Yamhill County commissioners direct staff to refine dog-control plan, seek short-term kennel contracts and funding

Yamhill County commissioners discussed options to stabilize the countys dog-control program during a Sept. 11 work session, directing staff to continue negotiations with current kenneling partners and return contract recommendations to the board quickly.

The discussion centered on three program components: field enforcement of state law and county code, administration (licensing and clerical functions), and kenneling/care for impounded animals. Sheriff Sam Elliott said the county must first define what a county-run dog-control program would look like, then fill in contracts and kenneling arrangements to match that structure. "I really think that we should start with what does a Yamhill County dog control program look like from an administrative standpoint," Elliott said.

Why it matters: County staff and the sheriff said the current program is structurally underfunded. Licensing revenue has fallen from more than $200,000 a year historically to roughly $60,000 in the most recent year; the dog-control account now shows an ongoing deficit (staff cited a $233,000 shortfall compared with about $70,000 deficit in 2012). Meanwhile, contractors providing kenneling and clerical services have increased daily rates, and the county lacks capacity to follow up on unlicensed dogs.

Key points from the session

- Short-term kenneling: Staff reported both the Newberg Animal Shelter and another provider have been asked to pause pending board direction; commissioners directed staff to continue discussions and bring Newberg's contract back next week so the shelter can proceed with service. Captain Whitlow and county staff said Newbergs paperwork is ready and awaiting the county.

- Licensing and administration: Commissioners and the sheriff discussed bringing licensing work in-house after years of outsourcing that officials say coincided with a decline in compliance. Homeward Bound currently processes licenses and handles redemptions under a contract that staff said costs about $90,000 annually. Commissioner King said the county should consider sunsetting that contract and managing licensing centrally.

- Staffing model and costs: Staff and the sheriff said a return to the previously successful model would require a dedicated enforcement team. Historical staffing was two field officers plus office clerical support; officials said 1 dedicated officer would help but two full-time staff would better cover county geography. The board asked staff to prepare cost estimates for a dedicated code-enforcement/dog-control position (or two), and to provide job-class benchmarks and projected ongoing costs.

- Funding and one-time support: County staff said a short-term transfer of discretionary funds is available as a one-time Band-Aid for the current fiscal year, but long-term funding will require either increased licensing compliance (and revenue), changes to the fee schedule, or continuing general-fund support. Staff said they will return with specific budget transfer proposals.

- Potential capital solution and benchmarks: Commissioners asked staff to research what Polk County and others have done to build kennels (Polk County reportedly spent about $3 million on a 12-kennel facility and used ARPA funds), and to reflect whether capital alternatives or community partnerships would be feasible. Staff also said the countys prior facility had used inmate labor and a private endowment that has since been spent down.

Board direction and next steps

- Staff were directed to continue negotiations with kenneling providers, to return the Newberg Animal Shelter contract for board action as soon as next week, and to provide cost estimates and job descriptions for 1—2 positions (dedicated enforcement and clerical) and for short-term operating funding needs.

- Staff said they will analyze the share of licensing revenue currently returned to cities (staff noted a 75% back-to-city/25% retained split where applicable), provide projections for revenue if enforcement steps increase compliance, and report on potential use of community service assignments and other labor resources.

- Commissioners signaled support for pursuing a phased approach: immediate short-term contract work to preserve kenneling capacity, combined with a six- to twelve-month plan to test bringing licensing administration in-house and to build a budget request for permanent staffing.

Speakers quoted in this story are limited to participants who spoke on the record during the work session.