The Borough of Bloomingdale may have awarded the Bloomingdale Regional Animal Shelter Society (BASS) a contract, which they have been asking for for six years according to BASS President Ellen Ribitzki. But a month after it was awarded, the contract still has not be signed by BASS and put into effect by the borough.

At the Bloomingdale Council's meeting Tuesday, Mayor Jonathan Dunleavy said the five-year contract has not yet been signed because BASS' attorney had requested several changes to the contract that was presented. Among those changes, Ribitzki said BASS wanted a clause included that would allow the organization the same 120-day termination clause as was provided to the borough in the contract that was awarded on Dec. 30.

But Borough Administrator Ted Ehrenburg said BASS would also have the 120-day protection, which would allow BASS to terminate the contract with 120 days notice if the arrangement was not working out to their advantage and the borough to walk away with 120 days notice if utilizing BASS' services was not profitable for the borough.

"I don't think that it was meant to be not reciprocal," said Ehrenburg.

Ribitzki and other BASS representatives have been approaching the council for the past several years, including many times in 2011, requesting a contract for financial assistance. Ribitzki has said that due to the borough's shared service agreements with other local municipalities (Butler, North Caldwell, Pompton Lakes, Riverdale, Wanaque and Ringwood), BASS is bringing in more animals than they can afford to pay for. While BASS is donor-funded, Ribitzki has said the economy is a factor in the shelter receiving less donations but that with the increased number of animals, BASS is struggling to survive.

BASS does import some rescue animals from out of state and adopts the animals out sometimes just days later. Ribitzki said the money BASS makes from the rescue operations helps support the shelter, but not enough. BASS had previously threatened to leave Bloomingdale if a contract was not awarded by Dec. 30.

Ehrenburg said some of the changes requested by BASS may not be favorable to the borough. For example, Ehrenburg said BASS has expressed that they would like the borough to fund BASS moving to a new location in the event the current location, on Brandt Lane, gets flooded out. Ribitzki said the shelter on Brandt Lane has flooded several times the past few years, with shelter volunteers evacuating animals. Some cats are still being housed at the former DPW building on Union Avenue after flooding in August caused by the tropical storm Irene.

"Right now, with the amount of the animals and the need to get them out so quickly, we just need to keep the animals safe," said Ribitzki.

Ehrenburg said the borough cannot legally agree to those resources, but that the borough can and would temporarily be able to allow BASS to continue to use the former DPW building to shelter animals while it is available. Awarded alongside the contract was a new lease for the property on Brandt Lane.

Another change BASS would like to see is an alteration in the borough's insurance terms included in the contract, Ehrenburg said. But Ehrenburg said he also did not think this would be legally possible.

The contract that was awarded would provide BASS with $31,500 from the borough this year, increasing incrementally over the contract period. In 2013, BASS would receive $32,130; $32,773 in 2014; $33,428 in 2015; and $34,097 in 2016. There is also an allowance of cancellation of the contract within 90 days of it being signed by both parties.

"The amount that they have promised us right now is really, really helpful," Ribitzki said.

Still, Ribitzki said having the 120-day clause on either end makes it seem to BASS that the contract can easily be terminated in less than five years. Ribitzki said she would like to see a longer commitment from the borough.