Report to/Rapport au:
Emergency and Protective Services Committee
Comité des services de protection et
d'urgence
and /
et
Corporate
Services and Economic Development Committee
Comité des services organisationnels
et du développement économique
and Council / et au Conseil
9 October 2006 / le 9 octobre 2006
Submitted by/Soumis par: Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City
Manager /
Directeur municipal adjoint,
Community and Protective Services /
Services communautaires et de protection
By-law Services / Services des
règlements municipaux
(613) 580-2424 x25536,
susan.jones@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC UPDATE – September 14th MEETING
Disposition |
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OBJET : |
MISE A JOUR SUR LA
CLINIQUE DE STERILISATION ANIMALE – SUITE À DONNER À LA RÉUNION DU 14
SEPTEMBRE |
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That the Emergency
and Protective Services Committee and the Corporate Services and Economic
Development Committee recommend that Council approve:
a) authority
be delegated to the Deputy City Manager of Community and Protective Services to
relocate the City of Ottawa Spay/Neuter Clinic to a suitable facility, with
funding to an upset limit of $450,000.00 to cover retrofit and moving costs;
and that,
b) staff
pursue sponsorship opportunities to help offset the capital expenditure
identified in a); and that,
c) staff
report back to the Emergency and Protective Services Committee and Council
early in 2007 with a proposed Spay/Neuter Clinic fee schedule which will allow
it to operate on a cost recovery basis, including recovery of facility leasing
costs.
RECOMMANDATION DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité des services de protection et d’urgence et le Comité des services généraux et du
développement économique recommandent ce qui suit au
Conseil pour approbation:
a) que le Directeur municipal adjoint des Services communautaires et de protection soit mandaté pour transférer la clinique de stérilisation animale de la Ville d’Ottawa dans une installation adéquate, grâce à des fonds limités à 450 000 $ pour couvrir les coûts de mise aux normes et de déménagement;
b) que le personnel recherche des possibilités de parrainage afin d’aider à compenser les dépenses en capital désignée en a);
c) que le personnel propose au Comité des services de protection et d'urgence et au Conseil, au début de 2007, une grille tarifaire des coûts liés à la clinique de stérilisation animale lui permettant de fonctionner sur une base de recouvrement des coûts, y compris la récupération des coûts de location de l’installation.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ottawa’s Spay/Neuter Clinic is presently operating out of an 1835 square foot location located at 1851 Merivale Road. The City negotiated a three-year lease for the site in 2003 when the former Bayview facility was scheduled for demolition. Other than $4,800.00 annually for utilities, the leasing arrangement represents no cost to the City. The three-year lease contains an option to renew annually for up to five years subject to a clause that provides that either party may terminate the lease with six months written notice. On May 1, 2006, the landlord provided six months written notice of its intention to terminate the lease agreement effective October 31, 2006, with the option of continuing on a month-to-month basis until December 31, 2006. This announcement was unexpected. The City has identified $1.25 million in the 2007 capital budget but was hoping to extend the lease at the current location to allow time for the planning of the new facility.
At its meeting of September 14th, the
Emergency and Protective Services Committee received for information a staff
report which outlined the status of the Spay/Neuter Clinic and a number of
options for continuing the services it provides, and directed staff to pursue
with the current landlord the possibility of an extension of the lease beyond
December 31, 2006 and to report back to Committee with the results of the
aforementioned discussions, as well as any other options for the delivery of
the Spay/Neuter Clinic services.
Staff approached the current landlord without
success, save for the offer of the donation of all the fixtures that the Clinic
has been using at this site. With that
avenue closed, staff is currently investigating the possibility of relocating
the Clinic, on a temporary basis, to the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre
facility. Should that avenue also fail
however, the only feasible and reliable option to continue the Spay/Neuter
Clinic services, without or with minimal interruption, would involve a lease
arrangement.
Capital funding for retrofitting is required but,
staff will pursue sponsorship opportunities to help offset those costs. Staff will report back with a proposed
Clinic fee schedule, which will incorporate facility leasing costs, with a view
to operating the Clinic on a cost-recovery basis in accordance with previous
Council direction.
