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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - 2-19-2026 CITY OF RENTON AGENDA - Council Retreat 8:30 a.m. - Thursday, February 19, 2026 Maplewood Greens 8:30 a.m. WELCOME 8:45 a.m. REVIEW OF 2025 PRIORITIES 1. Renton Resource Center 2. Accountability Ordinance/Minimum Sentencing 3. Stay Out of Drug Area Ordinance (SODA) 4. Park Acquisition 5. Salary Study 6. Connect Regional Trails 7. FIFA Preparation 8. BRT into Renton 9. Develop Trails 10. Expand Rental Property Enforcement 9:30 a.m. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND FLOOD RESPONSE 1. Community Expectations 2. Emergency Preparedness: Lessons Learned 3. Resilience Planning 4. Interagency Response Coordination 5. Recovery Operations and Communication Strategy 10:45 a.m. BREAK 11:00 a.m. CODE ENFORCEMENT 1. Vacant Buildings 2. Unlicensed Food Vendors 3. Limitations 4. Changes 5. Challenges 6. New 12:15 p.m. LUNCH 1:00 p.m. FINANCE 1. Financial Outlook and Major Cost Drivers a. Year End Update (2025) b. Anticipated Budget Needs for 2026 c. General Fund Revenues i. Property Tax ii. Sales Tax 2. Fiscal Sustainability a. Long Range Forecast 3. Transparency and Data-Informed Oversight a. Budget Timeline and Public Outreach 4. Budget 2027-2028 a. Challenges, Changes, Limitations, and New b. Debt 2:30 p.m. BREAK 2:45 p.m. HOMELESSNESS 1. Resource Center Planning (details on Auburn’s model for Community Resource Center and the current plan) 2. Cleaning Encampments 3. Coordination across housing, behavioral health, and public safety 4. Performance accountability and outcome tracking 5. Encampments: ordinances and actions 6. Human Services and Public Safety Coordination 4:00 p.m. PUBLIC SAFETY 1. Department Staffing 2. Department Expectations 3. Crime Statistics 4. Ordinance/Legislation Update 5. Illegal Activity in Abandoned Buildings 6. Animal Control Update 5:00 p.m. ADJOURN 2025 Priorities Discussion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026 Renton City Council Retreat 2025 Priorities 1. Renton Resource Center (6) 2. Accountability Ordinance/Minimum Sentencing (5) 3. Stay Out of Drug Area Ordinance (SODA) (3) 4. Park Acquisition (1) 5. Salary Study (1) 6. Connect Regional Trails (1) 7. FIFA Preparation (1) 8. BRT into Renton 9. Develop Trails 10. Expand Rental Property Enforcement Progress 1. RENTON RESOURCE CENTER 2. ACCOUNTABILITY ORDINANCE/MINIMUM SENTENCING 3. STAY OUT OF DRUG AREA ORDINANCE (SODA) 4. PARK ACQUISITION 5. SALARY STUDY 6. CONNECT REGIONAL TRAILS 7. FIFA PREPARATION 8. BRT INTO RENTON 9. DEVELOP TRAILS 10. EXPAND RENTAL PROPERTY ENFORCEMENT END December 2025 “Flood of Record” Event PRESENTATION BY: PUBLIC WORKS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS MARTIN PASTUCHA, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATOR KRISTI ROWLAND, EXECUTIVE SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR Response Highlights and Lessons Learned The Lead-Up Above normal temperatures Atmospheric river following days of rain Flooding potential on rivers/streams,streets High soil saturation Landslide potential Levee concerns Nile Ave NE at May Creek City Preparedness Fall educational content series on storm drains / flood safety begins with Engineer Joe Sandbag resources verified, pre-filled for responders Equipment and staff ready for response Internal advance coordination meetings Regional coordination conference calls November 2025 Stormwater Smarts video garners 250,000 views Cedar River at Renton Hydrograph NEW RECORD FLOOD 12,500 CFS NEW RECORD STAGE 18.25 FT Green River at Auburn Hydrograph Significant City Property Impacts Bridge impacts Trail and riverbank erosion Debris cleanup Stoneway Concrete Renton Logan Ave Bridge, 12/23/25 Under Williams Ave Bridge, 12/22/25 Cedar River Trail, 12/11/25 River overtops sandbags at Carco Theatre, 12/11/25 Maple Valley Hwy, 12/17/25Elliot spawning channel, 12/17/25 Carco Theatre Seaplane base and Airport Spawning channel Maple Valley Hwy landslide More being discovered as water recedes Significant City Property Impacts (cont.) Business Impacts from Cedar River Flooding Boeing plane delivery delayed due to raised South Boeing Bridge Two other businesses reported flood damages totaling: $525,000 structural damage $30,000 in content losses $8,000 in economic losses Boeing employees at raised bridge, 12/11/2025 Raised for a total of 10-days