The Yolo County Animal Services Working Group is comprised of representatives from the Cities of Davis, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland, as well as the Yolo County Administrator and Sheriff’s offices, UC Davis and Unleashing the Possibilities, Inc.

Summary of Efforts to Date

Animal Services Planning Agency (JPA)

In 2013, a Yolo County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) and UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program study found the Yolo County Animal Shelter to be “inadequate, outdated and compromising the program’s ability to adequately serve the community.” Additionally, it identified the establishment of an Animal Shelter Joint Powers Agency (JPA) as a means to provide participating jurisdictions with increased control over budget and operational decision making. 

In the Fall of 2018, representatives of the County, cities of Davis, Woodland, Winters, and West Sacramento, and UC Davis (“Animal Shelter Working Group”) held two joint meetings to gather information on the status of the Yolo Animal Shelter and determine next steps for action. The recommendation from these meetings was for each jurisdiction’s governing board to approve moving forward with the first phase of JPA development, and to receive a check-in from staff at each transition point in the phases. The suggested phases of JPA development included:

Governance Model: Outlining the charge, scope and governance structure of the JPA, including powers, membership, bylaws and voting structure.
Strategic Planning: JPA Initial Formation/Planning (Develop shared vision, mission, goals, objectives and strategic plan).
JPA Operational Model: This phase assumes the JPA Board successfully completes the Strategic Planning phase, and continues to move forward.  Here the JPA would consider operational models, staffing, and program options; allowing for updated financial projections before moving forward to consider facility options.

Once an operational model is agreed upon, additional phases might include:

1. Shelter Location
2.  Shelter Design
3.  Financing
4.  Budget
5.  Implementation of JPA
   
   On September 19, 2019 the Animal Shelter Working Group met to discuss the governance structure. The County and four cities, in consultation with UC Davis, ultimately agreed to continue to move forward with the initial formation of a JPA that includes “on” and “off-ramps” for agencies to leave the agreement, or buy-in at a later date.
   
   The Animal Shelter Working Group participants agreed that the JPA start as a planning agency only, and that the operational and program options be studied first, before proceeding to consideration of facility options. There are no preconceived plans regarding any type of program model, facility or otherwise.

View the executed Yolo Animal Services Planning Agency JPA Agreement Executed