King County to release draft plan for new animal shelter arrangement

King County officials expect to release a draft plan by early next week to Kent and other cities of a new regional model for animal control and sheltering to be funded by the cities rather than the county.

“We are coming close to a first draft plan to discuss with the cities,” said Frank Abe, spokesman for County Executive Dow Constantine, in a phone interview Monday.

Each city would look at the proposal and decide whether to join the regional plan or choose another option. Thirty-two cities, including Kent, contract with the county to run the shelters, animal control services and the pet licensing program.

Kent city staff expects to bring three options in April to the City Council about the costs and details of a regional plan for 32 cities, a south county plan among about six cities and the city running its own animal care and control program.

Staff from several cities, including Kent, have met with county officials since January as part of a small workgroup to develop a proposed regional animal care and control program run mainly by the 32 cities rather than the county.

The county, citing a variety of issues, including a budget shortfall, is pulling out of providing the animal control and sheltering business to cities, with a deadline of June 30. It operates two shelters – one in Kent, and another in Bellevue. The county will continue to offer animal control and care services for unincorporated areas.

The County Council adopted an ordinance in January submitted by Constantine to extend the deadline for closing the Kent and Bellevue shelters to June 30 from Jan. 31.

Jeff Watling, Kent parks, recreation and community services director, serves on the city-county small work group. He said the county will release details of the regional proposal, including the costs to each city.

“It is going to cost us some money,” Watling said at a March 16 City Council Operations Committee meeting. “We’ll need to look at our general fund.”

Watling said revenue from pet license fees would not cover the city’s costs of operating an animal control program.

Kent city officials are meeting with city staff from the south county cities of Auburn, Covington, Tukwila, Burien and SeaTac to look at options if a 32-city regional plan doesn’t work out, Watling said. Renton and Des Moines already operate their own animal control programs.

“We have a subgroup to look at other options such as partnering with neighboring cities for just field services or maybe field services and sheltering,” Watling said.

Kent officials plan to respond by April 30 to the county about whether to enter into a new regional contract.

Watling said the small city-county workgroup has discussed a possible extension of the June 30 deadline in order to give cities more time to take over animal care and control.

“It’s a very ambitious timeline for the transfer from one jurisdiction to over 30,” Watling said.

Federal Way city officials already have decided to operate their own animal control services starting in July rather than waiting to see details of a new regional proposal.

The Federal Way City Council voted in February to create an animal control unit within its police department and to contract for sheltering with The Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County.

County officials say revenues from pet licenses and other supporting fees have fallen about $2 million short per year of the $5 million cost of providing animal care and control. With a projected budget shortfall of $56 million in 2010, the county wants out of the animal business to focus on its other services and programs.

The County Council claims it wants the county out of the sheltering business not only to save money but also to improve the treatment of the animals through a new regional model.