Council approves one-year on-call animal control contract with Willdan to maintain 24/7 coverage

The Garden Grove City Council authorized a not-to-exceed $245,000 annual contract with Willdan Engineering to provide on-call animal-control officer services, citing the city’s need to maintain 24/7 field operations during periods of staffing shortages and to ensure consistent nighttime and weekend coverage.

The action addresses a gap identified by the animal control services section, which operates around-the-clock and sometimes requires supplementary staffing during extended leaves, turnover or heavy demand periods. Staff solicited proposals in December 2024; Willdan was the only vendor that submitted a proposal. City staff calculated the proposed annual amount by estimating the cost to replace one full-time animal-control officer on an as-needed basis (approximately $175,000) and the incremental cost to meet 24/7 scheduling for weekend and on-call night shifts (approximately $70,000), producing the $245,000 total.

Staff recommended the one-year agreement with option years; the contract term begins March 1, 2025 and runs through June 30, 2025 for the initial period, with the council able to exercise option years annually thereafter. Council members who spoke in support noted recurring community concerns about animal control coverage during high-demand periods such as holidays and said they viewed the arrangement as a year-by-year approach the city can terminate if performance is unsatisfactory.

The council voted unanimously to approve the contract and authorized the city manager to execute the agreement and any minor amendments on the city’s behalf. Staff will provide performance information and invoices to justify services used under the contract.