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Similarly, the identification of animals and their owners is integral to ensuring that each and <br />every pet owner is responsible for their pets and toward other members of their community. <br />As noted previously, these fees have not been adjusted or changed during the last decade. <br />While increasing them will produce additional revenues for the County, the goal of the Animal <br />Services Department is to motivate citizens to comply with the ordinance in the most effective <br />and efficient ways possible and to recover some of the additional costs that occur when <br />residents fail to comply with specific requirements. Civil citations and fees are not ordinarily the <br />first step in the compliance process. People not in compliance are usually issued a warning (or <br />abatement order) and given adequate time to comply, along with the proper education on ways <br />in which they may do so. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff projects that there will be an increase in the amount of penalties <br />and fees collected in the short and medium run and does not expect that amount to decrease. <br />The average annual amount of fines collected over the last four fiscal years is $4,411. As the <br />requested increases simply double select fines, it is expected the average amount collected per <br />year to be approximately double that amount ($8,822). <br />As previously stated, the primary objective is better utilization of departmental resources insofar <br />as compliance measures are more effective. As people are more highly motivated to comply <br />with the ordinance, the real costs associated with compliance efforts can be controlled and/or <br />recovered to the greatest extent possible. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the proposed <br />amendments to the Orange County Animal Ordinance and Collection Policy on second reading <br />These amendments include the recommended increases in civil penalties and fines and <br />selectively replaces the designation of civil penalties with fees, to be effective July 1, 2008, <br />upon completion of the approved public relations and outreach efforts as outlined. <br />