CITY SEEKS DEAL ON ANIMAL CARE.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Hoping to see if it can get more service for its money, the City Council is considering whether it should turn to another agency to provide it with animal control services.

The city, which now contracts with the Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation, is looking at other possibilities that could include private agencies - or even turning to Los Angeles County for help, as neighboring Thousand Oaks did about five years ago, said Mayor Greg Stratton.

City officials have seen that Thousand Oaks is getting what they perceive as superior service at a lower cost from the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control department, Stratton said.

``We've seen that Thousand Oaks is paying $50,000 a year and we're paying (more than) $200,000 a year and we're going to look and see if Los Angeles County would be interested in providing us with animal control services and see what they would charge us, basically,'' he said.

The city now pays Ventura County animal regulation about $250,000 for what Stratton said is minimal service that includes licensing, shelter services and leash law enforcement, Stratton said. ``That's pretty much it,'' he said.

The Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation runs the city's animal holding facility at 670 W. Los Angeles Ave.

On Monday, the council unanimously voted to direct the city's Department of Environmental Services to call for offers for animal regulation services. ``Basically the idea was to see what the various options are - maybe there's nothing better we can do,'' Stratton said.

The council is hoping to have the information by late April, about the time that the contract with the Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation comes up for renewal, he said.

The department now contracts with nine of Ventura County's 10 cities, said Kathy Jenks, director of the department. Thousand Oaks seceded about five years ago, the only city in the county to do so, she said.

``Every city buys various levels of service: we allow them that option, with Fillmore with the lowest level and Ojai with the highest and everything in between,'' Jenks said.

She said she has ``no problem'' with Simi considering other options.

``All the contract cities examine their options every year - they're dealing with taxpayers' dollars and they should get the best bang for the buck,'' she said. ``We welcome it.''

According to the Thousand Oaks budget, the city budgeted about $126,100 for fiscal 1995-96 and about $110,100 for 1996-97 for animal control services.

But the final bill has averaged about $68,000 a year in the first four years of its contract with Los Angeles County, said Brenda Young, management analyst in the Thousand Oaks Public Works Department.

Compared to this, the city paid $170,000 during the last year of its contract with Ventura County, she said. She estimated that the city would be paying about $253,000 a year had it stayed with Ventura County.

Thousand Oaks had contracted with Ventura County animal control services for more than 20 years before opting for a change, Young said. Among the reasons for the change were to get more comprehensive service and have access to a conveniently located shelter.

Thousand Oaks is served by the Agoura Animal Shelter, run by Los Angeles County Animal Control.

Los Angeles County provides many services that Ventura County didn't, she said. For example, all complaints about animals are investigated from beginning to end by Agoura shelter staff, she said. Under Ventura County, Thousand Oaks had to utilize city staff for part of the investigation, she said.

Also, Thousand Oaks residents have access to on-site spaying and neutering services for their pets at the Agoura shelter, she said. Under the contract with Ventura County, pet owners got vouchers that didn't save them as much money for spaying and neutering as they now do with the on-site service. And these vouchers weren't available year-round.