VALLEY OAK SPCA DESERVES MORE TIME VISALIA

Dear City Council Member:
I am one of your very concerned constituents who has only recently become aware of the pending transition of the VOSPCA moving to another location.
Of course it was in the newspaper on December 15, 2016 and frankly it seems as if Mayor Steve Nelson and Animal Services Manager Mario Cifuentez have already made their decisions (on if the contract for the VOSPCA will be extended for the very short 4 months they are requesting, or if they will vote to enforce the 30 day notice to have the VOSPCA off the property on December 31, 2016) even though there is supposed to be an upcoming City Council Meeting on December 19, 2016, which, as it turns out the portion for the VOSPCA vote is mysteriously a closed session.
Now, I understand that the VOSPCA as indicated by both Mayor Nelson and by Mr, Cifuentez have known for about a year that this transition was coming, however, I ask you to refer back to the article I have pasted below: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2015/10/29/tail-wagging-dayvisalia-animal-care-center/74848908/
In this wonderful article about how amazing the new Animal Care Facility is, which I will agree it is very nice. I would ask you to read carefully as the facts show that it was in fact the VOSPCA that recommended a new building was needed (and now it is the VOSPCA who is using the old section that the city was done with) while the VOSPCA holds countless adoption events, applies for grants, relies on donations, and other methods to raise the money to get into a new facility, all without complaining or saying an ill word about the City, rather saying to the public only that they are grateful for the opportunity to help the animals, and only hope to be able to continue.
In the above article I would also like to point out that Mr. Cifuentez identifies the sources of the over 6.3 million dollars needed to construct the new facility came as follow: “To pay for the new Animal Control Center, the city took out a loan. Cifuentez said plans are to pay it off with funds raised through licensing, adoptions and other fees, which is part of the reason the city is planning to more aggressively enforce pet licensing rules”. Cifuentez also states in the article that the plans for the building began in 2009. Now if they plans and building the actual structure took from 2009 to 2015, it is unreasonable to expect the VOSPCA to do the same in 1 year.
I am very concerned about the future of the city of Visalia and our animal companions because looking back to the Visalia City Council meeting minutes the City’s goal, in part during that meeting on March 21, 2016 was “capturing of revenues that have previously been kept by VOSPCA”. Now this is only a fraction of what the minutes read but the basic point is they want to enforce licensing and have more “in house” staff assigned to animal control and other duties once held by VOSPCA staff.
Now, it sure seems to me like this is more about taking away competition and less about care and compassion for animals (Contrary to the Visalia Animal Care Center’s Mission statement on the website). However, I am sure the VOSPCA is urgently attempting to get out from their current position, and since the primary reason as far as I have read that they are asking for an extension is because they are waiting on approval for a permit to move live animals into a warehouse as a temporary location while the new structure is built, that permit needs to be approved by, wait for it, the City.
So, Please Council Member, I ask you with compassion and care, knowing that the VOSPCA has already purchased a piece of land, has blue prints up for review, and has a building ready for moving in as soon as the City approves the permit, either grant the extension for them, or push the permit through so they can start 2017 in a fresh location.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter, and from my heart to yours, please be kind and do what you feel is right not for the people involved necessarily, but for the animals who cannot speak who depend on these people to keep them safe.

Truly Yours,

Patrick Fuller, Advocate