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<br />This information is intended to help the Board of Commissioners formulate a proper charge far <br />the Animal Services Facility Design Committee, consisting of two members of the Animal <br />Services Advisory Board, two Commissioners, and other interested citizens. The BOCC charge <br />should set the context as well as the parameters for the work that the Committee undertakes <br />with the architect and engineer and County staff throughout the programming, design, and <br />construction process. <br />Issues to be addressed include the concept of "extended stay" or "extended care" which adds <br />more than just consideration of physical space, its design and its costs, Specifically, they involve <br />programs and the staff required to run programs in a professional manner in addition to other <br />operating and maintenance expenses. In the case of longer term care, for instance, animal <br />wellness issues must be managed through enrichment activities that entail more volunteer hours <br />and a larger volunteer program, <br />Other examples of programs that affect when and under what criteria animals are euthanized <br />include medical and behavioral programs. These include not only additional specialized building <br />elements, but properly qualified professional staff that can work with animals to ensure that they <br />become adoptable despite specific health issues or behavioral shortcomings,. <br />The need for an effective spaying and neutering program is also interrelated, As with other <br />programs, this requires suitable space - namely, a surgical suite, which may be mobile or <br />stationary -plus the staff required to perform low cost sterilization for community members in <br />addition to sterilizing animals adapted from the shelter itself, One reason this is notable is <br />because the problem of pet overpopulation is the source of the overwhelming majority of shelter <br />animals in Orange County and other communities and in itself a prime cause of euthanasia. <br />Another reason is that longer-term reductions in the number of animals that must be sheltered <br />may mean that it is more possible to provide extended care for animals that do continue to be <br />sheltered. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff, in coordination with the architect and engineer chosen for this <br />project, will develop cost estimates based on the BOCC charge to the Animal Services Facility <br />Design Committee. Initial estimates should derive from the identification of the building <br />elements required to effectively operate the new center. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board of Commissioners <br />receive the presentation, initiate its discussion, and provide direction and guidance as desired to <br />staff regarding a charge to the Animal Services Facility Design Committee on the operating <br />practice and philosophy of the sheltering component of this project and its potential elements. <br />