Council hears Humane Society request

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council looked at a funding request from the Van Wert County Humane Society and other groups, and introduced permanent appropriations legislation during its meeting on Monday.

Humane Society President Mark McCleery and Secretary Kari Kuhn attended the meeting to state the organization’s case for its funding request for $4,000.

Both spoke of the additional expenses incurred by the society to overcome the lack of care provided to Humane Shelter animals by former dog warden Rich Strunkenburg, with renovations and repairs needed at the shelter. The group also spent a significant amount of money to refurbish the house on the shelter property where Strunkenburg lived that is now being rented out.

“Conditions were deplorable at the shelter under former dog warden Rich Strunkenburg, and brought negative attention to the city of Van Wert,” Kuhn wrote in a letter to City Council supporting the funding request. “Major reforms, made by a new board of directors, have vastly improved stray animal welfare and the public’s perception of the shelter … animals are now boarded in clean kennels, adequately fed, vaccinated against disease, and spayed for neutered.”

She also noted that animals with medical needs now receive care under the advisement of both local veterinarians, who also served on the Humane Society board — something Kuhn said was not done when Strunkenburg was dog warden.

The society has also added a shelter manager to increase the number of hours the shelter is open, and also provide a contact for area residents when the dog warden is not at the shelter, but which has also created an additional expense, likely resulting in a budget deficit for the year.

Kuhn noted that the Humane Society currently receives no funding from city or county government, while also noting the group is also requesting $2,000 from the Van Wert County Board of Commissioners to help fund its operations.

“Major improvements have significantly increased the cost of operating the shelter,” Kuhn wrote in her letter to Council. “Our expenses include utilities, upkeep and repairs to the (shelter) building, the boarding of dogs and cats, medical fees/supplies for the animals, as well as the costs of euthanizing any vicious animals.”

She also pointed out that approximately 75 percent of dogs picked up by the dog warden are found to be strays found within the Van Wert city limits. In addition, the Humane Society is the only group dealing with the county’s feral cat problem.

While Finance Committee Chair Joi Mergy was sympathetic to the Humane Society’s needs, it was unclear where funding would come from to assist that organization.

Councilman At-Large Jon Tomlinson pointed out that, because of a budget shortfall, the city was using a portion of the .22-percent city income tax fund this year to help fund police and fire operations, and questioned how Council could justify an additional expense to the General Fund budget.

City Auditor Martha Balyeat also noted that the city’s 2016 budget includes just $1,400 in unappropriated funds, and also noted funding the Humane Society would set a “dangerous precedent” by providing money to a 501(c)(3) organization, which the Humane Society is, since it might open the door to funding requests from other not-for-profit organizations.

Council also briefly discussed other funding requests, including a $5,000 request from the Community Improvement Corporation, a request for $25,000 from Main Street Van Wert, and a $21,000 funding request from the Van Wert County Regional Airport Authority.

All three of those requests would likely come from Hotel-Motel Tax funds earmarked for economic development.

Kuhn did note that the Humane Society would meet with the county commissioners to request a portion of funds the county receives from dog license fees, and fines levied on dog owners who don’t have licenses, and also made a personal appeal to city officials to consider making a private donation to the Humane Society to help it in its work.

Also Monday, Council prepared and read for the first time an ordinance approving permanent appropriations for 2016. Law Director John Hatcher said the legislation needs to be approved prior to April 1, the deadline for having permanent appropriations in place.

Mayor Jerry Mazur noted that the interim committee working on combining the city and county economic development entities added its seventh and final member, Alexander & Bebout President Sara Zura, who he said joined the group this week.

The mayor also noted that the city was increasing its enforcement efforts to eliminate junk vehicles in the city.

“We’re going to start moving on junk cars pretty aggressively; whatever it takes, we’re going to do,” Mayor Mazur said.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming noted that the Smiley Park pond project is going well, and also noted that bids were opened on the upcoming South Washington Street reconstruction project. Fleming said a Findlay contractor, Helms & Son Excavating, was low bidder for the project, and added the Ohio Department of Transportation will likely be scheduling a pre-construction meeting early in March.

“Those things will start rolling pretty good here in the next couple of weeks,” Fleming said.

He also noted that three more city-owned vehicles needed to be added to legislation approving vehicles’ sale on an Internet auction site.

Resolutions being prepared to honor former mayor Don Farmer and several outgoing City Council members were rescinded because Mayor Mazur will create proclamations to honor those former city officials.

A then-and-now certificate was also approved for an invoice from the Regional Planning Commission, while a contracted translator position for the Van Wert Municipal Court was removed from the list of full- and part-time court employees, since it does not fit into that category.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 14.