Business Impacts from Desimone Levee Breach Widespread evacuation of businesses Economic losses to multiple businesses Disruption to critical medical facility doing blood processing for entire PNW and beyond Heightened anxiety in valley businesses Critical medical infrastructure, Bloodworks Northwest facility Significant Community Impacts SE 7th Street Neighborhood Flooding of at least two homes by visual observation Riviera Apartments Sudden rise in river level forced rapid evacuation 2-3 feet of flood waters at some apartments At least one person permanently displaced Riviera Apartments, 12/11/2025 SE 7th Street, 12/11/2025 Significant Community Impacts (cont.) Maplewood Neighborhood Basement flooding in multiple homes from high water table Community-built sandbag wall prevented most floodwaters from entering Maplewood sandbag wall, 12/11/2025 Incident Objectives Maintain open and safe critical transportation routes. Coordinate the incident response across city departments and supporting agencies. Mobilize, prioritize, assign and make resources available (including staff/volunteers) to address the needs of the incident. Collect and use available weather and flood forecast information to guide incident response. Use existing technologies to accurately collect, verify, and communicate relevant information and disseminate to key stakeholders. Provide prompt, actionable, and accurate information to the public to take protective actions. How Did We Do? Feedback Sources: Live engagement with commenters and messages on Renton social platforms Resident feedback, including meeting with Maplewood neighbors immediately after the flooding Council questions and comments Staff interviews and notes Formal flood debrief/hotwash with city staff Partner agency discussions/debriefs Strengths of the Response Photo Credit: Connor Croff YouTube Channel Maintained open transportation routes: regular inspections, prudent closures for public safety, timely communication. Regular incident command meetings, with clear task assignments to PW and excellent coordination with external agencies. Sandbag/resource stockpiles and proactive purchasing: first responders, mutual aid partners, and the public had adequate flood fighting supplies. Strengths of the Response (cont.) Experienced staff rapidly accessed plans and maps, with good teamwork. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) informed planning and decision-making. Technical data and field observations were shared in regular situation reporting. Technology was leveraged to effectively support collaboration. Emergency alerts kept the public informed of the current situation. Strengths of the Response (cont.) Live information updated as received with timestamps Served as trusted source for media -KIRO, KOMO, KING and FOX were referencing real-time updates from rentonwa.gov/emergencyinfo, per calls and texts from reporters. Seattle Times broke the news on the levee repair at Desimone from the City of Renton’s update. Strengths of the Response (cont.) By the numbers: -2,115 City of Renton post reshares during and post flood event -(691 on Dec. 15 alone) -Gained 1,977 new Facebook followers -Gained 561 new Instagram followers -Peak: 659,300 page views on Facebook on 12/15/25 -Peak: 115,437 post views on Instagram on 12/15/25 142,888 engagements 2.3 million views over event Strengths of the Response (cont.) Lessons Learned Imperfect prediction models will require adjustment in large events. Barriers for public to access city sandbag resources. Slow CERT/volunteer mobilization can be streamlined. Challenges in clarifying public information with multiple alerting authorities involved, particularly in a multi-jurisdictional evacuation, and staff need information even more rapidly. Impact of evacuation on businesses is significant, and critical business functions are not well known Low public enrollment in alerting system limits the reach of messaging Action Items: Sandbagging Support CERT volunteers making sandbags, 12/12/2025 Negotiate more convenient location for community sandbagging station Extend access hours to the public during sandbagging operations. Remove limits on the number of sandbags during emergencies. Better on-site signage to direct community members to sandbags. Streamline the process for CERT contact and mobilization. Action Items: Incident Command Decision Support Business Support Develop and revise