Rio Vista council approves animal-control MOA with Solano County after questions about per-call cost

Rio Vista’s City Council voted unanimously July 7 to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Solano County for animal-control services covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.

Council member Stanish pressed staff on the contract’s budget line, saying the city appears to be paying “over $41,000” and that, given reported monthly call volumes, that works out to “$348 per call,” which he called “an awful lot of money.” City staff responded that the MOA covers not only response calls but consultation, legal support and special operations—citing a recent case in which county animal-control officers, legal counsel and a nonprofit worked together to remove and triage dozens of cats from a single property. “They helped trap the cats all day long…they collected all of the animals,” staff said, describing county involvement in the incident.

Staff offered to follow up with more detailed data on call counts and specific costs. The council approved the MOA by roll call vote; with Council member Donnelly absent, the four members present voted yes.

Why it matters: the agreement secures animal-control services and the legal and operational support the city said it lacked to handle unusually large or complex animal-holding incidents. Council debate focused on transparency about cost-per-call and how the city and county coordinate when shelters or rescues lack capacity.

Next steps: staff said it would provide follow-up information on the count and disposition of animals in the earlier case and clarified that, under the MOA, the county provides on-site response, evaluation of adoptability, and legal support when needed.