City OKs Recycling, Animal Control Pacts

The City Council has approved two agreements that will save the city nearly $150,000.

Under an amended agreement with Advanced Environmental Technical Services, Simi Valley residents now will have 11 opportunities a year to get rid of non-recyclable household hazardous waste, instead of just two.

The agreement also must be approved by Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and Ventura County.

Council members were pleased with the city’s cost for the new program: $151,250 for the next year, a savings of $48,000 compared with the current collection system.

Because of the increased frequency of the drop-offs, the city plans to cease weekly collection of recyclable hazardous waste, such as latex paint, antifreeze and motor oil. The city also plans to close its Resource Conservation Center at the end of November. Two part-time staff positions will be eliminated.

The council also re-approved the city’s contract with the Ventura County Animal Regulation Program after city staffers implemented projects that saved the city $94,489 during the past year.

Much of the savings came out of the pockets of Simi Valley dog owners. Under City Council direction, animal-control officers this year began going door to door to make sure all dogs are licensed.

That effort already has brought in more than $40,000, and city staff expect that, when all the city’s dogs are licensed, revenue from dog tags will total nearly $95,000.

The savings resulting from the increased license revenues should continue into the next year, said Joe Hreha, deputy director of the Department of Community Services.

Simi Valley’s share of the county program is expected to be $398,600 but, with revenue from licenses and other fees expected to total $162,000, the city will pay $236,000.

The agreement also includes a new dispatching program that should improve response time, Hreha told the council. Instead of animal-control officers being dispatched from home at night, they will work out of the Camarillo animal shelter 24 hours a day.