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Clear Lake residents press council on animal-services contract as staff says one RFP proposal received
Summary
Residents and an animal-services employee pressed the council for details after the city terminated a long-standing contract with North Bay Animal Services; City Manager said the RFP process is behind schedule but the city has received one proposal and is working toward a potential contract.
Concerned residents and an employee of the current provider pressed the Clear Lake City Council on Dec. 18 about the future of animal-control services after the city issued a termination notice to its long-running contractor.
Cheyenne Nao told the council the board voted Aug. 7 to terminate a 10-year contract with North Bay Animal Services under 180 days’ notice and said the RFP approved Sept. 18 listed a tentative interview schedule and a Dec. 4 target for selecting a contractor. "As of Dec. 18, there has been no contract that has been approved," Nao said, asking why the council had not provided the public clarity on next steps.
An employee who identified herself as Alyssa and said she has worked at the Clear Lake location since March 2021 asked whether the city will publish a comprehensive comparison of proposals and whether any new contractor would sustain existing community services such as spay/neuter clinics and twice-monthly vaccine and microchip clinics. "Is this new contract going to be able to take in all animals considering the already existing overpopulation problem and limited space at the shelter?" she asked.
City staff did not present a full procurement update during public comment. During the council reports portion of the meeting, the City Manager told the council that the city is "a little bit behind the proposed schedule" but that it has received one proposal as part of the RFP process and is "working with that contractor towards a potential contract." The City Manager also said she has been in regular communication with Director Scott of North Bay Animal Services and has spoken with him twice in the week before the meeting.
Lieutenant Peterson earlier in the meeting presented shelter statistics for the year: 365 intakes to date; 328 animals "left the shelter" (including 51 placements to rescue); 235 were returned to owners; 39 adopted; 3 euthanized; and a reported live-release rate of 98.47 percent. City staff later summarized intake causes for Nov. 1–Dec. 17 as including police drop-offs, injured animals, code-enforcement impounds (red-tag violations), abandonment and cruelty/neglect cases; three animals required transport to veterinary care.
Speakers from the public urged transparency on the RFP timetable, asked that the city publish a clear comparison of what any new contractor would offer compared with North Bay, and pressed for assurance that community services such as low-cost clinics would continue.
No formal council action was taken on the animal-services contract at the Dec. 18 meeting. The City Manager stated staff is working with the single received proposal toward a potential contract and did not present a final agreement for council approval at this session.
