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Gardner council approves animal ordinance changes, staff proposes partnership with rescue after RFP draws no bids
Summary
After learning an RFP produced no shelter bids, city staff proposed a short-term partnership with Always and Forever Pet Rescue and recommended limiting after-hours intake and incentivizing microchipping. Council adopted amendments to the city’s animal code and moved licensing fees to policy.
Mayor Todd Winters opened the meeting before the council heard an extended animal services update and then acted on proposed code changes.
City staff (Pat) told the council that the current contract provides 10 dog kennels and 14 cat kennels and that a 2025 renewal proposal would have been "a hundred and 70,000 base fee plus a per animal fee" that "was going to put us around 190,000" in expenses. Pat said the city issued an RFP after that renewal exceeded the original contract but received no bids, prompting staff to seek interim alternatives.
Pat said staff is proposing a short-term partnership with Always and Forever Pet Rescue, a managed-intake rescue located in Osawatomie,…
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