RFP Animal Control Services spokan�`'
�Ualley CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES
Proposal Due Date: July 20, 2012.
The City of Spokane Valley invites proposals for contracted animal control services. Proposals
are due to the City Clerk's Office by 4:00 p.m. July 20, 2012. The City seeks services
encompassing animal control including licensure of pets, enforcement of the animal regulations
portion of the Spokane Valley Municipal Code, and the care and placement of impounded
animals. A more detailed statement of the services expected is provided in the Scope of Work,
below at page 2.
Back�round information. The Ciry of Spokane Valley is a non-charter code city organized
under RCW 35A, and has a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of
seven members elected at-large. The Mayor is elected by his/her fellow Councilmembers, and
serves as the Chair of the Council. The City Manager directs all City operations. The Ciry
Manager seeks at all times to develop and implement a"best practices" approach in operating the
City government and to achieve a balanced, efficient, economical, and qualiry service delivery.
The City of Spokane Valley incorporated March 31, 2003, is currently the tenth largest city in
Washington, and encompasses approximately 38.5 square miles. Its current population is
approximately 90,000. The City is part of the larger Spokane metropolitan area of approximately
450,000 residents. The City generally considers itself to be a "contract" city, with many core
services provided by contract with private or other public entities.
Animal Control services are currently provided by Spokane County and have been since the
Ciry's inception. Historical animal control workload indicators are as follows.
Spokane Valley 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Request for Service 4,578 4,514 4,433 3,941 3,941 3,637 3,741
Impounds 3,822 3,685 3,601 3,328 3,328 3,529 2,996
Investigations 357 349 345 260 260 323 314
Emergency Calls 108 91 90 79 79 92 91
Trapping 198 159 175 129 129 67 62
Communications. All communications related to responding to this Request for Proposals are
to be directed to Morgan Koudelka, Senior Administrative Analyst, Ciry of Spokane Valley, 509-
720-5104.
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Scone of Work.
1. Enforcement of the Spokane Valley Municipal Code 7.30, relating to animal control.
2. Enforcement of the Revised Code of Washington Chapters 16.08, 16.52, and 16.54.
3. Enforcement includes field services, shelter services, educational services, pet licensing,
and appearing at all administrative and judicial hearings in conjunction with performing
the duties provided.
4. Field services during normal business hours shall include responding to the following
calls:
a. Domestic animal at large
b. Barking dog
c. Unlicensed dog or cat
d. Dog or cat with no rabies vaccination
e. Dog threatens person
£ Dog threatens domestic animal
g. Dog or cat bite
h. Injured or sick domestic animal (can refer to clinics)
i. Assist law enforcement agencies upon request
j. Abandoned animal
k Animal cruelty
1. Dead on arrival dog or cat
m. Confined dog or cat
n. Trapping dog or cat
o. Dangerous or potentially dangerous dog
p. Kennel inspections
q. Dangerous dog inspections
r. Inherently dangerous mammal or reptile inspections
5. Emergency field services shall include:
a. Sick or injured dog or cat
b. Dog or cat bite with animal still at large
c. Severe dog bite—dog needs to be immediately quarantined.
d. Dangerous or potentially dangerous dog
e. Animal in trap that is making a disturbance or injuring itself.
£ Request for assistance by law enforcement agency
g. Extreme cruelty, animal in hot car, etc.
h. Exotic dangerous pet at large
i. Multiple calls on same problem—discretion of animal control officer
6. Shelter services provided shall include:
a. Housing of dogs, cats, and occasional other domestic animals.
b. Pet licensing program
c. Animal redemptions
d. Adoption program
e. Volunteer program
£ Dog training program
g. Trapping program
h. Crematorium services
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7. Educational services will include:
a. Dog bite prevention program
b. Specialty presentations available upon request
c. Public service announcements
d. Community outreach—fair booth, license clinics, special events, etc.
e. Website
8. Communication requirements will include
a. Quarterly reports provided to the City with calls for service, number of impounds,
number of adoptions, number of licenses issued and renewed, total number of
active licenses, number of emergency responses, and other information as
mutually agreed upon. The reports shall list the information by month.
b. Quarterly meetings with City staff
c. Notification to City of criminal cases such as animal cruelty or dog attack.
9. Customer service requirements will include:
a. Regular hours that allow customers with different schedules to visit the facility.
b. Phone receiving system that can accommodate high call volume and ensure that a
message can be left if a person is not available to receive the call. Phone
messages shall be retrieved within 10 minutes. Emergency callers shall be
contacted immediately upon receipt of the message. Non-emergency calls shall
be returned the same business day. After hour emergency calls shall be routed to
an on-call employee or answering service. After-hour non-emergency calls may
be returned the next business day but not longer than 24 hours from the time the
call was received.
c. Acceptance of all animals, stray or owner-surrender.
d. Citizens shall be treated respectfully and courteously at all times.
e. Impounded animals shall be immediately scanned for a microchip and checked
for a license number. The owner, if determined, shall be contacted immediately.
If contact cannot be established through phone or in person, a written notice shall
be sent to the owner's listed address at least two days prior to a hold being
removed. Records of attempts to contact the owner shall be kept. Impounded
animals shall be posted on the website and/or any social media outlets utilized
within one business day of receipt of the animal.
