Commissioners OK staff to pursue sheriff backup for animal-control coverage after staffing shortfall

County staff told Hancock County Commissioners on April 7 that it is difficult to recruit part-time animal-control backups because the work requires training and availability on short notice, and municipalities expect reliable, timely responses.

"We're trying to advertise for a part-time position that you might work maybe a couple weeks a year, but yet you got to send them to training," a staff member said, describing the recruitment challenges and the municipalities' expectation that the county-located animal-control service be consistently available. The staff member said the county has discussed temporary arrangements with the sheriff's office to provide emergency or detail coverage in situations involving health or safety risk.

Commissioners asked whether any such arrangement would require commissioner approval and how overtime or detail invoicing would be handled. County staff said they expect the sheriff's office to invoice the county for any outside detail in a manner similar to other entities, and that the arrangement would be returned to the commission for formal approval if it required policy or budget action.

There was broad support among commissioners to pursue a workable short-term approach while staff develops written terms and cost estimates. Commissioners stressed the need to keep municipalities' service expectations in mind and to avoid long-term recurring costs that would be better addressed by hiring dedicated personnel if the program proves expensive.

Next steps: staff will continue discussions with the sheriff's office, explore detail/invoicing mechanisms and any authority questions, and return to the board with a proposed plan and estimated costs for formal action.