City officials plan to develop a request for proposals while awaiting a consultant’s final report

The City of Salina is moving toward seeking proposals from private organizations interested in operating the Salina Animal Shelter, although commissioners indicated they want to review a forthcoming consultant’s report before formally advertising the opportunity.

During Monday’s Salina City Commission meeting, City Manager Jacob Wood recommended that city staff begin developing a request for proposals, commonly known as an RFP, for outside operation of the shelter.

Wood said discussions with Animal Shelter Services LLC, the consultant hired to evaluate the shelter, identified several operational issues and challenges. He said those concerns may not be impossible to address but would require an experienced shelter professional capable of managing the facility and improving its operations.

“At this point, given what’s going on in our community, I just don’t see that the city would be able to find somebody that would be able to come in and kind of turn the corner,” Wood told commissioners.

The discussion does not mean the shelter has been privatized. No private operator has been selected, and any interested organization would be required to participate in a formal proposal process.

Consultant reviewing shelter operations

The City Commission previously directed staff to hire a consultant to review shelter operations.

According to Wood, the city issued a request for proposals for consulting services and received responses March 30. Commissioners later authorized him to enter into an agreement with Animal Shelter Services LLC.

The consultant has reviewed shelter policies, procedures and other operational information and has also spent time at the facility. Wood said he, Deputy City Manager Shawn Henessee and city staff have held extensive discussions with the consultant about the shelter’s current operations.

The final report is expected to include recommendations addressing shelter management, policies, procedures and other operational concerns.

Wood estimated the report could be completed within approximately two to three weeks. Staff plans to work on the RFP while waiting for the report so any additional recommendations can be added before the document is released publicly.

Animal control could remain with the city

Even if a private organization eventually operates the shelter, animal control and code-enforcement duties would likely remain under city authority.

Wood said most private shelter organizations do not provide animal-control services. Those responsibilities can include investigating ordinance violations, responding to roaming or dangerous animals and carrying out enforcement actions.

The city would therefore need to remove animal-control officers from the shelter’s current organizational structure and determine where those employees and responsibilities would be placed within city government.

Wood said significant work would still be required to determine how a private shelter operator and city animal-control officers would interact. A future operating agreement would also need to establish the services the contractor would provide, the city’s responsibilities and how the facility would be managed.

Commissioners debate how quickly to proceed

Commissioners generally supported exploring outside operation of the shelter but differed over how quickly the RFP should be released.

Vice Mayor Trent Davis said the city should begin drafting the document but wait to advertise it until commissioners have reviewed the consultant’s report. Davis said releasing the RFP before the report is completed could force the city to revise the requirements and restart the proposal process if the consultant identifies additional needs.

Commissioner Doug Rempp pushed for a faster timeline.

Rempp said the city already has access to examples of shelter RFPs used by other similarly sized communities and should not need to create the document from scratch. He said the city has been criticized for delaying decisions involving the shelter and argued an RFP could be prepared within seven to 10 days.

Rempp also said he believes organizations may already be interested in operating the facility and that some former or prospective volunteers may return if the shelter is privately managed.

Other commissioners stressed that waiting several weeks for the consultant’s findings would not amount to an extended delay.

Commissioners said the decision could involve a complete restructuring of a city department and would affect employees who rely on their city positions for income. They argued that the city should fully understand the consultant’s recommendations before establishing the requirements for a future operator.

Rempp said uncertainty can also create anxiety for employees and argued that workers should receive answers as quickly as reasonably possible.

Commissioners ultimately appeared to agree that staff should begin developing the RFP while waiting for the final report, allowing the city to add any necessary requirements before advertising it.

Prairie Paws mentioned during public comment

During public comment, Whitney Garaki, a Dickinson County resident and Prairie Paws volunteer, told commissioners that the organization’s director would be interested in operating the Salina shelter.

Garaki described her volunteer experience with Prairie Paws and said the organization uses volunteers, conducts community outreach and transfers animals between facilities when necessary.

Rempp said he had met the Prairie Paws director and described him positively.

City officials emphasized that Prairie Paws would need to submit a proposal through the same competitive RFP process as any other interested organization. The comments made during the meeting did not constitute a formal proposal or commitment from Prairie Paws.

What happens next

City staff is expected to begin drafting the RFP using examples from other communities while Animal Shelter Services LLC completes its report.

Once the report is received, commissioners are expected to review its findings and determine whether additional requirements should be included in the proposal document.

The RFP would then return to the City Commission before being publicly advertised. Private companies or nonprofit organizations could submit proposals describing how they would operate the shelter, provide animal-care services, manage employees and volunteers and coordinate with city animal-control officers.

The city would not be required to accept any proposal. Commissioners would retain the ability to review the responses, negotiate operating terms or decide to continue city management of the facility if no acceptable proposal is received.