a flood impact matrix correlating different metrics like height, flow, and observed impacts. Provide training to staff on its use for decision making. Develop a more accessible database or method for locating business contact information. Conduct outreach to understand critical business operations in the Green River floodplain and support their preparedness. Action Items: Public Information and Warning Support Clarify internal process for rapid map production and release. Develop preapproved, customizable maps for sharing. Expand Crisis Communications Plan content. Conduct outreach to expand enrollment for emergency alerts. Recovery Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) complete and reviewed by FEMA ~ $18M in damages Presidential Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance (PA) program is not yet assured If approved, projects will be scrutinized by FEMA, and then they will cost share 75% of approved repair amounts Displaced person from Riviera apartments referred to Human Services and other resources Working with community organizations offering aid Created centralized webpage for post-flood resources, supported by post-flood recovery communications campaign Post -flood recovery posts garner 46,500 views Proactive Investments Levee system construction after the previous flood of record Regular inspection and dredging of the Cedar River Hazard mitigation projects related to levee maintenance/ improvements 1990 Flood – 10,600 cfs Cedar River Delta drone photo Monday 12/15/2025 - Looking south Proactive Investments (cont.) Plans, procedures, and resource development All-hazards training and exercises for staff Proactive Investments (cont.) Cultivating visible, trusted voices for the public Cedar River floodplain doorhanger outreach (Fall 2025) Green River floodplain outreach (2009-2011) Proactive Investments (cont.) Development of Crisis Communications Plan (2024), including natural disaster planning, with Comms, EM, & PD Public Information Officer (PIO) Basic Training (2025) for 30 staff representing 7 departments who serve as our Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) Centralized website for all city accounts to link to with live updates,ensuring continuity of information Building Resilience for the Future Strategic investments in infrastructure Improving plans by incorporating lessons learned Regular training and exercising for staff Continued communication and engagement around community preparedness Expanded outreach to businesses Summary Strong teamwork and good preparation Good lessons learned from an extreme event Actionable items assigned and being worked on Future vision for resilience COUNCIL RETREAT COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Thursday, February 19, 2026 VACANT BUILDINGS Charleen Pleasance Gina Estep Vacant Buildings Does the City have the tools to address vacant buildings effectively? YES. RMC 4-5-130 International Property Maintenance code establishes the regulations to do so. Vacancies are in flux in all cities daily, playing a role in both economic OPPORTUNITY, but also potential BLIGHT. Approach: Cases cannot be considered "one size fits all”. Goal: Compliance via win-win solution-based approach – Of course, this is the standard case approach – some cases will require a legal heavy hand. What we are doing now and next: A deep dive into our Code, financial needs, personnel needs, and legal strategies. Limitations, Challenges & Lessons Learned Vacant Buildings Assess financial needs and programs:Evaluating pros and cons of a vacant building monitoring process Municipal Code adjustments: Evaluating Municipal Code possible amendments for clearly &strategy for expedited case resolution Personnel needs /staffing: - Created a multi-departmental response team - ensuring quick, well-coordinated and efficient case resolution and responses - Hiring a Code Compliance Manager IMPORTANT: Code Compliance requires balancing compliance goals while recognizing and respecting the rights to due process awarded to the property owner Considerations Being Reviewed UNLICENSED FOOD VENDORS Jason Churchill Unlicensed Food Vendors Code Compliance coordinated with the King County Health Department and the property home-owner to remove an unlicensed commercial kitchen November 6th – 1 team of 2 Code Compliance Inspectors canvassed the city and identified 5 food vendors of which 4 had all