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Council defers vote on animal-control contract amendment after contractor seeks price increase
Summary
The council deferred action for one week on a proposed amendment to the city's animal-control contract with Hannah (Hannah Chief/Hannah provider) after debate over exercising multi-year renewal options and a requested cost increase; staff and contractor will discuss terms and report back on May 19.
The Sioux City Council voted to defer for one week consideration of a proposed amendment to the contract for animal-control services with Hannah, after council members and the contractor discussed exercising renewal options and a request for a price increase.
Rex Wheeler, representing the Sioux City Police Department, said the existing contract included three one-year renewal options and that the contractor had asked to exercise additional option years. "This would be that it had- 3 1 year options They've already utilized 1," Wheeler said.
Council members questioned a contractor letter saying employees had been told there would be no raises for a period and noted the contractor was now requesting an increase. Council members pointed to prior negotiations that had addressed staffing and pay; one councilmember said the city had agreed to extensions in the past to avoid losing staff.
The contractor's representative, Chris (surname given in the transcript as Woll/WALL), explained the financial position from the contractor's perspective and described the proposed arrangement: two years at level pay followed by a 3% increase in the third year. "The new contract year beginning July 1 is a 0 increase over the year that we've that we've just had now... then it's just a 3% increase then in 12 months time," Chris said.
Council members sought clarity on whether the council could approve a multi-year renewal without the increase, and whether the contractor could exercise two renewal years at once under the existing contract language. The city attorney and staff advised that exercising optional renewal years required agreement by both parties and that council approval would be necessary for any amendment.
Following the discussion, Mayor moved and Councilmember Moore seconded a motion to defer action on the amendment and related renewal items to the council's May 19 meeting to allow city staff and the contractor to confer on terms. "So there's a motion by the mayor and a second by Councilman Moore to defer for 1 week until May 19. To give an opportunity for the parties to discuss is that correct," the transcript records.
The record shows the council agreed to the one-week deferral to allow the parties to clarify whether the renewal years could be bundled and whether the proposed pay increase would remain part of any amended agreement.
