Published: April 01, 2009 12:55 pm      

Oneonta town seeks dog control officer

WEST ONEONTA _ The town of Oneonta is seeking a dedicated dog control officer.

Currently, one of the town constables performs dog control services, Oneonta Town Supervisor Robert Wood said Monday.

But in the interest of making better use of the constables, the town board has opted to seek a contracted dog control officer, Wood said.

The town has not had such an officer since 2003.

“We’re putting out a request for proposals,” Wood said.

The request will run as a legal advertisement in The Daily Star, and the specifications will also be available at the Oneonta Town Hall in West Oneonta, Wood said.

“We actually pick up about 30 dogs a year,” he said.

Most of the dogs are non-aggressive strays, though there are occasionally aggressive dogs, he said.

He said there is no specific area in the town where stray dogs are more of an issue than in other areas.

“Right now, we take them to Crescent Pet Lodge,” Wood said.

The contract with Crescent Pet Lodge expires June 12, and Wood said it is expected some responses to the RFP, or request for proposal, will involve prospective dog control officers willing to provide shelter services.

Those with questions regarding the RFP may call the town clerk at 432-2900.

In other town business, the board is expecting to award a bid soon for work at the town pool next to Greater Plains Elementary School.

“We opened the bids on Friday, and we are waiting for our engineer to make a recommendation,” Wood said.

The pool has suffered “wear and tear” damage to the concrete, and a new lining is needed, Wood said.

There are also new federal standards regarding pool drains, he said, and the work is intended to get the town in compliance.

The town budgeted $90,000 for the work, Wood said.

The specifications for the bid requests included that the work be completed within 60 days, which should ensure the pool will be ready to open in June, Wood said.

The town’s engineer is also working on a design for a project to remediate an area along Crestview Lane near the Woodhaven Golf Course.

A bank collapse in that area has threatened the road, Wood said, and a project to shore up the bank is expected to cost about $170,000.