RÉSUMÉ
La clinique de stérilisation animale de la
Ville d’Ottawa dispense actuellement ses services dans des locaux d’une
superficie de 1 835 pieds carrés situés au 1851, chemin Merivale. La Ville
a négocié un bail de trois ans en 2003, époque à laquelle l’ancienne installation
de Bayview devait être démolie. Exception faite des frais annuels de
4 800 $ pour les services publics, le bail n’entraîne aucun coût pour
la Ville. Il comporte une option de reconduction pour des périodes d’un an
(jusqu’à un maximum de cinq ans), chacune des parties pouvant résilier le bail
à la condition d’en aviser l’autre partie par écrit six mois à l’avance. Le 1er
mai 2006, le propriétaire a donné avis par écrit de son intention de résilier
le bail le 31 octobre 2006, tout en offrant la possibilité de le
reconduire de mois en mois jusqu’au 31 décembre 2006. Cette situation
n’était pas prévue. La Ville a réservé 1,25 million de dollars pour la clinique
dans le budget des immobilisations pour 2007, mais elle espérait pouvoir
reconduire le bail pour l’installation actuelle afin d’avoir le temps de
planifier la nouvelle installation.
Lors de sa réunion du 14 septembre, le Comité des services de
protection et d'urgence s’est vu remettre, à titre informatif, un rapport
précisant le statut de la clinique de stérilisation animale et mentionnant
un certain nombre d’options relatives à la poursuite de son exploitation. Le
Comité a demandé au personnel d’examiner avec le propriétaire actuel la
possibilité de prolonger le bail au-delà du 31 décembre 2006 et de rendre
compte des résultats de ces discussions ainsi que de toute autre option de
prestation de services à la clinique de stérilisation animale.
Des membres du personnel se sont entretenus sans succès avec le
propriétaire actuel, à l’exception de l’offre de don de tous les accessoires
fixes utilisés sur place par la clinique. Cette option étant donc écartée, le
personnel envisage de transférer temporairement la clinique à l’Ottawa-Carleton
Wildlife Centre. Si cette option devait également s’avérer inapplicable, la
seule possibilité réalisable et fiable d’offrir des services à la clinique de
stérilisation animale sans fermeture ou sans longue interruption consisterait à
passer un accord de location.
Des fonds pour dépenses de capital servant à la mise aux normes sont
requis mais le personnel recherchera des possibilités de parrainage afin
d’aider à compenser ces coûts. Le personnel proposera une grille tarifaire des
coûts liés à la clinique, qui tiendra compte des coûts de location de
l’installation, en vue d’exploiter la clinique sur une base de recouvrement des
coûts, conformément à une demande antérieure du Conseil.
BACKGROUND
The City of Ottawa Spay/Neuter Clinic was established in 1978 with a Council-approved mandate of making pet sterilization services more accessible to and affordable for pet owners who might not otherwise have their pets spayed/neutered, thereby encouraging the sterilization of the optimum number of cats and dogs. The overall objective is to reduce the unwanted pet population, thereby reducing the need for care and shelter for homeless animals, the euthanasia rate and hence, the costs of animal care and control, which are borne by the municipality. The Spay/Neuter Clinic provides pet sterilization services at fees that are approximately 50%-60% of those charged by the local private industry. Additional information concerning the policy mandate and operation of the Clinic can be found in report ACS2006-CPS-BYL-0031 (ref. September 14, 2006 EPS Committee).
The Clinic had been operating from a facility located at 95 Bayview Road since its establishment in 1978 and the facility was slated for demolition by late 2003. In July 2003 therefore, City Council considered an Emergency and Protective Services staff report concerning the status of the Spay/Neuter Clinic and directed and authorized staff to:
· decommission and vacate the Bayview location by November 30th, 2003;
· continue the services provided by the Spay/Neuter Clinic on the same cost-recovery basis at an alternate location;
· continue to investigate alternate locations and to conclude negotiations to lease a facility and to execute any required documentation in accordance with the provisions of the Delegation of Authority By-law 2001-12, as amended, provided that costs for retrofitting and leasing be identified in the existing budget and that such lease not exceed a 3-year term with an annual 1-year renewal requirement, and subject to a report back to the appropriate Committee and Council in the event that such arrangements cannot be made.
