Item Number: 24
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: December 17, 2024
Submitted By:
Jorge Duran, Code Enforcement Official
Subject:
Extension of Sunset Date for Certain Temporary Fee and Penalty Waivers for Animal Services Pursuant to Section 7.04.055 of the Victorville Municipal Code Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council adopt Resolution No. 24-089, extending the sunset date of certain temporary fee and penalty waivers associated with the licensing and impoundment of dogs and cats in the city to June 30, 2025.
Fiscal Impact:
Due to the proposed extension of fee waivers, a continued decrease in revenues is expected through June 30, 2025. The Fiscal Year 2024/2025 budget revenue projections reflect the expected continued revenue decrease and will be updated, if necessary, during the mid-year budget review. Except as specifically called out as a fee waiver or temporary suspension, Animal Services fees will adhere to the latest City-Wide Comprehensive User Fee Study approved by City Council.
Strategic Plan Goal:
This item aligns with Goal B: Public Safety – Continue to focus animal services to include active public information and outreach and encourage adoption of animals. The proposed temporary suspensions will continue to help increase first year dog licensing and chipping of pets, prompt pet reunification with pet owners, and the implementation of the City’s Animal Care and Adoption Center to meet community animal shelter needs.
Background:
On April 1, 2023, the City of Victorville (the City) was served with a notice from the City’s long-term animal shelter provider, Victor Valley Animal Protection League (VVAPL) advising of VVAPL’s intent to permanently terminate animal shelter services effective April 30, 2023. On average, VVAPL processed 5,000-6,000 stray, seized, or relinquished cats/dogs annually and provided adoption services to all Victor Valley residents. VVAPL 3 9
1 5
also provided services including license processing, spay/neuter services, and shelter veterinarian services for adopted animals residing within the City of Victorville.
As a result, the City’s Animal Services Division immediately established a temporary animal shelter and adoption center at our existing Animal Services facilities. During this transition, the Animal Services team focused on prioritizing the care of animals, ensuring a safe work environment for City staff, expanding public outreach to promote the adoption of animals, and partnering with local retailers on weekends to host pet adoption events.
Concurrently, staff began to identify long-term solutions for a permanent animal shelter.
In December 2023, the City signed a lease agreement with the Victor Valley Union High School District to lease the vacant and unutilized Mavericks School site located at 16648 E Street, to establish the City’s new Animal Care and Adoption Center facility.
On June 6, 2023, the City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance 2439 and Ordinance 2440 to temporarily suspend certain animal licensing and shelter impound fees. The temporary suspension of these fees was intended to help ease economic hardships, and to offer an incentive to animal owners for proactively vaccinating, microchipping, and licensing their animals; ultimately helping owners to reclaim stray cats and dogs. These measures also help to prevent overcrowding and unhealthy conditions from developing in the City’s temporary animal shelter and to reduce the length of shelter stays by quickly reuniting lost pets with their owners. The ordinance also suspended the mandatory pick up of unwanted animals which creates flexibility with management of the available kennel space at the emergency animal shelter. When animal shelter space is not available, staff shall continue to provide residents with alternative options to rehome unwanted pets through online animal shelter and rescue services.
Through the adoption of Urgency Ordinance 2439 and Ordinance No. 2440 (Attachment B), the City revised and codified certain provisions of Title 7 (Animals), Chapters 7.04 and
7.05 of the Victorville Municipal Code (VMC). Section 7.04.055 was also added to the VMC to establish an animal license fee waiver for newly licensed and microchipped dogs.
Section 7.04.055 of the VMC allows the City Council to extend the fee and penalty waivers beyond December 31, 2023, through ordinance or resolution adoption. On December 19, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 23-102 and on June 18, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution 24-055, thus extending the sunset date of certain temporary fee and penalty waivers associated with the licensing and impoundment of dogs and cats for two six-month periods through December 31, 2024.
Following the adoption of Ordinance No. 2440, the Animal Services staff continued to make operational adjustments to accommodate the management of the emergency animal shelter/adoption center located within the City’s auxiliary equipment and processing facility at 14154 Palmdale Road, and the Animal Services Office located at 14206 Amargosa Road (pictures of the temporary emergency animal shelter/adoption center included in Attachment C).
3 9
1 5
During the Fiscal Year 2023/2024 mid-year review, the City added four experienced part- time Animal Shelter Maintenance Aides to assist with animal care such as feeding and walking, as well as assisting with facility and kennel cleaning operations at both facilities.
Staff recently started decommissioning the temporary animal shelter facilities on Palmdale Road and Amargosa Road and are moving animals into the City’s new Animal Care and Adoption Center facility (16648 E Street). The new site offers shelter capacity for a minimum of 135 dogs and 40 cats. This is an increase of 55 kennels from our temporary emergency facility sites. Operations at the new site have begun, with normal operating hours commencing on December 13, 2024. Office hours for the Animal Care and Adoption Center are Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The adoption hours are Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Additionally, Animal Services staff continue to partner with local retailers such as The Home Depot, Costco, and the Farmer’s Market located at Victor Valley College to host offsite adoption events. The events thus far have been highly successful and have helped to draw attention to our Pet Adoption Center on Amargosa Road (pictures included as Attachment D). The following statistics are from May 1, 2023, through December 1, 2024:
• 908 animals have been adopted
• 148 animals have been relocated to 23 rescues
• 3,375 dogs have been microchipped
• 2,000 free dog licenses have been issued
Discussion:
As the Animal Services Division transitions to the new Animal Care and Adoption Center facility, they will require time to stabilize the continuity of operations and collect the necessary service data that will help to determine the implementation of appropriate customer fees moving forward. Therefore, City staff is respectfully recommending the adoption of Resolution 24-089 (Attachment A) to extend the sunset date of certain fee and penalty waivers associated with the licensing and impoundment of dogs and cats in the City to June 30, 2024. Doing so will facilitate the continued care and intake of animals and will provide Animal Services staff with flexibility needed to improve animal shelter and adoption operations.
Attachments: A. Resolution 24-089
B. Adopted Ordinance 2439 and 2440
C. Pictures of the Temporary Shelter and Adoption Center D. Pictures of Various Pet Adoption Events