£ All records created in conjunction with providing the service to the City of
Spokane Valley shall be maintained according to the Local Government General
Records Retention Schedule for animal services as specified by the Washington
Secretary of State.
g. All complaints received by the City regarding animal control services shall be
forwarded to the service provider. The Director, acting director, or designee, shall
contact the complainant within one business day and attempt to resolve the
problem. The City shall be notified or copied on any correspondence that takes
place. A final decision shall be issued by the Director within one week from the
receipt date of the complaint.
Contract Term. The City anticipates a minimum 10 year contract.
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Contract. Acceptance of the proposal is contingent upon the successful agreement and
execution of a contract.
Schedule. The Ciry provides the following anticipated schedule for completion of this process.
This anticipated schedule is for information purposes only and may be adjusted as needed by the
City.
RFP release date: June 29, 2012
RFP publication date: July 6, 2012
RFP submission date: July 20, 2012
City decision by: July 31, 2012
Anticipated start date: January l, 2013
How To Respond
Please provide five copies of a written response, responding to each inquiry in the order
presented below. Submit proposals to City of Spokane Valley, 11707 E Sprague Ave., Suite
106, Spokane Valley, WA 99206
1. Business/A_gencv historv: Include as Attachment A
- Complete the business history form.
2. Financial review: Include as Attachment B
- Provide a copy of the agency's comprehensive annual financial report for the most
recent three years.
-Provide the year-end financial statements for the most recently completed year.
- List the agency's outstanding debts greater than $5,000.
3. Emplovee experience and qualifications: Include as Attachment C
- List the qualifications and experience of the management and supervisory staff.
- List the minimum qualifications for animal control officers and the pay scale.
- List the dress code,professional standards, required training, certification or
designation, and background check performed on animal control officers.
4. Service level questionnaire: Include as Attachment D
-Provide responses to all questions contained in Attachment D.
5. Pro�osed fee: Include as Attachment E
- Propose annual cost. The City is looking for cost control and stability that reflects the
revenue restrictions placed on local governments and the accompanying budget
constraints due to economic conditions. Within this proposal, address incentives for
maximizing grants, donations, and fee revenue and how this will be used to benefit the
Ciry as well as the service provider.
6. References: Include as Attachment F
-Provide three letters of recommendation.
Provide three recent letters of recommendation from individuals or businesses that have
interacted with your agency.
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Evaluation and Selection
Evaluation process —The City reserves the right to award the contract to that proposal which best
meets the needs and interests of the City, or to reject all proposals as set forth below. The
following steps are anticipated:
Step 1. Receipt and review of qualifications and written proposals.
Step 2. Initial reference and information check.
Step 3. City follow-up with respondents and possible interview.
Step 4. Selection of service provider.
Step 5. Negotiation of contract.
Step 6. Contract presented to Council.
Evaluation of the written proposal — Written proposals will be evaluated by the Ciry as set forth
immediately below.
1. Level of service provided currently and past performance.
2. Programs utilized to house and adopt out animals and return animals to the
owners.
3. Ability to enforce the animal regulations in the City's municipal code
4. Financial stability
5. Professionalism
6. Cost
The Ciry reserves the right to utilize new or revised evaluation criteria.
Interviews — The City reserves the right to have respondents attend a staff interview, public
meeting, or public hearing.
Contract ne�otiations — The City of Spokane Valley reserves the right to negotiate all elements
which comprise the apparent successful proposal. City representatives and the selected finalist
will review in detail all aspects of the requirements and the proposal. During the review of the
apparent successful proposal, the contractor may offer, and the City may accept revisions to the
proposal, although such suggestions are not favored.
Rejection of proposals — The Ciry reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, portions or
parts thereof. The City may reject any proposal which is incomplete or not responsive. The City
reserves the right to retain the current service provider or provides services through other means.
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Attachment A
BUSINESS/AGENCY STATEMENT
Please complete and submit with you�p�oposal response.
1. Name of business/agency:
2. Business/agency address:
3. Phone: Business fax: e-mail:
4. Business/agency classification (check all that apply):
Individual Partnership Corporation Non-profit
5. Federal tax number(UBI number):
6. Name of owner/chairman:
7. Does the business/agency maintain insurance in amounts specified by the City contract:
Yes: No:
(Commercial General liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence;
$2,000,000 aggregate, Combined Single Limit(CSL);Automobile liability of at least
$1,000,000 per accident CSL; Professional Liability of at least$1,000,000 per claim and
$1,000,000 policy aggregate limit. Worker's compensation coverage as required by the
Industrial Insurance laws of the State of Washington..
If no, describe the differences:
8. Are there claims pending against this insurance policy? Yes: No:
If yes,please explain the nature of the claims:
9. How long has the business/agency been in existence and provided animal control
services.
10. Is the business/agency licensed by the City to do business in Spokane Valley?
Yes: No:
13. Proposal offers shall be good and valid until the City completes the award or rejects the
proposals. Failure to concur with this condition may result in rejection of the offer. Does
the business/agency accept this condition? Yes: No:
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I certify that to the best of my knowledge, the information contained in this p�oposal is
accurate nnd complete, and thc�t I hnve the legal authority to commit this Business/Agency to c�
contractual agreement.
