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Council reviews proposed contract increase for Blue Mountain Humane Society
Summary
Council received a draft contract that would raise the monthly per-unit payment to Blue Mountain Humane Society to cover rising costs and curb nonresident drop-offs; council and staff discussed tracking, shelter capacity and adoption support but did not vote.
City staff presented a draft contract with Blue Mountain Humane Society that would increase College Place’s payment to the shelter to reflect four years of inflation and rising operational costs.
Staff said the earlier contract rates had not kept pace with expenses and that the shelter is absorbing costs from higher intake, spay/neuter procedures and no‑kill policies. The city’s synopsis noted the initial shelter proposal was higher and that the recommended contract settled in a negotiated middle ground. “They add that all up and come up to a fair value because the initial proposal was definitely out there, but we ended up in the middle ground,” a staff member said.
Why it matters: city staff said the shelter’s finances and statewide trends in shelter intake are driving higher contract costs; the proposed change would also narrow the circumstances under which the shelter bills the city for community drop-offs.
Key points discussed - Volume and tracking: staff said College Place law enforcement submits fewer than 50 animals annually; the shelter previously accepted community drop‑offs without reliably distinguishing city residents, which increased costs. Staff said they had proposed contract language to close that loophole so drop-offs are not automatically charged to the city. - Shelter operations and causes: Chief Tamaros said the problem is statewide, with higher numbers of surrendered pets and rising care costs; the shelter’s no‑kill approach and spay/neuter requirements add to per-animal costs. - Adoption and outreach: staff and the chief said they are exploring partnership and promotion strategies to increase adoptions and reduce shelter stays, including public education and donation programs the humane society already runs (free/low-cost pet food and other aid programs). - Operational impact: staff warned the tighter drop-off policy shifts more responsibilities to the police and code-enforcement staff, who will use tag readers and outreach to return animals to owners before transport to the shelter.
Council discussion and next steps Council members asked for monthly intake numbers and whether the new contract would push more administrative work onto city staff; staff said they would provide the historical pickup numbers by email and that the draft contract represents a negotiated compromise between the city and the humane society. No formal vote was recorded at the workshop; staff will return with final contract language and supporting data.
Ending Council members praised staff for negotiating deliberately and asked staff to return with intake and billing details before the council considers final approval of the contract.
