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Previously:

• Dogs Killing Cats in the Fort Dick Area as County Animal Control Remains Short Staffed

• Fort Dick Residents Offer $800 Reward Toward the Capture of 3 Dogs Suspected of Killing Pet Cats

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Del Norte County supervisors on Tuesday will be asked to approve a new animal services manager position who will oversee both the shelter and Animal Control.

Supervisors will also be asked to revise the Animal Control officer job description and adjust the salary using voter-approved Measure R dollars. County staff also propose eliminating a kennel attendant classification.

The new and revised Animal Control positions attempts to address an eight-year-old staffing shortage, which had hampered response to complaints of nuisance dogs in the Fort Dick area.

Currently, Del Norte County Agricultural Commissioner Justin Riggs is also the Animal Control director and the sealer of weights and measures.

One of two animal control officer positions is vacant and county staff anticipate recruiting for the second position to be a challenge, according to a Jan. 18 staff report from Assistant County Administrative Officer Randy Hooper.

“Having only one manager often means choosing between completing administrative duties in a timely fashion or dealing with the urgent issues of the divisions,” Hooper wrote. “This puts strain on staff who are inadequately supported and costs reputation capital with the public who expect there is always somebody available to quickly deal with their concern. Lack of resources to provide adequate management support has put strain on all levels of our department and is having a negative impact on morale.”

Hooper states that the staffing shortage in the Animal Control division has led to lost revenue due to the inability to provide agricultural services. This includes operating the county’s tansy ragwort control program, identifying pests for the public and inspecting incoming plant shipments, according to the staff report.

Administrative functions in the agricultural division has also suffered due to the staffing shortage.

“When there are staffing issues in our animal services division, agricultural staff consistently spends more time than is budgeted on animal services issues,” Hooper wrote. “This extra time spent reduces our gas tax revenue by a corresponding amount. Diverting agricultural division staff for emergency coverage also inhibits our ability to take on additional contracts/grants and complete mandated work.”

According to Hooper’s staff report, the proposed salary range for the revised Animal Control officer position would increase from $1,224.05-$1,349.52 biweekly to $1,417-$1,562.23 biweekly.

The proposed salary range for the animal services manager would start at $1,808.47-$1,993.85, according to the county’s staff report. The higher salary coincides with an advanced animal control officer certification, a requirement for a higher level of education as well as the responsibilities associated with supervising the Animal Control division.

According to the staff report, the salary ranges would have a net increase in cost to the county of about $33,000.

In a Dec. 22 article, Riggs told the Wild Rivers Outpost that Animal Control had been operating at below 50 percent staffing for about eight years.

“We’re lucky to get an officer in the field,” he told the Outpost. “Our animal control officer has to spend, in most cases, a majority of her time on animal care.”

In addition to creating the animal services manager position, Riggs said his department was previewing software that would allow staff to search for dog licenses by breed and neighborhood.

According to Hooper’s staff report, compliance has dropped steadily for the past 50 years, which also equates to lost revenue. The new software will give the public “more convenient options” to pay their license fees and will “improve the chances we will know where problem dogs are coming from.”

The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors will meet at 10 a.m. in the Flynn Center, 981 H Street in Crescent City. The public can also participate via Zoom.

Documents

• Animal Control Staff Report

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