FROM: GEORGEANNE A. WHITE, City Manager
Office of Mayor and City Manager
BY: ALMA TORRES, Deputy City Manager
Office of Mayor and City Manager
COURTNEY ESPINOZA, Business Manager
Finance Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the California For All Animals Shelter Assistance Program Off-Cycle Grant
1. Authorize the City Manager to accept $350,400 in grant funding for the Animal Center from the Regents of the University of California on behalf of its Davis Campus School of Veterinary Medicine on behalf of its Koret Shelter Medicine Program in connection with the California for All Animals statewide animal shelter assistance program.
2. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute the Shelter Services Agreement and any related documents, for the California For All Animals Shelter Assistance Program Off-Cycle Grant.
3. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the 22nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2023-185 appropriating $350,400 for the Animal Center from the California for All Animals Shelter Assistant Program Off-Cycle Grant (requires five affirmative votes) (subject to Mayor’s veto).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approves all actions related to the acceptance of the California for All Animals Shelter Assistance Program Off-Cycle Grant for the Fresno Animal Center.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In June of 2022 the University of California, Davis Campus, Koret Shelter Program with funding from the California for All Animals Shelter Assistance Program, announced the award of a $600,000 grant to the Animal Center operator, Fresno Humane Animal Services (FHAS). In April of 2023, FHAS notified the City of Fresno of its intent to not renew the operating agreement. Through the approval of these actions, Council will authorize the transfer of the $350,400 in remaining grant fund balances from Fresno Humane Animal Services to the City of Fresno Animal Center.
BACKGROUND
In June of 2022 the University of California, Davis Campus, Koret Shelter Program with funding from the California for All Animals Shelter Assistance Program, announced the award of a $600,000 grant to the Animal Center operator, Fresno Humane Animal Services (FHAS) with the intent to become a hub for the community, offering resources, and assistance, to help keep, animals in their homes, reduce the community cat population, increase spay/neuter, and offer overall support to the people and pets in the community that need it most. In April of 2023, FHAS notified the City of Fresno of its intent to not renew the operating agreement. This has created the need to reallocate the remaining $350,400 in grant funds from the operator, FHAS, to the new City of Fresno Animal Center Department.
Through discussions with the granting agencies funding will be allocated to provide veterinary access to care - the limited availability of veterinarians in the community and high cost can create barriers for families to keep their pets. Research suggests that having access to veterinary care improves the lives of owned and community pets; Community Cat (Trap-Neuter- Return) Partnerships to provide stipends, supplies, and resources to community organizations that are currently focused on TNR program with the goal of providing strategic and targeted focus on the communities most at risk throughout the city; free microchip program strategically focused on high intake areas to increase return-to-owner rates and reduce length of stay for the animals entering the kennels and distribution of microchip readers in various sectors of the community to assist with reuniting owners with their pets and limiting the need for lost animals to enter the Animal Center; expansion of the Foster Program to assist with keeping the animals out of the kennel environment and in homes; and lastly, but most importantly, continuing to provide public spay and neuter for the prevention of unwanted litters.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, this is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because accepting grant funds does not include a bid or award of a construction or service contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The acceptance of the grant does not generate an impact to the General Fund.
Attachments:
Shelter Services Agreement with KSMP
22nd Amendment to Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2023-185