WEST POINT — The West Point Board of Selectmen”s unwillingness to appropriate $25,000 to the West Point-Clay County Animal Shelter again stole the show Tuesday at the board”s monthly meeting.
At least partial help in funding the shelter was announced, however, this morning. Milton Sundbeck, owner of Southern Ionics of West Point, is making a total $250,000 commitment to the shelter, payable at $25,000 per year. The first gift was to be presented this morning at the shelter location at 1212 Tibbee Road.
At Tuesday”s meeting, several significant items were discussed — including imminent increases in millage, water and sewer rates — but the animal shelter drew the longest and most animated conversation.
The topic had not been scheduled to include public comments, but Frank Portera was allowed to speak on behalf of the animal shelter after Mayor Scott Ross allowed Dr. Johnnie Raspberry to speak at the board”s behest. Several board members have questioned in previous meetings why the animal shelter should receive funding but not Raspberry”s proposed youth mentoring and tutoring program.
Portera sought an emotional reaction from the selectmen and those in attendance as he took the board to task for withholding funds included in the city”s 2011 budget. He referred to the city”s existing animal holding pen — currently empty after the animal shelter accepted all animals being held — as a “torture chamber” where overcrowded dogs were dying of heat exhaustion or exposed to disease. He also stated unclaimed dogs were “being shot and hauled to the dump.”
The city has no facilities to hold cats, but the privately owned animal shelter has 48 dog kennels and capacity to hold 35 cats.
One by one, the selectmen pledged their “support” to the animal shelter, but none would commit to providing the $25,000 the board hurriedly included during a deadline budget meeting in July. Ross, who campaigned to include the funding in July with the understanding that the board could later amend the original budget, reminded the board it budgeted the animal shelter funds but not the two police department hires it approved earlier in the meeting. When the board was clearly irked by his statement, Ross expounded saying he agreed with the police hires and wasn”t implying the board acted inappropriately.
Portera”s case for the animal shelter was multi-layered. He claimed industries are attracted to “pet-friendly” cities and reminded the board the animal shelter had accepted all the city”s captive animals. At full capacity, he said the animal shelter will operate on a $150,000 budget, but several potential benefactors are waiting to see if the city will support the project.
Representatives for the animal shelter plan to appear before the Clay County Board of Supervisors to request similar funding.
Portera pressed the board to make a decision Tuesday night, claiming the animal shelter would operate with or without the city”s help. Ward 3 Selectman Charles Collins asked Portera if the animal shelter would be willing to wait for an answer on the funding until after a proposed Sept. 23 public hearing to set the new millage rate and discuss water and sewer rate increases.
“You”re going to do it whether we allow you to or not,” replied Portera.
With regard to the millage increase, Ross explained the rate would have to rise after Clay County dropped in property valuation this year. The increase will ensure the city collects the same amount of property tax as last year in order to meet the FY 2011 budget. Otherwise, Ross said, the board would be forced to make more budget cuts.
Ross said the city would reveal at the public hearing how much the millage increase means in terms of dollars for property owners.
Water and sewer rates are expected to rise to cover the costs of West Point”s sewer expansion project. Despite a $200,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the city needs a long-term increase to qualify for a $3.2 million state revolving fund loan. The expansion project will provide sewer service to areas of the city annexed in 1998. The city will also seek $5 million to $8 million to move its wastewater treatment services to a facility on the site of the former Sara Lee plant.
The board also accepted a bid from Falcon Contracting to perform street repairs. Jones estimates the city will have $850,000-$900,000 remaining in street bonds following the repair of the Main Street bridge to spend on streets. Falcon estimates fixing every street on West Point”s list will cost $993,000.
Jones reported the West Point bridge may be open to traffic again by early November.
In other business the board:
- Hired two police officers: Cedric Sykes and Brian Anderson.
- Hired four full-time and two part-time Water and Light employees: Arthur Cunningham, Jerry Johnson, Rafael Reese, Daniel Cunningham, Fabian Robinson and Michael McCullough.
- Accepted a bid from Houlk Tree Services of West Point to clear power lines at a rate of $57.69 per hour. Water and Light Department Superinten-dent Dwight Prisock told the board Houlk”s bid would save the department an estimated $30,000.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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