Friday, August 29, 2003

Citizens of Union City requests for animal control services 24 hours per day is granted

By ALISA KING
Special to The Citizen

The Union City City Council entered into an agreement last week to approve a contract with Fulton County for animal control services.

Union City wishes to purchase animal control services within its corporate limits and delegate response to animal control complaints by its citizens 24 hours per day.

According to City Administrator Alan Grindstaff, there is a need to control rabies, investigate cruelty complaints, investigate animal bites, operate an animal shelter and remove live or dead animals from within the corporate limits of the city upon request of the city.

He claims the county has the capacity to provide such services through a contract with an approved animal control services vendor selected by the Fulton County Commission.

During the first year of this agreement, the city agrees to pay the county 80 percent of the contract award amount which will be distributed among the municipalities and unincorporated Fulton County. The remaining 20 percent of the contract will be paid by Fulton County for state mandated animal control services such as rabies control.

During the second year of the agreement and subsequent years, the cost to the city will be based on the classification and location of calls received by the animal control services vendor during the previous year.