By BOB OLIVER
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — The City Council gave its unanimous approval May 13 to a contract to A.C.O.S. Services for animal control training for city ordinance workers.
Corporation Cousel Gary Miotke said the fee would be based on the number of officers that would be trained, with the city paying $4,500 if one to five are trained and $7,000 for six to 10.
Ordinance Department Director James McIntyre said the department has three full-time employees and one supervisor, all of whom will receive training, and will have several part-time employees during the spring and summer as needed who will be trained by the full-time officers after they are certified.
No date was given for when the first officers would begin training but McIntyre said it is expected to begin soon.
McIntyre also said the city already has a vehicle for animal pickup as well as other capture equipment so they will be ready to go once the training is complete.
The decision to hire a contractor to train the workers rather than hire a full-time officer dedicated to animal control was discussed by the council for the last couple of months after not being able to locate the right candidate for the position.
Krystina Kramarz, an assistant to Mayor Dan Paletko, said the city has been unsuccessful because the city wanted a part-time officer, but qualified candidates wanted either a full-time position or more money than the city had budgeted for the position.
A.C.O.S. owner Shellean Polovich appeared before the council prior to its April 8 meeting and said the officers will each receive the state required 120 hours of training in the classroom and in ride-alongs as well as training in non-domestic animal control, such as raccoon capture or removal.
“We’ll give each officer their training in state laws and regulations as well as in policies and procedures geared toward your city’s individual ordinances,” Polovich said. “They’ll get hands-on training with animals and a lot of work in bite prevention. They’ll know how to handle different situations safely after the training.”
Polovich works out of Livonia and has more than 31 years of experience in animal control.
(Bob Oliver can be reached at [email protected].)