City Council Approves Renewal of Agreement With Fulton County

The Roswell City Council voted unanimously to approve an agreement with Fulton County for animal control services in the amount of $63,546. The agreement basically ensures the city of Roswell will pay their part.

However, there were some concerns about the agreement. Though council approved the agreement, Councilwoman Becky Wynn said she would like to see a condition attached. 

"We would like to send Fulton County a letter with the mayor's signature requesting an audit of the organization providing the animal services," Wynn said. 

Wynn pointed out that an investigation done by a local TV station showed that there were discrepancys on how the money was spent.  

The city of Roswell pays their share of animal control services every year based upon the number of calls to Fulton County.

"There were approximately 700 calls last year," Councilwoman Betty Price said. "The problem is that our agreement with Fulton County doesn't specify what the county's agreement with the animal control unit that they use on what services will be provided. We don't know if they're required to respond in a certain time frame? Are they required to do certain things? They don't do any road kill pick up. They just respond to Rabies issues and sick animals, that sort of thing", Price said.

Price's biggest concern was the amount of the indirect cost. "My concern is that in [the city's portion of the] cost, there is a $248,000 indirect cost they're charging to us, which means it has nothing to do with their contract with the animal service provider. It's this indirect cost which I suppose is administrative, but I find it hard to believe that they have a quarter of a million dollars in administrative costs," she said.

Price went on to say that if a person called to report a dead animal on their road, the animal control unit might say, "We don't cover that. You need to call your city."

"Is that a call and are we being charged for that call," Price wanted to know.    

In other news from the meeting last night, the council voted unanimously to approve a budget amendment to the already approved revenue and expenditure budgets with a revenue increase of $1,392,754 and new expenditures of $1,207,754.

The amendment included four components. The first was to recognize $1,392,754 in additional revenue for electricity franchise fees, employees health insurance contributions, recreation fees and insurance payments received. The second component authorizes $125,000 set aside in available fund balance from the E-911 Fund and the Worker's Compensation Fund. The third component is the recognition of $1,207,754 in additional expenditures for maintenance and repairs, electricity, insurance claims as well as E-911 and Recreation Participants expenditures. Component four is an appropriation of budgeted contingency funds in the amount of $9,000 to the historic Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau.