Town enters new three-year contract for with North Fork Animal Welfare League

North Fork Animal Welfare League has a new three-year contract with the Town of Riverhead to manage its Youngs Avenue animal shelter and provide animal control services throughout the town.

This is the first renewal of a three-year deal approved by the town in December 2012, which took effect March 1, 2013 and ended the often-controversial management of the shelter by a town-employed animal control officer who reported to the chief of police.

North Fork Animal Welfare League, a private, not-for-profit corporation based in Peconic, where it manages the Southold Town animal shelter, will be paid $714,000 over the course of the three-year agreement to provide animal control services, manage the shelter facility, provide care for and training of doge housed at the shelter, including veterinary care and spaying and neutering services, and run an adoption program.

The first year payment of $233,135 under the new contract is the same amount paid to NFAWL in each of the three years of the contract that expired Feb. 29. The annual payment to the operator will be increased by $5,000 in year two, to $238,135, and the second year payment will be increased by $5,000 again in year three, to $243,135. The town pays the contract amount in equal monthly installments.

Riverhead Town retains responsibility for the physical facilities at the Youngs Avenue site, including maintenance and repairs, snow removal, landscape maintenance and the cost of fuel, electricity, water and garbage removal. NFAWL bears the cost of cleaning the pens and exercise areas as well as the cost of telephone and internet services.

South Jamesport resident Ethel Sussman asked the town to table the resolution authorizing the NFAWL contract until the March 15 evening meeting, when more residents would be able to attend and address the board, she said.

“I know there have been letters requesting that,” Sussman said. When Supervisor Sean Walter responded that the town board did not intended to put off the vote, Sussman inquired about the process by which the current operator of the shelter was deemed qualified and whether any other operators had been considered.

“I can tell you this,” Walter replied, “For the first three years of being town supervisor, I had nothing but complaints about the shelter. Since this operator is in place, I have never heard a complaint for the past three years. And the dogs are so much better,” he said. Since NFAWL took over, the dogs are well-behaved, well-socialized and very friendly,” Walter said. “I have nothing but profound respect for North Fork Animal Welfare League. I can’t vote on this resolution fast enough.”

Newly elected Councilman Tim Hubbard said he spent the day at the shelter Monday to check out the operation from the inside. “Those dogs are taken care of much much better than they ever were. The dogs are trained by a trainer. It is clean, sanitary and humanely done.”

Sussman asked again if any other operators had been considered. The supervisor said when the town first sought to privatize shelter operation three years ago, it received a proposal from the animal rescue group R.S.V.P. and determined that North Fork Animal Welfare League was better qualified to run the shelter and assume the town’s animal control functions.

The town did not solicit new proposals prior to the renewal.

Before casting his vote in favor, Hubbard said he “did a pretty thorough investigation” that included speaking to the Town of Southold, where NFAWL has run the shelter for years.

Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said conditions at the town’s shelter have “tremendously improved.” Giglio acknowledged having received “some complaints” and said, “We have amended the contract to address them.” Giglio did not elaborate.

Councilman James Wooten, who for years was the town board liaison to the shelter and was unable to set parameters for its operation by the animal control officer that satisfied demands of animal activists and members of the town’s animal advisory committee said before voting, “I don’t even want to comment. It’s been a long road with this. I say yes, wholeheartedly.”

As soon as Walter cast his vote to approve the contract, he handed deputy town attorney Anne Marie Prudenti the document, and smiling broadly said, “For the record, here’s the signed contract.”