Following the foregoing direction of Council, staff identified the 1835 square foot location at 1851 Merivale Road and negotiated a three-year lease, with the option to renew annually for up to five years. A clause, which provides that either party may terminate the lease with six months written notice is also part of the lease agreement. Other than $4,800.00 annually for utilities, the leasing arrangement represents no cost to the City. On May 1, 2006, the landlord provided six months written notice of its intention to terminate the lease agreement effective October 31, 2006, with the option of continuing on a month-to-month basis until December 31, 2006. This announcement was unexpected.
At its meeting of September 14, 2006 and after hearing from a number of delegations, the Emergency and Protective Services Committee (EPSC) received for information a staff report which outlined the status of the Spay/Neuter Clinic as well as a number of options being investigated with a view to continuing the services provided by the Clinic, including city-owned buildings/properties as well as leased facilities, along with cost estimates. At that time, EPSC approved the following motion:
WHEREAS,
the City of Ottawa Spay/Neuter Clinic was established in 1978 to provide
accessible and affordable dog and cat sterilization services with a view to:
encouraging pet spaying/neutering; reducing the population of pets in need of
care and shelter, as well as the euthanasia rate; and, ultimately, reducing the
costs of animal care and control which are borne by the municipality;
AND
WHEREAS, the Clinic operation was housed at 95 Bayview Road until 2003, when,
as a result of the requirement to demolish the Bayview Road site, staff
reported to Council with alternate service delivery options for consideration;
AND
WHEREAS, during the 2003 discussions concerning the Clinic, Council recognized
the valuable service provided to the public by the Clinic and re-affirmed its
desire to continue those services on a cost-recovery basis, directing staff to
continue to investigate alternate locations and to conclude negotiations to
lease a facility;
AND WHEREAS, following the foregoing direction of Council, staff
identified the 1835 square foot location at 1851 Merivale Road at which the
Clinic is currently located, and negotiated a three-year lease, with the option
to renew annually for up to five years and with a provision that either party
may terminate the lease with six months written notice, all at no cost to the
City other than $4,800.00 annually for utilities;
AND
WHEREAS, on May 1, 2006, the landlord provided six months written notice of its
intention to terminate the lease agreement effective October 31, 2006, with the
option of continuing on a month-to-month basis until December 31, 2006;
AND
WHEREAS, in light of the timing of the landlord’s unexpected announcement as
well as the results of staff’s preliminary work to date with respect to options
for service delivery, there are clearly insufficient time and resources to fully
identify, review and implement any such options by year’s end;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to:
1.
pursue with the
current landlord the possibility of an extension of the lease beyond December
31, 2006, the negotiation of which may include the offer of payment of leasing
costs, and may result in an increase in spay/neuter clinic fees to offset any
expenditure related to lease costs, in accordance with Council’s previous
direction to continue the services of the Spay/Neuter Clinic on a cost-recovery
basis; and,
2.
report back to
Committee with the results of the aforementioned discussions, as well as any
other options for the delivery of the Spay/Neuter Clinic services, including
costs, as necessary.
DISCUSSION
In accordance with the September
14 EPSC direction, staff approached the current landlord with respect to the
possibility of extending the lease beyond December 31, 2006. The written portion of the submission to the
landlord included a copy of the staff report (ref. ACS2006-CPS-BYL-0031), the September 14th
EPSC motion, and recent local print media coverage of the issue. On October 6th, staff received
written confirmation from the landlord that, most regrettably, such an
extension cannot be granted since it would conflict with a planned
schedule for the construction of an expanded service at that location. The landlord did however indicate that all
the fixtures that the Spay/Neuter Clinic has been using at this site, valued at
approximately $35,000, would be donated to the City should it be of use at
another location.
With the elimination of the foregoing avenue, and given
time and budget constraints, another similar existing facility would be the
ideal option. Staff is currently aware
of one other facility that would likely require limited investment for purposes
of retrofitting for the Spay/Neuter Clinic – the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife
Centre (OCWC). The OCWC, which had been
providing wildlife rehabilitation services from a building located at Nortel
Networks Carling Campus, discontinued providing those services a few years ago.