the proper paperwork to operate and 1 vendor was not open for business What: Fall of 2025 saw a significant increase in the number illegal food vendors. City Response:Code Compliance successfully assembled a multi-departmental response team (Code Compliance, Police, Fire, King County Health Department and Economic Development) and conducted a successful outreach / code compliance operation. Goal: Educate vendors, shut down illegal vendors, protect public safety, and ensure a fair and equitable landscape for all businesses. Actions and Successes September 19th – 3 teams of 1 CC Inspector and 1 Police Officer swept the city. 7 vendors were present, 4 shutdown, and 3 were educated with a licensing packet (these needed a City Business License) A 3rd sweep is planned for the spring to continue educational outreach Actions Conducted an Education Outreach Campaign CED and Communications Unlicensed Food Vendors Operations must take place outside of usual city business hours to make the most impact (typically 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.). Language barriers make educational outreach more difficult. The only person allowed to place/post stop work orders on locations is the Fire Marshal, resulting in a challenge in our ability to quickly shut down an unlicensed vendor. We believe our success was driven by providing education and forming and utilizing the multi-departmental team. Navigating Unique Compliance Logistics Since our operation, the number and frequency of illegal food vendors has decreased. Continued and frequent action will be necessary to ensure this trend continues. FINANCIAL UPDATE COUNCIL RETREAT 2026 Agenda •Financial Outlook and Major Cost Drivers •Year End Update (2025) •Anticipated budget needs for 2026 •General Fund Revenues •Property Tax •Sales Tax •Fiscal Sustainability •Long Range Forecast •Transparency and Data-Informed Oversight •Budget timeline & public outreach •Budget 2027-2028 •Challenges, Changes, Limitations and New •Debt 2025 PRELIMINARY YEAR END GENERAL FUND General Fund Budgeted Projected Beginning Fund Balance $116.0 $116.0 Revenues 151.3 158.1 Expenditures 168.6 157.4 Projected Gain(Use) of Reserves* * Projected reserves do not include unspent committed costs of approx $2.5M (17.3) 0.7 $98.7 $116.7 Projected Ending Fund Balance 2026 UNAPPROPRIATED COSTS General Fund Carryforward of Committed Costs $ 2.5 Flood Repairs 5.0 Existing Capital Project Needs 4.0 Property Acquisitions 2.3 Legal Fees 1.0 Total additional needed for 2026 $ 14.8 1. Other taxes includes business license fees, permits, gambling, admissions, franchise fees and REET 2. Intergovernmental includes stated shared revenue and service charges 3. Miscellaneous includes fines, forfeits, interfund transfers and development services Property Tax 19% Sales Tax 29% Utility Tax 13% B & O Taxes 16% Other Taxes1 4% Intergovernmental2 6% Miscellaneous3 13% GENERAL FUND REVENUES PROPERTY TAX DISTRIBUTION 2026 Renton School $ 3.443 State School Fund 2.250 King County 1.550 Renton RFA 0.969 City of Renton 0.880 VMC #1 0.742 KCLS 0.235 EMS 0.251 Regional Transit Authority 0.159 Port of Seattle 0.099 Total Property Tax Rate $ 10.578 ANNUAL SALES TAX COMPARISON $38.1M 2025 Sales Tax Revenue (down 0.3% from 2024) Summary ($ in Millions) 2024 Actual 2025 Proj Actual 2026 Estimated 2027 Projected 2028 Projected 2029 Projected 2030 Projected 2031 Projected Beginning Fund Balance 99.2$ 116.0$ 116.7$ 98.5$ 94.4$ 88.6$ 81.0$ 71.3$ Operating Revenue 156.3$ 158.1$ 150.0$ 152.8$ 155.8$ 158.7$ 161.8$ 164.9$ Base Operating Expenditure (122.8) (130.7) (149.1) (155.2) (159.9) (164.9) (169.9) (175.1) Carryforward/Q1 BA - - (2.5) - - - - - Operating Surplus (Deficit)33.4$ 27.4$ (1.6)$ (2.3)$ (4.1)$ (6.2)$ (8.2)$ (10.3)$ 1X Sources -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 1X Uses (16.7) (26.7) (16.6) (1.7) (1.7) (1.5) (1.5) (1.5) Net Resources - (Uses)16.7$ 0.7$ (18.2)$ (4.0)$ (5.8)$ (7.7)$ (9.7)$ (11.8)$ Ending Fund Balance 116.0$ 116.7$ 98.5$ 94.4$ 88.6$ 81.0$ 71.3$ 59.5$ Ending Bal as % of Opr Budget (Target=12%)94%89%66%61%55%49%42%34% $0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 $140 $160 $180 $200 2024 Actual 2025 Proj Actual 2026 Estimated 2027 Projected 2028 Projected 2029 Projected 2030 Projected 2031 Projected Mi l l i o n s Operating Revenue Base Operating Expenditure Ending Fund Balance Long Range Financial Projection 2026-2031 