The Baldwin City Council voted Tuesday night to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Habersham County for animal control services after discussing the agreement’s cost, enforcement provisions and coverage for residents living in the Banks County portion of the city.
Under the agreement, Habersham County Animal Control will continue responding to animal-related calls throughout Baldwin’s corporate limits. The service is expected to cost the city approximately $19,000 to $20,000 annually.
Council members were told the county was unwilling to revise the proposed agreement’s funding formula or restore a previous 3% cap on annual cost increases. County officials reportedly said they would attempt to keep Baldwin’s costs near the current amount, although the agreement does not guarantee that future increases will remain below a set percentage.
The annual agreement can be terminated by either party with 60 days’ notice.
Council members acknowledged concerns about the quality and consistency of the service but questioned whether Baldwin could provide comparable animal control services for the same cost.
City officials noted that Baldwin does not have a facility to house animals or the resources needed to handle vicious animals, quarantines and rabies testing. Establishing a city-operated animal control program would require more than assigning an employee to issue citations.
One council member estimated that the agreement costs the average Baldwin taxpayer approximately $7 per year.
“I would say this, though: approximately $20,000, it would be very difficult for us to replicate any level of service within the city because we don’t have the ability to store the animals,” the mayor said during the discussion.
Officials said approving the agreement would allow Baldwin to maintain animal control coverage while giving the city time to evaluate other options if the arrangement proves unsatisfactory.
Banks County Coverage Questioned
A significant part of the discussion concerned animal control service within the Banks County portion of Baldwin.
Council members questioned whether Habersham County animal control officers would cross the county line to respond to calls involving Baldwin residents. Police officials said Habersham County officers have responded to animal calls on the Banks County side of the city, including a recent incident involving a vicious animal that was surrendered, euthanized and sent for immediate rabies testing.
The agreement authorizes Habersham County animal control officers to enforce Baldwin’s animal control ordinance throughout the city limits, not only within the Habersham County portion of Baldwin.
However, officials identified a jurisdictional problem involving citations issued to residents on the Banks County side. Citations previously directed to Habersham County Magistrate Court have reportedly been dismissed because the alleged violations occurred in Banks County.
City officials said Baldwin will need an ordinance allowing those cases to be heard in Baldwin Municipal Court. The change would allow animal control officers to provide enforcement throughout the city while ensuring citations are handled by a court with jurisdiction over violations occurring inside Baldwin.
Council Calls for Performance Reviews
Although the council approved the agreement, members said the city should closely monitor the county’s performance rather than wait until the end of the year to determine whether the service is meeting Baldwin’s needs.
Council members discussed conducting quarterly reviews that would examine the number of calls, response rates, how incidents were handled, citations issued and revenue collected through municipal court.
The city could terminate the agreement with 60 days’ notice if officials determine that Habersham County is not providing the expected level of service.
“I would recommend we proceed with signing the IGA,” city Manager Tiera Morrison told the council. “If we find that it’s not working for us, we can look and see about other options.”
A motion was made and seconded to approve the agreement. The motion carried.
