Salina City Commission approves agreement for Prairie Paws to run city animal shelter starting Dec. 13
SALINA, Kan. — The Salina City Commission voted 4-0 Monday, Oct. 26, to approve an agreement that transfers operation and management of the Salina Animal Shelter to Prairie Paws Animal Shelter Inc. beginning Dec. 13. Mayor Mike Hoppock was not at the meeting.
Deputy City Manager Sean Hennessy presented the agreement, which authorizes the city manager to sign it. He described it as a transfer of the shelter's operations "almost lock, stock, and barrel."
What the agreement covers
Under the agreement, the city would keep ownership of the shelter building and land. The shelter's contents would be turned over for Prairie Paws' use, except computer systems, copiers and the phone system, Hennessy said. Whether Prairie Paws will use some of the camera system hardware is still to be decided.
The agreement is structured as one-year terms that renew automatically unless either party gives 90 days' notice, Hennessy said. A prorated period would run Dec. 13 through Dec. 31, with the first full year beginning Jan. 1.
The agreement also provides for a pre-inspection so Prairie Paws can raise any concerns about the facility before it takes over. The city agreed to remove the shelter's incinerator at its own cost, because Prairie Paws prefers its own disposal methods, Hennessy said.
Prairie Paws would handle basic maintenance up to $7,500. The city would pay for basic maintenance above that amount, as well as major electrical, structural or mechanical repairs and fixture replacements.
Shelter fees adopted for 2027 would stay the same through 2027, with any changes considered in the 2028 budget process, according to city staff.
The costs
Prairie Paws would receive $462,000 in the first year to operate the shelter, paid in 12 monthly installments, Hennessy said. The city would continue to pay $352,000 for animal control officer staffing, which covers the city and unincorporated Saline County.
For animals brought in from unincorporated parts of the county, the first 15 would carry no extra charge. Each additional animal would cost the city $300.
Hennessy said the city currently spends more than $1 million on the shelter and animal control. After subtracting $122,000 in revenue from adoption, boarding and other fees and about $40,000 the city receives from the county, he put the current net cost at $898,000, compared with $830,000 under the agreement.
He said other costs and savings are uncertain. They include:
- Up to $500 per animal, capped at $10,000, for after-hours emergency veterinary care when an owner can't pay.
- $20 a day for animals held for court cases.
- Unknown yearly maintenance and improvement costs.
- A possible savings of about $80,000 if the city does not fill a vacant animal control officer position, by Hennessy's estimate.
Hennessy said he expects the city to save around $50,000 a year, unless a large maintenance or improvement project uses up that savings.
City staff said the existing animal control agreement with Saline County may be renegotiated later, which could lead to an addendum to the Prairie Paws agreement. Staff chose not to delay the shelter agreement while working through those details, so the Dec. 13 date could be met.
Questions from the commission
Asked how many animals animal control brings in each day, Brandon Sokol, facility director for Prairie Paws in Manhattan, said he was not familiar with Salina's numbers but estimated one to five animals a day. He said animal control officers in Manhattan cover all of Riley County.
Commissioner Doug Rempp said the shelter's cost to taxpayers this year "has been large" and that "the damage to our reputation from the shelter has been huge," adding, "if I were signing, I probably couldn't sign this agreement quick enough."
A city staff member said the day-to-day communication between the city and Prairie Paws will matter more than the document itself. The agreement includes regular high-level reporting requirements.