2027/2028 BUDGET TIMELINE Committee of the Whole JUN Regular Council Meeting JUL AUG SEPT NOVOCT JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV Communitywide Budget Survey April Department Presentations October 12, 19, 26 Public Hearing #1 June 22 Mayor delivers budget message; Preliminary budget presented to Council October 5 Public Hearing #2 on Revenue Sources & Proposed Budget (as required by RCW 35A.34) October 12 Public Hearing #3 November 2 Q1 Financial Update, Revenue Assumptions, Budget Survey and Dept Priorities June 22 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT •Three Public Hearings •Community Budget Survey Wider range of feedback on citywide priorities Ability to reach diverse population/demographics Gather feedback earlier in the budget process CHALLENGES & LIMITATIONS •No Increased Revenues: Flat tax base and limited revenue growth restrict additional programs •Repurposing Existing Funds: Administrators will need to consider reallocating current funding to support any new programs or priorities •Ongoing Capital Projects: Projects already in progress require continued funding commitments •Rising Costs: Inflation and supply chain impacts may require additional appropriations to complete capital improvements •Limited Flexibility: Contractual obligations and essential services reduce discretionary spending capacity DEBT OPTIONS backed by the full faith and credit of the city backed by user fee revenues Revenue BondsGeneral Obligation (GO) Bonds LIMITATION OF DEBT 1. General Obligation Debt – 2.5% •Non-Voter Approval - up to 1.5% of city’s total assessed property value •Funded through existing revenue (like taxes and fees) •Voter Approval - up to 1% of the city’s total assessed property value •Funded by an additional property tax (voter-approved bonds) 2. Utility – 2.5% •Requires voter approval •Funded by utility rates or special taxes 3. Open Space and Parks – 2.5% •Requires voter approval DEBT 14 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT – NEXT STEPS •Leadership budget planning session – to identify department needs and priorities •Prioritize capital improvement projects •Prepare baseline department budgets, long-range forecast and revenue projections •Citywide staff collaboration to consider budget requests, recognize potential cost/budget savings and identify funding sources Questions? 2026 Council Retreat Maryjane Van Cleave -Parks and Recreation Administrator Kent Hay -Human Services Director John Rupp –Parks & Trails Director Homelessness Impact, Needs & Resources Parks & Trails,Human Services Divisions Purpose of Today’s Discussion Today we will: Review current operational conditions Examine the Auburn model and its documented outputs Identify structural components behind those results Outline considerations should Renton pursue a similar model Current Operational Conditions Renton This function is recurring and resource intensive.Most capacity is focused on removal rather than restoration. Encampment response currently involves: Multi-department coordination (PD/Parks/HS) Environmental cleanup Property storage and documentation Human services notification/coordination Contractor deployment as needed Equipment Parks & Environmental Restoration Considerations Repeated impacts without restoration accelerate long-term degradation. This is a resource and lifecycle consideration. Restoration capacity would require: Dedicated ecological repair resources Urban Forestry - Native planting and stabilization Trail rehabilitation Wildlife Restoration Ongoing monitoring Auburn Community Resource Center (ARC) Overview The Auburn Model Includes: Centralized intake location Dedicated staff for outreach On-site service navigation Embedded partner agencies Structured referral pathways Defined operational leadership and roles Auburn Community Resource Center Overview Continued - "We Care Program" ARC Outreach & Housing Outputs Observed trend: housing placements increased as coordination matured. Structural Inputs Supporting Auburns Outcomes Auburn’s model includes: Dedicated outreach team HMIS integration Housing Connector partnership Ordinances Behavioral health access coordination Strategic Use of City funding Dedicated Site Data tracking Q & A Renton Police Department RENTON CITY COUNCIL RETREAT- 2026 STAFFING Available Positions •1 Background Investigations •5 Oral Board Interviews •12 Passing PST Score •30 