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City Council Approves Deal With Spokanimal However, Five-Year Contract Can Be Killed By Either Party

By Kristina Johnson kristinaj@spokesman.com

SpokAnimal Care won a five-year animal-control contract with Spokane on Monday, but it has a ways to go before it wins the City Council’s total confidence.

Council members voted 5-1 to give the agency a $110,000-a-year contract that consolidates animal collection and shelter services. In the past, SpokAnimal and the Spokane Humane Society shared the two duties.

“This is almost an at-will contract,” said Councilman Orville Barnes, referring to a clause that allows either party to kill the agreement with 90 days notice.

“Everyone will find the council and the public will be watching this to see that SpokAnimal does fulfill all the things there,” Barnes said.

Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers cast the dissenting vote, saying she’d lost faith in SpokAnimal because of several problems it had in 1997.

“I’m still concerned about management problems,” Rodgers said. “It’s a matter of ethics and integrity.”

Early last year, federal drug agents were investigating claims that an employee of the nonprofit agency had used an invalid identification number to obtain prescription drugs illegally.

No charges were filed, but the government levied a $15,000 fine against SpokAnimal for shoddy record-keeping.

Also last year, nearly half the organization’s board of directors resigned.

Gail Mackie, SpokAnimal’s director, said recently the fine has been paid, and a new board is in place.

Dave Mandyke, assistant city manager, said the city received three bid proposals for the consolidated contract.

SpokAnimal submitted the lowest bid at $110,000 a year. The Humane Society asked for $150,000 a year, with $160,000 in start-up costs. Spokane County Animal Control wanted $433,000 a year and $1.6 million upfront to expand its facilities.

On Monday, several people urged the council to give the contract to the Humane Society, which also has had its share of problems recently.

Six employees quit in December after the board fired its director.

Interim Director Kim West said Monday that new staff have been hired, and things are going smoothly.

One woman alleged that SpokAnimal’s facility is too small to handle the number of stray animals found inside the city limits, forcing more animals to be put to sleep.

“If you decide to go with the lowest bid, you’re treating them like so much leftover clutter,” she said.

“This is not a dollar issue, but a cost of life issue,” Brian Miller said.

Mackie said later that licensed animals are kept 10 days and unlicensed animals are kept three days in hopes their owners will retrieve them. If not, the animals are put up for adoption.

After that, space decides how long an animal stays before being euthanized, she said, adding that recent figures showed SpokAnimal’s adoption rate exceeding the Humane Society’s.

Also Monday, SpokAnimal won a one-year $101,643 contract to operate a spay and neuter program.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: BID PROPOSALS Dave Mandyke, assistant city manager, said the city received three bid proposals for the consolidated contract. SpokAnimal submitted the lowest bid at $110,000 a year. The Humane Society asked for $150,000 a year, with $160,000 in start-up costs. Spokane County Animal Control wanted $433,000 a year and $1.6 million upfront to expand its facilities.

This sidebar appeared with the story: BID PROPOSALS Dave Mandyke, assistant city manager, said the city received three bid proposals for the consolidated contract. SpokAnimal submitted the lowest bid at $110,000 a year. The Humane Society asked for $150,000 a year, with $160,000 in start-up costs. Spokane County Animal Control wanted $433,000 a year and $1.6 million upfront to expand its facilities.