By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — When a citizen calls dispatch about an animal control problem, they are often discouraged that the response isn’t more immediate.

Why didn’t an officer come out to help the deer hooked up on a fence?

Why didn’t somebody show up to look into the barking dogs next door that make it difficult to sleep at night?

People in the general public may not be aware of what constitutes as an emergency in the animal control officer’s world.

Those details have been included in the most recent tri-town contract.

This summer, the town managers of Raymond, Casco and Naples put their heads together and revised the regional ACO agreement. 

“We had one of these for several years, but it was never updated,” Casco Town Manager Anthony “Tony” Ward said.  

On Tuesday, Ward brought the Casco Select Board up to speed on the tri-town contract — which the Town of Naples hopes to bow out of by next fiscal year.  

“The one thing myself, [Raymond Town Manager] Sue Look and [Naples Town Manager] Jason Rogers revised is the job description,” he said.

“We put it in plain English so that everyone can understand,” he said, adding the language was very technical.

“It really defines what the expectations are for the ACO and the part-time ACO. It provides expectations for the public. Animal control officers don’t deal with wildlife. They don’t deal with game,” Ward said.

The revised document defines what is an emergency, which requires calling the ACO during non-business hours. Likewise, it lays out what is not an emergency, and can wait until the next day, Ward said.

“I am requesting the permission to sign the interlocal agreement on the behalf of Casco,” he told the board.

After listening to his brief presentation about the changes, the select board voted, 4-0, to authorize the town manager to sign the contract. Selectman Grant Plummer was absent during Tuesday’s meeting.

While a major overhaul occurred in the job description section of the contract, for this one-year period, the three towns will continue to share the ACO services.

“It recognizes that Naples is researching withdrawing from the local agreement,” Ward stated.

“They asked me to do editing. It had a lot of shalls and wills. Naples said, ‘No, turn those into mays and coulds,’” he said.

“The Naples Select Board is directing the town manager to find out what it will cost to go solo,” he said.