Airdrie City council voted unanimously to delay the creation of an Animal Welfare Grant program until the comprehensive Police Master Plan (PMP) – which is to be initiated in 2019 – is complete.
“One of the outcomes of this needs assessment is to explore Municipal Enforcement’s growth and look at a long-term plan for animal control within the City,” said Lynn Mackenzie, team leader with Municipal Enforcement.
Additionally, Mackenzie said, the City’s requirements for a contracted kennel service will need to be re-evaluated before the project can proceed, as no applicant met the existing mandatory minimum. These requirements will be reviewed based on market capabilities, scope of work and pricing, she said, before the request is retendered.
Council had requested staff report back with details regarding what an Animal Welfare Grant program might look like – including both criteria and a proposed grant amount – at a meeting in October 2018. Mackenzie presented council with a brief overview, including a chart comparing the programs available in other Alberta municipalities.
“We looked at Calgary, Cochrane, Rocky View County (RVC), Medicine Hat, Edmonton and Lethbridge,” she said. “What was very interesting is that all of these municipalities, with the exception of RVC, all have either an animal welfare agency or an animal control building or both.”
According to Mackenzie, the PMP is expected to be presented to council by the end of second quarter in 2020, and the results of the new request for quotes from kennel services will be determined in the coming weeks.
“I’m glad that we looked into it – I think that as we get to be a bigger municipality, this is probably going to be an issue that we may have to take a bigger role in,” said Coun. Tina Petrow. “I look forward to the results of the study.”