Test with PST •44 STAFFING STAFFING Our Purpose: Deliver professional, unbiased law enforcement services in partnership with our community. What We Expect: Professional Excellence: Operate with integrity, service, valor, and professionalism Provide exceptional, fair, and accountable policing Community Impact: Reduce crime through strategic enforcement and partnerships Build trust through outreach, legitimacy, and transparency Organizational Performance: Leverage data, technology, and focused deployment Develop and support a high-performing, healthy workforce Foster leadership, innovation, and accountability DEPARTMENT EXPECTATIONS CRIME STATISTICS Decrease of 3,754 calls for service from 2024 to 2025 -5.3% change from 2024 to 2025 CRIME STATISTICS Calls for Service Average Response Times 2025 CRIME STATISTICS Crime Category Count of Cases 2025 5-Year Average 5-Year Low 5-Year High DUI 218 143 125 162 Pursuits/Eluding 55 13 2 24 Injury Hit/Run Collision 65 45 36 53 Traffic - Criminal Infraction 235 120 70 170 Injury Collision 434 354 314 394 Illegal Possession Firearm/Weapon 29 21 18 24 Significantly Increased Cases in 2025 Analysis of increased crimes from 2020 – 2024 compared with 2025 CRIME STATISTICS Significantly Decreased Cases in 2025 Analysis of decreased crimes from 2020 – 2024 compared with 2025 Crime Category Count of Cases 2025 5-Year Average 5-Year Low 5-Year High Robbery 75 119 97 140 Burglary - Residential 101 172 147 197 Burglary - Commerical 157 391 316 466 Motor Vehicle Theft 545 1051 821 1280 Assault - Firearm 50 80 69 89 Malicious Mischief 527 771 705 837 Illegal Discharge of Firearm 20 47 31 63 CRIME STATISTICS Traffic Stops and Citations 2021 to 2025 2091 2734 3173 4008 5121 1457 1526 1949 2817 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Co u n t o f C o l l i s i o n o r S t o p Year Comparison of Traffic Stops and Citations - 2021 to 2025 Traffic Stops Traffic Citations PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION STAY OUT OF DRUG AREA- SODA Judge’s order following an arrest or conviction for the suspect to stay out of an area known for high drug activity. Drug related crime, or crime that has a nexus to drug use. PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION 2023 2024 20252025 PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION SSODA ZONE PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION •Opportunity for the City of Renton to lead the region with a unique ordinance that balances treatment with mandatory minimum jail sentences •The thematic goal of the ordinance is to offer a direct line to treatment, more effectively and efficiently than our past/current processes. •Compassion through accountability; the offender (repeat offender) has a choice, the opportunity to be assessed/evaluated then enter a treatment program best suited to meet their needs. The mandatory minimum jail sentence is built in as accountability – but allows an offender to choose (petition the court) to opt into treatment at any point of their mandatory sentence. MINIMUM SENTENCING TREATMENT: •Offender can choose to opt into a treatment plan after they receive an assessment; petition the court. •SCORE Jail already provides SUD/MHI assessment (between 48-72 hours) to determine the appropriate treatment option(s). •Dependent on assessment; program may be in-patient or outpatient. •Offender must complete check-in/compliance reports tracked by the court; court order. •Offender not in compliance will be considered in violation of the court order and warrant of arrest could be issued to complete their sentence. PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION Anticipated outcomes: •Safter city – less crime and victimization to our community •City departments working in collaboration to make this program successful – all staying in their lanes of responsibility •More people suffering from SUD / MHI going into (successfully completing) treatment programs •Improved ROI for treatment funding; data tracking •Increased economic impact to the city. •Regional leader in King County with the compassion through accountability approach PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IN ABANDONED BUILDINGS ANIMAL CONTROL Calls for Service 2024: 2,586 2025: 2,495 ANIMAL CONTROL 2025 Animal Control Budget staff animal medical animal boarding 2025 AC Budget Staff: $320K Veterinary: $263K Boarding: $466K ANIMAL CONTROL