That building, which included veterinary facilities, is likely to be suitable
to house the Clinic operation and would seem to be a reasonable and prudent
option, particularly given that, when it was built in the early 1990’s,
significant public funds from all levels of government, in the hundreds of
thousands of dollars, were invested in its construction.
Worthy of note is that, although the OCWC is no longer
involved in wildlife rehabilitation, it is now engaged in supporting wildlife
through public awareness and education.
The OCWC provides: public education and outreach through school programs
and community presentations and events; public awareness through various written
materials and communication vehicles such as community newspapers; and public
policy strategies through involvement with other stakeholder organizations
working on behalf of progressive environmental goals. On that basis, there may be implications with respect to the
delivery of its services if the Spay/Neuter Clinic were collocated with it.
Nortel Networks, the landlord of the OCWC and also a
financial contributor towards the building itself, has indicated that it would
have no issues with the City’s Clinic being temporarily located at that
site. Staff has met with the President
of the OCWC who has committed to taking the matter before the Board of
Directors. Information with respect to
the compensation, if any, that the OCWC may desire or to logistical concerns it
may have is not yet available in any detail.
Should this option come to fruition and given the
anticipated limited investment required, the Clinic could still ultimately be
housed with the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) and the Municipal Animal Shelter
(MAS) – operated on the City’s behalf by the OHS under a purchase of service
agreement – as part of a public-private partnership with the OHS, which has a
mandate complementary to that of the City and plans to build a new facility in
2008-2009. This is the best and most
prudent option to secure the long-term future of the Spay/Neuter Clinic.
Leasing Arrangement
Should negotiations with the OCWC fail and to comply with the direction to staff to continue the services provided by the Clinic without or with minimal interruption, the only feasible and reliable option would involve a lease arrangement. The Real Property and Asset Management Branch advises that annual leasing costs for retail space range from $25.00 to $40.00 per square foot representing a total annual cost, based on 2,000 square feet, ranging from $50,000 to $80,000, and for industrial space from $12.00 to $17.00 per square foot, representing a total annual cost from $24,000 to $34,000. It is expected that industrial space would be pursued. In the likely event that a potential facility does not meet the layout requirements, fit-up related to the relocation would also be required, the one-time capital cost of which would be in the range of approximately $450,000.
There is currently no capital funding in the 2006 budget for fit-up purposes, nor are there operating dollars identified for the purpose of leasing. Capital funding for retrofitting is therefore required but, staff will pursue sponsorship opportunities to help offset those costs. Staff will also report back with a proposed Clinic fee schedule, which will incorporate facility leasing costs with a view to operating the Clinic on a cost-recovery basis, in accordance with previous Council direction.
Given the considerable investment involved in the adoption
and implementation of the leasing option however, the potential public-private
partnership with the OHS with respect to the inclusion of the Spay/Neuter
Clinic, along with the OHS and the MAS in a comprehensive animal facility,
would essentially be eliminated.
If Council does not approve the staff recommendation, there
will be no alternative but to suspend the services provided by the Spay/Neuter
Clinic pending Council consideration of $1.25 million identified in the 2007
capital budget for this purpose.
CONSULTATION
Corporate
A copy of the report has been forwarded to Corporate Services’ Real Property Asset Management Branch, Legal Services Branch, Financial Services, and Human Resources.
External Agencies
The various agencies that made presentations on this subject to the EPSC on September 14th were notified of the Committee meeting at which this report would be considered. Those agencies include the Animal Defence League of Canada, the Cat Rescue Network, Friends of Abandoned Pets, the National Capital Coalition for People and Dogs, and the Ottawa Humane Society.
Public
There is no statutory requirement to notify the public with respect to the status of the Spay/Neuter Clinic. A notice advertising the date and time of the meeting at which the report will be discussed has however appeared in the dailies, in accordance with relevant City policy.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There is no budget identified in 2006 to fund the capital costs associated with the relocation of the Spay/Neuter Clinic. It is therefore recommended that funding, to an upset limit of $450,000 to cover retrofit and moving costs, be identified in the City Wide Capital Reserve Fund.
DISPOSITION
Community and Protective Services’ By-law Services, in consultation with other applicable Branches/Departments, to lead the implementation of the direction of Council.