Board reaches agreement in Dog Control Department compensation structure
Lancaster Bee

After lengthy discussion, the Lancaster Town Board unanimously approved the salary compensation structure for the Dog Control Department at Monday’s meeting.

A resolution was first introduced in July and was tabled, then was reintroduced at the end of July, and was voted down. The same resolution was unanimously approved Monday, with the added assurance of someone sitting down to look at the Dog Control Department schedule. Supervisor Ron Ruffino and Councilmember Dave Mazur, who previously voted against the resolutions, agreed that the schedule needed to be tweaked to spread out the two most experienced Dog Control officers to cover more hours.

According to the resolution, any individual appointed to an unsalaried part-time position as dog control officer in Lancaster will be compensated for the actual number of hours worked, except in the case of an unscheduled call-in required as a result of a dangerous dog presenting a threat to public safety. If a worker is called in to care for a dangerous dog, an unscheduled call-in to care for or feed any dog in their custody, or for court appearances as needed, they are compensated for four hours or the actual number of hours worked, whichever is greater.

Ruffino said at a July meeting, if someone is being called in to work, that they should have to work the four hours in order to get paid four hours.

“The way it’s written right now is they can come in for 15 or 20 minutes to feed the dogs and get paid for four hours,” Ruffino said, adding that was his only issue with the resolution. “I can’t agree with that. … I’m not against giving them four hours [pay]. They should have to work the four hours.”

Dog Control Officer Jean Karn said feeding the dogs takes longer than that, especially if there are multiple dogs.

“If somebody calls in sick, what’s going to happen is somebody’s dogs are going to sit there all weekend, and not be fed or watered, and we can not have that,” Jean Karn said, adding New York state law requires feedings every 12 hours. “I’m not going to get a person to come in, who is at a family function on a weekend, to come in for $13 an hour to come in and take care of dogs.”

Ruffino said when Jean Karn was hired, it was part of their agreement, that she would come in on off-hours if need be.

“I do, but I am a part-time person. I’m not a full-time person,” Jean Karn said. “I work my hours that I work a week … When I’m not in town is when I need something. If I’m not in town, what would you like me to do?”

Ruffino suggested adding to the resolution that the employee would need to work the full four hours to get four hours of pay.

The four hours of pay gives employees the incentive to come in on the weekend.

“The way it’s written right now is they can come in for 15 or 20 minutes to feed the dogs and get paid for four hours,” Ruffino said, adding that was his only issue with the resolution. “I can’t agree with that. … I’m not against giving them four hours [pay]. They should have to work the four hours.”

Dog Control Officer Jean Karn said feeding the dogs takes longer than that, especially if there are multiple dogs.

“If somebody calls in sick, what’s going to happen is somebody’s dogs are going to sit there all weekend, and not be fed or watered, and we can not have that,” Jean Karn said, adding New York state law requires feedings every 12 hours. “I’m not going to get a person to come in, who is at a family function on a weekend, to come in for $13 an hour to come in and take care of dogs.”

Ruffino said when Jean Karn was hired, it was part of their agreement, that she would come in on off-hours if need be.

“I do, but I am a part-time person. I’m not a full-time person,” Jean Karn said. “I work my hours that I work a week … When I’m not in town is when I need something. If I’m not in town, what would you like me to do?”

Ruffino suggested adding to the resolution that the employee would need to work the full four hours to get four hours of pay The four hours of pay gives employees the incentive to come in on the weekend, during one of the few times Jean Karn would be unavailable to come in.

Police Chief William Karn said the resolution is overdue. Last weekend he was called in by Dog Control for an aggressive dog, and was needed to help get the dog in a kennel. The dog ended up being put down, but had bitten multiple people.

“They’re getting a lot of these types of incidents,” William Karn said. “The Dog Control Office needs the ability to call people in … We need somebody that’s trained. If we have one of my officers do it, they don’t have extensive training. So they could possibly get bit, or they end up shooting a dog. Obviously both those scenarios we want to try to avoid.”

William Karn said there were fewer than 10 call-ins last year in the Dog Control Office.

“These people need to get paid for their expertise,” said Bob Leary, a council member. “It’s not going to be much money … We just want to make sure that there’s going to be someone there in case somebody calls in, and someone is there to cover the dogs. It has to be someone there with the expertise to do it.” Leary said if changes need to be made to the resolution when the new facility is completed, they can make changes.

Council member Adam Dickman said they have been trying to pass a similar resolution for a few years. “Dog Control does a great job,” Dickman said. “[The resolution] is not going to be abused, and if it is, we can revisit it. It’s not going to cost much money, and it’s a better option to pass the resolution than have a worse-case scenario with a starving dog or dangerous dog and have a lawsuit.”

Ruffino said the board had a good debate on the resolution and they will accomplish what they wanted. “I’m happy we will look at the schedule to address other situations,” Ruffino said.