VIDEO: Council Rejects Animal Shelter Services Bids Again

For the second time, the voted to reject the two bids that came in for animal shelter services Tuesday, this time after Borough Attorney Mark Semeraro said the new bids were both "materially defective."

In the Semeraro said both bidders, which include the current non-profit operator , submitted bids which included material departures from the bid specifications that were presented. With competitive contracting, there will still be a competitive process, however, the council will have the opportunity to award a contract not necessarily to the lowest bidder, but to whichever bidder has the qualifications that the council feels best meets the borough's needs.

Semeraro said this option was favorable to the council given the current situation, as the bidders know more about what it takes to run an animal shelter than the council.

The council went out to bid originally because BASS, which has been operating the borough shelter without a contract for six years, asked the borough for a new contract for an amount that was over the bid threshold. BASS has been running the borough's animal shelter for 15 years.

At the last council meeting, BASS President Ellen Ribitzki approached the council and asked that the borough provide BASS about $30,000 in back pay for expenses BASS has made to keep the shelter operational over the past year. Ribitzki also said she feels that BASS deserves the money since, in the six years it has been operating the shelter without a contract, it has taken in animals from several surrounding towns because of shared service agreements the borough has entered into.

Ribitzki told the council on Aug. 23 it costs BASS about $200,000 a year to operate the facility, located on Brandt Lane.

Because of the location of the facility, in a flood zone, BASS has incurred additional expenses due to water damage, including after the most recent flooding that resulted from the Animals had to be from the shelter twice this year, Ribitzki said.

Council President Linda Huntley told Ribitzki she would talk to her "offline" about back pay, and that she would also talk to Ribitzki, who said the organization has no more money to operate the shelter for the next few months, about helping to fund operations until the council decides who will be awarded the contract.

"I'm speechless. I really, really am. We have killed ourselves for 15 years," Ribitzki said in response to a bid not being awarded at Tuesday's meeting.

Ribitzki said she considers the council's decision to pursue competitive contracting as a "stall tactic."

Bloomingdale resident Leslie Monsees urged the council to award the contract to BASS, as, in her opinion, BASS has shown their dedication and commitment to the borough.

"If this is something that you people can do and actually get into a contract with BASS, do it and do it tonight," she said.

Resident Wendy Connolly had another idea for the borough. Connolly recommended the borough shut down the entire operation.

"Why dont you just shut the operation down? Let the towns deal with whomever and put the onus somewhere else. It's costing us money," she said.

Semeraro said there is no specified timeline with the competitive contracting for when the council has to begin the competitive process.