel from some Police Departments). The San Mateo County City Managers Association (SMCCMA) has also established a standing committee to do an in-depth review of the contract, performance audits, cost sharing formulas, and strategic direction for provision of countywide animal control services. The SMCCMA committee was directly involved with the County during contract negotiations and had a seat at the table with PHS and the County hammering out the final outcome.
The contract has performed effectively, providing the cities with reliable animal control services and significantly reducing the number of complaints compared to previous years.
Provisions of the Amendment:
Only a few modifications have been made to Section 4 of the Agreement, which specifies the County responsibilities as outlined below:
Section 4.1.a of the Agreement
The County will pay Animal Control Contractor the following agreed-to amounts. These costs are to be reimbursed by the Cities as provided in Section 3.7 above.
Fiscal Year Amount
2021-22 $6,189,290.95
2022-23 $6,327,480.28
2023-24 $6,499,455.67
2024-25 $6,674,024.00
2025-26 $6,858,739.01
2026-27 $7,037,138.11
2027-28 $7,220,177.44
2028-29 $7,407,977.72
This is less than a 3% increase a year for the contracted animal control services and this cost will be passed onto our city.
Section 4.1.b of the Agreement
The County will pay Animal Licensing Contractor the following agreed-to amounts. These costs are to be reimbursed by the Cities as provided in Section 3.7 above (the table in 4.2 includes the payment for the contract PetData for approximately $1,096,827 for five years, which is $219,365 yearly and which will end on June 30, 2027).
Current Contract 2022-
2027
Amount
One year license $4.28 per license
Multi-year license $4.28 for the first year and $2 for each additional year Late fees collected $2.50 collection service fee for each license Replacement tags $4.28 per tag
Bank and supply fees Actual cost
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Section 4.2 of the Agreement
The County shall provide the administrative services as outlined in this Agreement for the following estimated amounts to be charged to and paid by the Cities. Costs may vary as labor negotiations and internal service charges are negotiated at a Countywide level. Cities will only be invoiced for the actual costs to provide said services as outlined in this Agreement and are to be reimbursed by the Cities as provided in Section 3.7 above.
Fiscal Year Amount
2021-22 $790,835
2022-23 $790,375
2023-24 $814,086
2024-25 $822,227
2025-26 $846,894
2026-27 $872,301
2027-28 $898,470
2028-29 $925,424
Section 4.3.j has been removed from the Agreement.
This section was to arrange a performance audit or fiscal assessment of the Animal Control Contractor PHS. The County released an RFP in January to find a vendor to perform an audit of PHS and felt that it would not be fiscally responsible to turn around within three years and conduct another audit within three years. The County decided it would be more prudent to wait until the new contract in 2027 and write it into the new contract so section 4.3.j is being removed from the Agreement.
Section 5 General Provisions under 5.8 Term and Termination of the Agreement is amended to reflect the extended term as follows:
5.8 Term and Termination. Subject to compliance with all terms and conditions, the term of this Agreement shall be from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2029.
Dates and a few word changes are the only the edits that have been made in this Agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW :
The Amendment to the Agreement is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15000 et. seq.), including without limitation, Public Resources Code section 21065 and California Code of Regulations 15378 as this is not a “project” that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
Decline to authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement and provide staff further Pacifica City Council 5
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direction.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Fiscal Sustainability: A collaborative, multi-jurisdictional approach for services reduces overall costs for city and county jurisdictions.
Maintaining a Safe Community: Animal control services serve to manage issues related to pets and wildlife affecting public health and safety.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City of Pacifica’s share of the total contract in FY 25-26 was $237,201, with the City’s percentage share (and the share for all cities) being revisited annually. The number of service calls and sheltering animals generated by each city is tracked, and the average of the last three years’ data is used to set the upcoming year’s costs for member cities and for the County. Each city’s (and unincorporated County) three-year average usage data is weighted 41% for field services and 59% for shelter services, with a credit for revenues. Attachment C provides details of the cost allocations for each city for FY 25-26 Animal Control Costs. Costs for the County animal services agreement are already included in the City’s annual operating budget.
ORIGINATED BY:
City Manager's Office
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Attachment A: Proposed Amendment to Animal Control Agreement Between San Mateo County and Cities (PDF)
Attachment B: Animal Control Agreement Between San Mateo County and Cities 2021-2026 (PDF)
Attachment C: FY 25-26 Allocation of Animal Control Costs to Cities (PDF) Pacifica City Council 6
April 13, 2026
RESOLUTION NO. _______
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFICA APPROVING AN
AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO AND CITY
OF PACIFICA AND OTHER CITIES FOR THE FACILITATION AND COORDINATION OF
ANIMAL CONTROL AND LICENSING SERVICES TO EXTEND THE TERM FOR AN ADDITIONAL THREE YEARS FROM JULY 1, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2029 WHEREAS, the City of Pacifica (“City”), along with the other nineteen cities in San Mateo County, contracts with the County of San Mateo (“County”) for Animal Control, Sheltering and Licensing Services, which the County obtains through a contract between the County and Peninsula Humane Society (“PHS”);
WHEREAS, the City of Pacifica entered the current Agreement between the cities and the County for Animal Control, Sheltering and Licensing Services effective July 1, 2021 for a term of five years;
WHEREAS, the current Agreement between the cities and the County for Animal Control, Sheltering and Licensing Services expires on June 30, 2026; WHEREAS, the Cities and County now wish to amend the current Agreement to extend the term for an additional three years through June 30, 2029; WHEREAS, the proposed Amendment to the Agreement attached as Exhibit A to this Resolution would provide for a three-year extension of the Animal Control, Sheltering and Licensing Services effective July 1, 2026 and lasting until June 30, 2029;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFICA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City hereby finds and determines that the above recitals are true and correct and material to this Resolution and are incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 2. The City hereby approves the Amendment to the Agreement as described in this Resolution and in substantially similar form to the proposed Amendment attached as Exhibit A. The City Manager is hereby authorized to execute the Amendment and any related documents, subject to any minor modifications as may be made by the City Manager or the City Attorney, and the City Manager is hereby authorized to take all actions necessary to implement the Amendment.
• • • • •
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PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Pacifica, California, held on the 13th day of April 2026, by the following vote:
AYES, Councilmembers:
NOES, Councilmembers:
ABSENT, Councilmembers:
ABSTAIN, Councilmembers:
_________________________________
Christine Boles, Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ _________________________________ Sarah Coffey, City Clerk Michelle Kenyon, City Attorney Pacifica City Council 8
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EXHIBIT A
Amendment to Agreement between the County of San Mateo and the Cities for Animal Care and Control, Shelter Services and Animal Licensing