SIGNATURE: Date:
PRINT NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER:
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Attachment B
FINANCIAL REVIEW
l. Provide a copy of the business/agency comprehensive annual financial report for the
three most recently completed years.
2. Provide the financial statements for the most recently completed year.
3. Provide a list of outstanding debts.
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Attachment C
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICTIONS
1. List each paid position and the number of employees in each position.
2. Animal Control Officers:
a. List the training required of the animal control officers, both initial and ongoing.
b. List the starting pay for animal control officers.
c. Do your officers hold any special certifications, designations, or commissions?
d. Do your officers have the ability to investigate animal neglect, cruelty, and
nuisance cases and issue citations; if so, how many 2010 cases did they
investigate, how many were prosecuted, and what was the number of convictions?
Of the cases prosecuted, how many were infractions, how many were
misdemeanors, and how many were felonies?
e. Do your officers have the ability to write and execute (with a judge's approval)
search warrants?
£ What are the minimum requirements for your animal control officers in order to
be hired?
g. What types of evaluations or background checks are performed on animal control
officers?
h. What is the dress code for your officers and is there a code of conduct or
professional standards?
3. List the experience and qualifications of your supervisory personnel.
4. How many active volunteers do you have and how do you recruit volunteers?
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Attachment D
SERVICE LEVEL QUESTIONNAIRE
L What hours and days are you open to the public? How are after hour calls handled. How
are after hours emergency calls handled. Do you have on-call personnel? What system is
in place to handle high call volumes during business hours?
2. Describe your facility, including square footage, number and type of kennels, heating and
cooling system along with climate control standards, treatment facilities, cleaning
resources including floor drains, folding beds, water capacity, etc., and cremation
equipment. Describe any facilities maintenance plan you have in place as well as long
term building replacement/renovation plans.
3. Provide your historical live release rate for five years. What are the most difficult
challenges in adopting animals? How do you plan to reduce impound numbers and
increase live release rates?
4. Describe all the programs you utilize to supplement animal housing and increase
adoption of animals. What are your adoption fees and do they vary by breed? What do
the fees include?
5. Describe temperament testing and evaluation done on newly received animals. Describe
the training and/or certification received by individuals performing the testing. Which
employees or volunteers perform the testing?
6. Are all animals from the jurisdiction you serve taken in or are some rejected? Are some
breeds rejected? Have you reached full capaciry of dogs or cats in the last two years?
What is your contingency plan should you reach full capacity? How do you ensure
owner surrenders can always be accommodated?
7. How many runs/kennels do you have? Explain how you can accommodate the animals
from Spokane Valley illustrating the use of formulas if applicable? Address unique
challenges due to seasonal fluctuations and animal hoarding cases?
8. Do you handle cases involving farm animals such as cows, horses, and goats and what
resources do you use?
9. Describe your programs to control the animal population.
10. What is your current estimated license compliance rate? What resources do you utilize to
increase compliance? How is your license database maintained? Describe how a pet's
license information would be accessed, both during business hours and after hours.
ll. Describe additional services/programs not already addressed
12. Describe your policies regarding injured animals. How and when are they treated? Are
your policies based upon state or local law?
13. What is your current estimated license compliance rate for the jurisdictions you serve?
List the various ways a pet owner may license his or her pet. Show the number of
licenses issued and the license revenue collected for each of the five most recently
completed years (identify any changes to the number of jurisdictions served). What
resources do you use to alert people to the requirement to license their pets?
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14. Provide examples of assistance you provide to low-income residents.
15. Describe partnerships you have formed with other businesses that have benefitted your
operation.
16. Describe the process for recording the received date for animals and verifying that the
number of hold days has been met before action is taken.
17. Describe your procedure for handling complaints.
18. Do you handle dead animal pick up, wild and/or large dead animal pick-up such as deer,
live wild animals, and unintentionally trapped wild animals; if so, are these services
include or optional?
19. Explain how you can provide assurance that the service level standards will be met and
the term of the contract will be met. Do you suggest a performance bond, payment
reduction as liquidated damages, or other measures?
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Attachment E
PROPOSED FEE STRUCTURE
Fee for 2013 $
Revenue Offset ($ )
Net Cost 2013 $
Start-up Costs $
Transition Costs $
Optional Services $
Performance Bond $
1. How do you propose to control costs throughout a ten-year term and when do you expect
adjustments to be made?
2. Are capital and equipment costs included in the price and do you expect any additional
capital costs during the ten-year term?
3. How do revenue, grants, and donations affect the price and how will greater success in
those areas affect the price of future years?
4. If the cost provided is based upon efficiencies achieved through the participation of other
jurisdictions, provide a second proposed price based upon Spokane Valley being the only
jurisdiction.
5. If start-up costs and transition costs are included, clarify if those costs would be assessed
upfront or amortized over time.
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Attachment F
REFERENCES
Provide three letters of recommendation or references from individuals or businesses that have
interacted with you business/agency.
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