BASS Awarded Contract

The (BASS) was awarded a contract by the during a special meeting Friday morning after being without a contract for six years.

While the five-year contract for animal shelter services was accepted unanimously by the borough council (with the exclusion of Democrat Councilman Bernie Vroom who was absent), BASS' lawyers still have to review the contract and determine if the terms are acceptable by BASS' standards. If not, BASS President Ellen Ribitzki said BASS' lawyer would attempt to negotiate further with Borough Attorney Mark Semeraro.

Included in the contract is a five-year lease for the building that houses the shelter at 23 Brandt Lane.

The contract calls for annual payments to BASS for five years. In 2012, BASS would receive $31,500; $32,130 in 2013; $32,773 in 2014; $33,428 in 2015; and $34,097 in 2016. The contract also has a 120-day termination clause in the event the contract is not profitable for the borough, Semeraro said. There is also an allowance of cancellation of the contract within 90 days of it being signed by both parties.

Mayor Jonathan Dunleavy explained the history of the contract situation after Councilman-elect Ray Yazdi inquired during the public comment portion of the meeting. While BASS originally had a contract with the borough, he said, it expired in 2006 and since then has not been renewed. Over the past several years, the borough has entered into shared services agreements to provide animal control and sheltering services to seven municipalities, and BASS has argued that they should be compensated for the extra work and additional animals associated with the shared services agreements. Dunleavy said the council acknowledges that BASS should receive some funding as a result of the agreements.

"I think the council has always taken the position that the need is because the shelter now brings in more animals," he said.

However, the amount of money BASS had requested of the borough was over bid threshold, Dunleavy said, so the borough went out to bid. BASS has argued that the borough could have solely contracted with them and did not need to go out to bid. During the first two rounds of bidding this year, the proposals submitted did not meet the borough's standards, Semeraro said. Throughout the process, only BASS and one other bidder submitted proposals. In the third round, the council opted to use which allowed the borough to not necessarily choose the lowest bidder, but the bidder that met all the qualifications of the borough most closely. But in the third round, BASS was the only bidder.

Yazdi said he did not understand why the borough would be paying for the services that were not previously paid for with BASS over the past six years. He also said he was unsure where the borough was going to get the money.

"It's not about the animals. It's not about the people. It's about the dollars and cents," he said.

Borough Chief Financial Officer Donna Mollineaux agreed that she was unsure how the borough would pay the additional expense.

"There's not an extra $30,000 for 2012, so we're going to have to figure that out," she said.

Mollineaux said the actions of the borough council this year that are supposed to come out of next year's budget will put the borough in a difficult financial situation. Already $130,800 is supposed to be allocated from the 2012 budget, she said, in addition to the fees for borough professionals and now the $31,500 payment to BASS if the contract is accepted.

Still, Dunleavy said the amount of money per animal the contract breaks down to is a good deal, comparatively. Ribitzki said there are currently about 150 cats being housed at the shelter and former building and about 20 dogs.

Dunleavy questioned what portion of the costs associated with BASS' overhead results from their While Ribitzki said she was unsure at the time, she said the rescues actually help make the shelter money. The mayor also noted that the borough is only contractually obligated to keep the animals seven days, although BASS operates a no-kill shelter so many animals stay longer.

Dunleavy questioned Ribitzki about whether BASS would be approaching the council asking for more funding later in the new year.

"You will be back here before May asking for more money," he said.

"Then you need to give us more money up front," Ribitzki replied.

But Ribitzki said BASS would try to make the best out of what they do receive from the borough.

The contract does have a clause that if more towns are added or subtracted from the shared services agreements, the contract could be re-negotiated. Dunleavy also noted that the shared services agreements help reduce the costs of animal control services.