Council backs phased operational audit of Animal Services, prioritizes compliance and training

Cibolo council members on July 14 directed staff to proceed with a phased, independent operational audit of the Animal Services division and identified three priorities for Phase 1: (1) operational compliance with state law and regulations, (2) training for supervisors and responsible managers, and (3) shelter operations including euthanasia and adoption protocols.

City staff described the proposed scope of work — data collection, interviews, on-site observation, benchmarking against comparable cities, and a final written report with recommendations. Staff recommended breaking the work into phases so the most urgent topics would be reviewed and reported sooner; the mayor requested Phase 1 deliverables within roughly two to three months for the prioritized items.

Council members pushed for detail in the scope so the vendor’s proposal would include specific tasks such as DSHS compliance checks, training program assessments, and incident-investigation reviews. Staff said the RFP would post on the city’s procurement portal (Bonfire) for 30 days; typical scoring and selection would require an additional month and then a 4–6 month audit period depending on the respondent, meaning a full process could approach a year unless phased deliverables are provided sooner.

Council directed staff to draft the RFP, include the prioritized Phase 1 items, and return with the final scope and timeline. Councilmembers asked for interim deliverables where possible so the council could see initial findings while longer-term work continued.