Title
Animal Licensing and Registration Services
Action
Action:
A. Approve a contract with PetData Inc. for the administration of the City’s animal registration and licensing program for an initial term of three years, and
B. Authorize the City Manager to renew the contract for up to two, one-year terms with possible price adjustments and to amend the contract consistent with the City’s business needs and the purpose for which the contract was approved.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Charles Bannerman, Police
Explanation
§ Animal Care and Control Division of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department requires a comprehensive package of services in support of ongoing needs for licensing and license renewals for approximately 84,000 pets on an annual basis.
§ The City initially contracted the services in 2005 based upon a recommendation from the City’s Privatization and Competition Advisory Committee.
§ Since March 2005, when the City first contracted the services, the number of licensed pets has increased from approximately 50,000 to 85,000 (as of November 30, 2015).
§ The licensing program promotes compliance with rabies vaccinations and the recovery of lost animals wearing their tags. The fee structure also promotes animal population control through spay and neutering.
§ The City requires turnkey animal licensing services, including:
- Licensing and license renewal form creation, and supply of forms to approximately 75 veterinarians within Mecklenburg County;
- Processing of completed forms and management of a database, including entering approximately 140,000 rabies certificates each year, 30,000 microchips, and transferring data to Animal Care and Control;
- Mailing of licenses and tags to citizens or veterinarians; and
- A customer service line answering approximately 12,000 Mecklenburg County area calls annually.
§ Residents pay a fee for each pet license or annual renewal:
- The vendor deposits all revenue into the City’s General Fund.
- The City pays the vendor a percentage of the fee from each license or renewal deposited.
§ On October 23, 2015, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Animal Licensing Software and Services. In response to the RFP, the City received two proposals from interested service providers.
§ The Project Team, consisting of staff from the Police Department and Management & Financial Services Department evaluated the proposals and determined that PetData Inc. best meets the City’s needs in terms of qualifications, experience, cost, and responsiveness to the RFP requirements. PetData has a transparent approach to providing animal licenses and rabies certificates at a competitive rate and seamless integration with the City’s animal database.
§ Staff anticipates renewing the contract for up to two additional, one-year terms at prices to be negotiated based on market conditions.
§ Estimated contract expenditures are $250,000 annually.
Charlotte Business INClusion
No subcontracting goal was established because there are no subcontracting opportunities (Part C: Section 2.1(a) of the Charlotte Business INClusion Policy).
Fiscal Note
Funding: Police Operating Budget
Attachments
Attachment
Resident Fee Structure Chart