Hempstead Town seeks contractor to manage animal shelter, documents show
Hempstead Town is seeking "a qualified contractor to assume operation" of its animal shelter, seen here Wednesday, the town said in a request for proposals. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Hempstead officials are seeking a contractor to operate the town’s animal shelter, according to a bid solicitation issued last month, in the town's latest attempt at privatizing some of its animal control services.
The town’s request for proposals released April 19 seeks submissions for an operator to manage the 19,000-square-foot shelter in Wantagh, the documents show. Responses are due May 9.
“The primary function of the contractor will be to provide care, humane treatment, vaccinations/medical care and veterinary services to animals housed at the Shelter, including those brought to the Shelter by the Town’s Animal Control Staff,” the request for proposals said.
Town officials did not respond to questions about the number of cats and dogs housed at the shelter.
Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. declined to be interviewed about the privatization effort.
Town spokesman Brian Devine, in an email Wednesday, said the town is in the process of taking a comprehensive look at shelter operations to reduce cost.
“As such, we are exploring all options going forward, including the potential for the privatization of all or solely components of the Town's animal shelter,” Devine said. “As bids are not due back until May 9th, it's too early in the process to speak about any potential plan to move forward.”
It’s unclear what privatization would mean to the dozens of town employees who work for the animal shelter.
In 2023, the town employed 42 full-time employees in shelter operations, according to town payroll records. This included 13 kennel workers or supervisors, five animal control officers, a veterinarian and two veterinary technicians, and a director and assistant director. The town also employed 46 part-time employees at the shelter last year, payroll records show.
Michael Errico, president of Civil Service Employees Association 880, which represents Hempstead Town workers, declined to comment Wednesday on how privatization would affect shelter staff.
“I got nothing to say to you about that,” Errico said. “I only speak to my members.”
In 2018, then-Supervisor Laura Gillen, a Democrat, sought to privatize some of the shelter’s operations but faced pushback from the Republican-majority town board and the union, Newsday has reported.
Town board members asked Gillen for a financial impact study on how privatization would affect taxpayers, and the union stated on social media that privatization “raised great concern,” Newsday reported at the time. Animal shelter workers faced the possibility of being reassigned but the privatization effort died when the town’s request for qualifications didn’t receive responses, Newsday has reported.
The town increased spending to operate the shelter to $6.2 million in 2024 from $5.6 million in 2023, according to budget documents. Most of the spending in 2024 — $4.2 million — is budgeted for salaries, documents show. Spending on shelter operations increased by 48.3% since 2020 when spending, including salaries and contractual expenses, was $4.2 million.
Under the privatization proposal, the operator would be required to hire and train staff to keep the shelter open seven days a week, excluding holidays, feed and provide humane treatment to animals, hire an animal behaviorist and provide veterinary services, according to the bid solicitation.
The contractor also would be required to create an “Animal Shelter Advisory Committee” to develop policies and procedures for the shelter operations including increasing adoption rates, recruiting volunteers and seeking grants, according to the request for proposals.
The Nassau County comptroller’s office identified several problem areas in a 2019 report on the animal shelter’s finances, including improper tracking of overtime, weak internal controls over cash receipts and disbursements and staff giving arbitrary fee discounts and waivers to shelter patrons without documentation.
The report made 37 recommendations and a follow-up report in 2020 found the majority of those recommendations had either been implemented or were in the process of being implemented.
