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immediately and be completely finished by mid-March, well before the scheduled site visit by <br />the HSUS assessment team in mid-April. <br />In summary, Dispute Settlement will be responsible for detailed coordination with HSUS, focus <br />group planning (including key informant interviews), finalizing the discussion guide, soliciting <br />involvement from identified groups of participants, focus group implementation (including room <br />set-ups, facilitation, data collection and analysis), and report preparation. The cost for this <br />project is estimated to be $7,000 in personnel costs for the consultation plus supplies and <br />mileage expenses on a receipt reimbursement basis. The personnel costs will be charged on <br />an hourly rate as used in the project. <br />2 <br />Back in the fall, a very preliminary estimate for this service of approximately $2,500 was <br />provided to the Board. The final negotiated price exceeds that amount because of the need for <br />Dispute Settlement to be the identifiable leader in the community during this critical stage of <br />public data gathering, the need for a greater number of focus groups (from 3 to 5) than <br />previously envisioned, the need to add key informant interviews to build stronger working <br />connections among Animal Protection Society (APS) opponents and proponents, and the need <br />to allow sufficient more time for the background research and careful preparation of the finished <br />report. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost of the focus group/enhanced public input project for <br />assessment of the Orange County Animal Shelter operations would be $7,000 in consultation <br />costs. In addition, approximately $1,000 would be needed to cover the cost of supplies and <br />other expenses associated with the focus groups. It is recommended that the Board <br />appropriate $8,000 from the Commissioners Contingency account to cover the total projected <br />cost of the assessment. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the <br />memorandum of agreement with the Dispute Settlement Center and authorize the Chair to sign. <br />In addition, the Manager also recommends that the Board approve an appropriation of $8,000 <br />from the Commissioners Contingency to cover the anticipated costs of the assessment.