Fountain Valley opts to go with county animal care

Fountain Valley has renewed its contract with Orange County Animal Care and entered into a new 10-year agreement that requires the city to contribute a maximum of $777,973 in construction costs to the organization’s new facility in Tustin.

After researching alternatives and their potential costs, the City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to go with the county.

Orange County Animal Care is a one-stop service handling animal control and shelter needs as well as dog barking complaints, said Fountain Valley police Capt. Kevin Childe. Partnering with a nonprofit would require the city to provide its own personnel and equipment, ultimately leading to extra costs, he explained.

Participants must opt for both agreements simultaneously or be barred from contracting with the county service for three years, Childe added.

Asked whether other cities also plan to extend contract agreements, Childe said some cities partnered together to try to cut costs but are finding that more money would be spent if opting out of the county service.

The former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station will be the new location of the facility. Construction is expected to cost at least $35 million, and the county will contribute $5 million, according to the staff report.

The remaining $30 million would be proportionally divided among participating cities based on the number of shelter days used over a five-year average, the report said. Fountain Valley can pay its $777,973 in construction costs through a 10-year payment plan.

Construction is slated for July, and the new facility is expected to open by the end of 2017.