Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety And Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oakdale council authorizes animal control supervisor position to improve shelter operations
Summary
City council approved a resolution to add a working animal control officer supervisor role and deallocate one officer position; staff said the change keeps headcount flat while raising supervisory capacity and will cost the city an estimated $6,357 annually (Oakdale share).
The Oakdale City Council unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing a new animal control officer (ACO) supervisor position and the deallocation of one ACO position to maintain current headcount while adding onsite supervisory capacity.
Patrick Mondragon, assistant to the city manager, told the council the city currently supervises animal services through an administrative sergeant who also manages investigations, code enforcement, field training and school resource duties. That structure, Mondragon said, has contributed to staff turnover, training burdens and inconsistent shelter operations. The city provides animal control services to Oakdale (about 23,500 residents) as well as Riverbank and Escalon under contract, and combined service-area population was presented as roughly 57,000.
Staff recommended creating a working ACO supervisor position (a supervisory classification that would also respond to field incidents as needed). The proposed salary range is consistent with the dispatch supervisor classification (Range 34) and would fall under the Oakdale Police Officers Association bargaining group. Staff said the net additional annual personnel cost is $15,893; Oakdale’s share would be 40 percent, or $6,357 annually. Staff told the council the incremental cost could be absorbed within the police department’s existing personnel budget.
Council members praised the proposal. The motion to adopt the resolution passed 4-0. Staff said the supervisor would provide on-site leadership, supervise and train ACOs and shelter attendants, assign fieldwork and shifts, investigate cruelty and dangerous animal complaints and coordinate with law enforcement, public health and adoption partners.
Mondragon noted the shelter operates with several volunteer groups and an alternative work program, and that a permanent on-site supervisor would improve consistency for staff and volunteers. The council asked about funding and operational impacts; staff said the change does not add headcount and that the additional cost is already available in the current budget.
Next steps: the city will finalize the job description and salary range and implement the reclassification; staff indicated they will manage the appointment and report any operational changes back to council.
