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Home My WebLink AboutMemo - Mail Packet - 09/30/2025 - Memorandum from Lori F. Schawrz re NOCO Humane Society: At large cats and Financial Support DistributionCommunity Development and Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 970-221-6760 lschwarz@fcgov.com MEMORANDUM Date: September 25, 2025 To: Mayor and City Councilmembers Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Caryn Champine, Director, Planning, Development & Transportation From: Lori F. Schwarz, AICP, PDT Deputy Director: Community Development and Neighborhood Services Director Subject: NOCO Humane Society: At-large cats and Financial Support Distribution BOTTOM LINE At the September 16, 2025 City Council meeting, Staff was requested to provide an update on the NOCO Humane Society’s actions regarding at-large cats for protection of songbirds. Additionally, Council requested information related to the distribution of financial support by governmental entities. Judy Calhoun, Executive Director of the NOCO Humane Society, was present at the meeting and has provided information specific to City Council’s request. BACKGROUND The City of Fort Collins has contracted with the NOCO Humane Society (formerly the Larimer Humane Society) for animal control services since 1986. The contract requires NOCO Humane to provide a variety of specialized equipment and personnel necessary to provide animal control services to the City, including: • Operation of a shelter facility • Emergency veterinary care • Disposal of dead animals • Response to animal-related calls for service • Enforcement of City ordinance pertaining to animals within city limits • Administration of a pet licensing program • Provision of accurate quarterly reports to City of Fort Collins staff Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 WORK IN PROGRESS Judy Calhoun, Executive Director of NOCO Humane Society, has provided the following responses to City Council’s enquiry. Cats-at-Large: “While we do not usually respond to cats at large calls because catching cats typically requires trapping, we do encourage complainants who know where the cat lives to file a complaint with us. Our officers then follow up on that complaint and provide education, warnings, and if necessary, citations to the cat owner. We also provide humane trap rentals for people to trap stray cats on their property.” FINANCIAL SUPPORT DISTRIBUTION “Our budget and financial reports are separated by campus. In addition, salaries and benefits for staff that work across campuses are allocated out to the campuses. The same is true for other expenses. When the contract valuation formula is calculated for each jurisdiction, only the expenses for the campus that serves that jurisdiction (the Larimer Campus in the case of the City of Fort Collins) are used to calculate the cost of the contracted services. It is important to note that the contract costs are based on the previous year’s data for the following year’s contract (for example, 2024 data for the 2026 contract.)” NEXT STEPS City staff has included the 2026 distribution of financial support provided during contract negotiations this year to provide further details for Council. ATTACHMENT 2026 Animal Services Contract Valuation Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 2026 ANIMAL SERVICES CONTRACT VALUATION | CITY OF FORT COLLINS Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 METHODOLOGY & CONVENTIONS •This proposal is calculated and presented by addressing each of the service deliverables outlined in the City of Fort Collins Animal Control & Sheltering service contract. This methodology results in a valuation of the cost to ensure care and safety of people and animals community wide. •The proposal is based on calendar year 2024 financial figures, allows direct alignment of costs to service activities such as animal intake, call volume, and other functions to identify jurisdictional allocations. Modeling a future cost for contract services based on past expense figures produces a lower cost to the City. •Data presented to support the allocation calculations uses a rolling three-year average of actuals. This provides even distribution of trends, helping to cushion any extreme circumstances that may dramatically change the contract year-to-yea r. In so doing, we eliminate reliance on projections. Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 Animal Control and ShelteringAgreement Terms and Budget Budget Model Input Statistics Fort Collins Loveland Larimer Co NOCO Totals CY24 Intake 2,234 1,401 958 2085 6,678 Intake %33.5%21.0%14.3%31.2%100.0%Legend Major jurisdiction % of total 68.8% Minor jurisdictions % of total 31.2% A - Calendar Year 2024 actual financials Jurisdiction %48.6%30.5%20.9% B - Cost to jurisdiction APC Calls per jurisdiction 10,286 6,264 4,606 4432 25,588 C - NOCO operational cost responsibility APC work %40.2%24.5%18.0%17.3%100.0% D - Operational cost % allocated to jurisdiction Jurisdiction %48.6%29.6%21.8% E - Basis of cost allocation Licensing (# sold per jurisdiction)24,659 12,002 11,699 1131 49,491 F & G - Cost and % allocation to jurisdiction Licensing % per jurisdiction 49.8%24.3%23.6%2.3%100.0% Jurisdiction %51.0%24.8%24.2% Human Population (2022)170,376 79,352 75,736 -325,464 Human Population (%)52.3%24.4%23.3%-100.0% A B C D E F G Section Part Scope of Services CY24 Actual CY24 to Jurisdictions ($) NOCO Responsibility ($) Operational Costs allocated to Jurisdictions (%) Basis of Cost Allocation Fort Collins Allocation (%) Fort Collins Allocation ($) 2 a Shelter Operations and Maintenance Marketing and Public Relations Support Services 2 b Included in scope of work item "2e" below. 2 c Veterinary Services 2 d Included in scope of work item "2a"&"2c" above. 2 e Animal Protection & Control Outsourced Services Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 Section Part Scope of Services CY24 Actual CY24 to Jurisdictions ($) NOCO Responsibility ($) Operational Costs allocated to Jurisdictions (%) Basis of Cost Allocation Fort Collins Allocation (%) Fort Collins Allocation ($) 2 f Included in scope of work item "2e" above. 2 g Included in scope of work item "2e" above. 2 h Licensing 2 i Included in scope of work item "2e" above. TOTAL 5,272,018 3,868,630 1,403,389 1,880,266 Credits Total Credits 605,841 CONTRACT AMOUNT 1,274,425 Adjusted Contract Total 1,225,107 Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 DATA FOR CALCULATIONS In order of appearance in valuation document. Raw data available upon request. INTAKE STATISTICS are used to identify the percentage of animals received from each jurisdiction relative to total intake. •Animal intake data is used to calculate animal boarding and care, veterinary services, and support services as a proportion of the overall cost to house, manage, and care for animals received within the framework of the contracts. •Transferred animals, adopted animals, and protective custody animals are removed from this total and are not used in jurisdictional allocation. •While percentages of the allocable intake is broken out by jurisdiction (across Fort Collins, Loveland, and unincorporated Larimer County), intake that comes from other jurisdictions is not factored in or used in allocatable distribution. HUMAN POPULATION is sourced from the United States Census Bureau. •The information provides the most recent uniform data as compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau since the 2020 U.S. Census. •https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045223 MARKETING & PR PERCENTAGES are calculated based on actual content, co mmunications, information, and outreach provided to the public that addresses service areas outlined in the contracts. •This does not include activities related to fundraising, adoptions, or other services that fall outside of contractual activities. •The allocations for this component are based on 2022 human population estimates in each of the primary jurisdictions served. Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 CONTRACT HOURS & CALLS are based upon Animal Control calls and hours by jurisdiction. •Calls and hours from outside of the three primary jurisdictions are removed from the calculations. •Hours are calculated based on regular service hours specified in contract agreement. LICENSES SOLD utilizes license sales by jurisdiction as the basis for allocation of the department’s costs. License sales are credited back to each jurisdiction (see Credits). Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 CREDITS PROVIDED The following items are reflected as credits to the gross service total, offsetting each jurisdiction’s total spend: •IMPOUND FEES – Fees paid by owners for the reclaim of animals, including stray boarding fees. These are tracked and applied based on the jurisdiction within which the animal resides. •LICENSING REVENUE – Revenue generated from licensing sales, tracked based upon the jurisdiction within which the animal resides. •DEPRECIATION – Depreciation credits equally 85% of annual depreciation in each department except for Animal Control Services for which there is no credit. •OVERNIGHT DISPATCH - The credit for overnight dispatch pertains to the Larimer County service credit for Larimer County Communications providing dispatch services during hours outside of NOCO Humane's regular contracted hours. •FACILITIES FUND - Funds leftover from the sales tax initiative to support the new facility, are invested and from which 3.5% is withdrawn annually to assist with the cost of facility maintenance. Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2 JUDY CALHOUN CEO jcalhoun@QRFRKXPDQHRUJ | 970.530.2950 %UHWW+DUULV DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL PROTECTION & CONTROL EKDUULV@QRFRKXPDQHRUJ | 970. 1HOVRQ0XUSK\ &+Ζ()FINANC$/ $'0Ζ1Ζ675$7Ζ9(2))Ζ&(5 QPXUSK\@QRFRKXPDQH.org | 970.530.291 Docusign Envelope ID: FB05E32B-B478-4861-AE01-B93BBAAAC1A2