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The Seal Beach council unanimously approved an amendment to the contract with the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center for wildlife services on Monday, May 12. This is the first amendment to the contract since Seal Beach began its own animal control program.
The city will now pay the wildlife center $1,000 a month. Previously, the city paid $500 a month.
This was a Consent Calendar item. Consent items are voted on collectively, without discussion, unless a council member pulls one or more items for further discussion. Nothing was pulled from the May 12 Consent Calendar.
“The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) is a nonprofit organization located in Huntington Beach, California. It is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured and orphaned native wildlife,” according to the staff report by Capt. Nick Nicholas of the SBPD Support Services Bureau.
“On July 1, 2023, the City of Seal Beach entered into an agreement with WWCC to provide wildlife field services and sheltering support for wild animals found within City limits,” Nicholas wrote. The agreement was part of the newly launched in-house animal control program.
“At the time the original agreement was developed, the compensation was based on historical data from the previous animal control provider—the City of Long Beach. However, since establishing the City’s in-house program, the volume of animals taken to WWCC has significantly exceeded initial estimates,” Nicholas wrote.
“This increase is due to more responsive, local field operations and greater emphasis on proactive animal welfare services,” Nicholas wrote.
“Amendment 1 adjusts the monthly compensation from $500 to $1,000 during the one-year extension period (FY 2025-2026) to better reflect the true scope of services being provided by WWCC. This revised rate ensures that WWCC is fairly compensated for the substantial increase in animals received from the City and allows the City to continue providing humane, professional care for wildlife. In addition, the amendment allows the City to exercise up to two additional one-year extensions beyond FY 2025-2026, under the same terms and compensation, should the partnership remain beneficial and funding be available,” Nicholas wrote.
