BIDDEFORD — Biddeford and Saco already share some services and will likely add another shared service soon.

Pending approval by Saco City Council, the two communities will begin sharing an animal control officer.

Already, the fire departments of the twin cities work together on training and have mutual aid agreements. A few years ago the city councils of both Biddeford and Saco agreed to create a joint assessing department. Last year, the two communities created a shared opiate outreach program.

Sharing the animal control officer would begin July 1 and take place for six months. Councilor Michael Ready noted the summer was “the busiest period” for animal control. He said that time period would be a good test to see if it made sense to continue sharing the officer. To continue the program another vote by both councils would be necessary.

According to the interlocal cooperation agreement passed by Biddeford, both city councils “have determined that it is in the best interests of their constituencies to participate in a consolidated Animal Control and Enforcement” program.

Under the terms of the agreement, the city of Biddeford animal control officer would provide services to Saco. These services include responding to domestic animal complaints and transporting domestic animals that have been captured or injured to the Animal Welfare Society or a treatment facility.

Saco is to pay $30,000 toward the $90,000 animal control budget, provide a workspace for the officer and cages for captured animals, and pay for other expenses such as animal control services when the officer takes time off.

The officer will be under the direct control of the police department in the city where he is performing tasks.

In addition to the animal control officer position, the council voted to continue sharing an assessing department. Under this agreement, the cities share a chief assessor and assessing listing agent, and the costs of these employees would be shared equally between Biddeford and Saco. Each community hires it’s own deputy assessor and administrative staff. One change will be that long-time city of Biddeford Assessor Frank Yattaw, who was made the chief assessor, is retiring this year. Hiring for that position will be a priority.

Resident and former City Councilor Richard Rhames spoke against a shared assessment department and other shared services with Saco.

“It’s not clear to me that any money saved is worth the price of sovereignty,” he said.

Biddeford City Manager said the assessing agreement with Saco was being renewed because “everybody agreed it was serving both communities well.”

Rhames also said he was against the joint Biddeford Saco Opiate Outreach Initiative.

The council approved to share equally the cost of the sole employee of the program.

The program employs Maegan Lambert-Irish as a coordinator. She connects those seeking help for addiction to opioids to treatment centers and other resources to assist with their recovery.

The program was started with state funds, which are not being renewed.

“Maegan has done an extraordinary job,” Seeds of Hope Executive Director Shirley Bowen said. “We refer people to her and she’s getting people into treatment.”

The Saco Council must vote to approve these joints services for them to continue and/or take effect. “They were discussed with Council in Workshop on 6/4 and there seemed to be general support for the programs,” City Administrator Kevin Sutherland said in an email. “All three items will go before Saco’s City Council for a vote on the 18^th.”

— Associate Editor Dina Mendros can be reached at 282-1535, ext. 324, or dmendros@journaltribune.com.