SEE VIDEO: AT ONE TIME COMMISSIONERS WERE LOOKING TO SPEND $100,000 ON REHAB OF COUNTY BLDG TO HELP LOW COST SPAY & NEUTER CLINIC GET OFF GROUND - IS THAT STILL THE PLAN WITH THE COUNTY EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES? ALSO, REAGAN TETREAULT TO BE STAYING ON AS DOG WARDEN.

It was just a few months ago that Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley was suggesting that Stark County might spend up to $100,000 of county money to rehab a building on the Stark County Dog Pound grounds and then lease it to the Animal Welfare Society of Stark County (AWSOSC) for $1 per year.

Now it appears that their may be some question about whether or not the $100,000 will be spent on the "to be leased building."

While the immediately county financial crisis does not seem to be an overriding factor in the consideration, it cannot be a help to the AWSOSC folks in their quest.

The SCPR understands that the money, if it is made available, will be from permanent improvement funds ($1.9 million currently on hand) that was in the main generated in the sale of the Stark County farm which was sold by commissioners at auction in November, 2008.

Commissioner Steve Meeks is said to be the main hold up on the funding, but Commissioner Bosley tells The Report he feels that Meeks will come around eventually and that he (Bosley) is firmly committed to the expenditure.

The question that the SCPR has is this:  if the current financial crisis in the general fund of the Stark County budget is not a barrier to the funding, what is Commissioner Meeks waiting on?

Something is not adding up here!

Animal Welfare Society of Stark County representative Nanci Miller says that the planned Spay & Neuter clinic cannot fund raise until they have a lease on the building.   She says they have already missed a July, 2010 opportunity to get grants because of the lack of a lease.

The SCPR has the feeling that the current financial crisis must have something to do with the commissioners' delay in acting, despite Commissioner Bosley's denial that such is the case.

The Report does recall (from discussion at prior commissioner meetings) that the plan has always been to fund the rehab from the permanent improvement monies.

So what is the delay, if it is not some consideration about the current financial difficulties?

Miller submitted a rehab cost sheet showing the need for over $200,000 to complete it.  However, she suggested at last Wednesday's meeting that there are alternative ways to achieve the building modernization and reconfiguration with a combination of a cash infusion and donated work.  Moreover, she seems to imply that the AWSOSC will expand its fund raising activities to cover any short fall of funds needed after the county puts whatever amount it is going to put into the rehap.

Still the question remains, what is the holdup with the county's "promised?" $100,000 share?

In other Dog Pound related news, the SCPR has learned that the probationary period of newly appointed dog warden Reagan Tetreault expired on September 24th.  Commissioners tell The Report that she will be staying on as warden.

Here is a video of Nanci Miller's plea for a lease at commissioners meeting last Wednesday.

JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS SPAYING/NEUTERING PETS? IN TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES THE STARK COMMISSIONERS ARE PREPARED TO PUT UP TO $100,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY INTO A "REHABILITATED" FACILITY

Pet overpopulation is a huge problem in Stark County as it is across the nation.

So much so that the Stark County commissioners are willing to put up to $100,000 in taxpayer money into helping a 501(c)(3) spay and neuter clinic (Animal Welfare Society of Stark County, Inc  [AWSSC] - which should have IRS approval soon) in the form of rehabilitating a building on the grounds of the Stark County Dog Pound to lease (at $1 per year) to the non-profit in furtherance of the AWSSC goal to curb animal overpopulation in Stark.

Current estimates put the total project at about $287,000 which is $87,000 over the planned budget for the clinic.  This project is a "pet project" of long standing of Commissioner Todd Bosley.  He is looking for ways to pare the building rehab cost downward to a total of $200,000 to ensure that the project is realized.

Stark Countian Nanci Miller who is a commissioner appointed member of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board is spearheading the spay and neuter project from the private sector. Ms. Miller is coordinating the creation of the 501(c)(3) and fund raising of a targeted $100,000.

The Animal Welfare Society of Stark County hopes to be up and running as a clinic by this time next year (2011).

Miller appeared at the Stark County commissioners on April 21st to answer questions that commissioners had as they needed to have assurances that the private aspect of the project was on track before committing taxpayer money.

The SCPR was at the April 21st meeting and took video of the dialogue between Miller and the commissioners.

The video which follows is a compilation of the major aspects of the discussion between Ms. Miller regarding  the concerns of the commissioners in discharging their fiduciary duties on behalf of Stark County taxpayers.