An October 8th blog went into some detail about problems which are said to persist at the Stark County Dog Pound (SCDP - Pound) (CLICK HERE for a refresher).
Going on nearly three months later and very little, if anything, has been done to solve the seemingly eternal problems in the operation of the SCDP.
Well, if you believe an e-mail that the SCPR received yesterday from a member of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB), that is the state of affairs is in these days.
The commissioners have space on Monday and Tuesday of each week to schedule work sessions to work out problems such as those said to exist in the e-mail. That is precisely what The Report thinks the commissioners should do. They need to bring in Dog Pound Warden Reagan Tetreault, SCDPAB members and interested Stark County citizens as a forum in which to lay out the problems that all agree exist and to establish an agreed plan of action to resolve the agreed to list of items to be remedied.
Or, alternatively, perhaps the commissioners should piggyback on a look see initiative by SCDPAB members on the viability of privatization of the Pound.
In yesterday's e-mail, the following additional (in addition to those recited in the October 8th blog) allegations are made:
A worker, who, apparently, had been on sick leave for some six weeks while working a similar job elsewhere and who avoided sanction because Warden Tetreault did not provide the employee with a "light duty" alternative.
Suspicions that Pound dogs were not properly fed over the Thanksgiving holiday period.
Some time in the fall of this year Warden Tetreault worked out a "trade" with the Stark County Humane Society of adoptable Pound dogs in exchange for Humane Society pit bulls which the writer of the e-mail says are not readily adoptable and therefore become prime candidates for euthanasia thereby creating conditions for enhanced euthanasia numbers at the Pound.
There is an atmosphere of "communication" distrust (the SCPR's interpretation) between Warden Tetreault and SCDPAB volunteers at the Pound.
A perceived Warden Tetreault inability to make timely decisions and overreliance on Stark County Chief Administrator Mike Hanke for decision making.
A belief that commissioners do not take the SCAB seriously (e.g. Commissioner Creighton has told a SCDPAB member that the Pound is a low priority for her) and has either directly or inadvertently communicated such to Warden Tetreault and that a "not take seriously" has taken hold on the SCDPAB/Tetreault interaction to the point that the Warden no longer attends SCDPAB meetings.
Although the SCDPAB raised $7,800.00 to replace an inadequate ventilation system, the commissioners seem to be dragging their feet in getting the ventilation system improved.
The SCPR has been covering the Stark County commissioners for several years now and one festering problem that neither former boards nor the current board have effectively dealt with is the longstanding and chronic complaints about the Stark County Dog Pound.
The Report did not expect much from the former boards.
However, yours truly does expect that the current board with its more citizen-friendly/responsive attitude will move to solve the pound's problem.
And to be fair with respect to Commissioner Creighton's purported statement, if she made it, The Report has to believe it was made in the context of dealing with county budgetary matters and getting the November sales tax passed.
As The Report has written frequently since Commissioners Bernabei and Creighton came on board in November, 2010 and January, 2011 respectively; the current Stark County Board of Commissioners is vastly improved over recent boards.
But it is not perfect and one aspect of its imperfection seems to be centered on a lack of resolve to solve the persistent problems of the Pound.
Again, the SCPR calls on the commissioners to schedule a public work session(s) sooner than later and work with the SCDPAB to get to an agreed bottom line definition of the problems and develop a plan of action to remedy the inadequacies in the context of a defined timeline.
Alternatively, the commissioners may wish to get out of the dog pound business.
Because of their dissatisfaction with the way Stark County oversees the operation of the Pound, members of the SCDPAB are looking into privatizing the county's dog pound operations. Perhaps the commissioners should jump onboard and join in on the inquiry.
The SCPR's historical take on the Stark' commissioners' oversight of the Pound is that it has been "a pain in the neck" and it is a function in terms of the commissioners wholeheartedly embracing it and finding lasting solutions to its problems they would rather not be into.
As it is, the SCDP is not a general fund department of county government, it is rather an enterprise fund type operation supported by various licensing and services fees it charges users.
So if having a county dog pound and seeing to it that it is run properly is a bother to the commissioners, then should it not be full bore ahead with privatization?
A couple of days ago, the SCPR wrote a blog that criticized operations at the Stark County Dog Pound (Pound).
The Report has been following this story for well over a year. It goes back to early 2010 when commissioners (Bosley, Ferguson and Meeks) saw fit to fire the then dog warden Evert Gibson for his failure to effectively manage the Pound.
Ever since, his successor, Reagan Tetreault (former dog warden in Holmes County) has been on sort of a honeymoon with the Stark County dog lover community epitomized by the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB).
Along the way to this week, the SCPR has asked the commissioners and others periodically how Tetreault was doing in mastering the employee staff at the Pound. Answer? Pretty much a shrug of the shoulders.
Well, on August 5th "all Hell broke loose" with the filing of a complaint by SCDPAB President Nanci Miller filing a complaint with the Canton Health Department (CHD) alleging that Tetreault was not dealing effectively with a mouse infestation problem at the Pound.
To her immense credit, CHD employee Maria Hall got right to it and went out to the Pound on August 8th to do an investigation. She found out that Miller was correct and ordered immediate (not later than August 17) remediation. On Monday of this week, Hall emailed the SCPR indicating that satisfactory progress had been made in resolving the problem.
Last Thursday, the SCPR paid a visit to the monthly meeting of the SCDPAB.
As it turns out, the mouse infestation was just one of many problems that advisory board members articulated during their session which, by the way, is open to the public and which, by the way, the commissioners were invited to attend - but declined.
To catch up, CLICK HERE to link with the blog which provides chapter and verse of all the problems plaguing the Pound.
The SCDPAB (as of Thursday's meeting - but unconfirmed) was under the impression that the commissioners would be holding a work session on their grievances. Monday came (the SCPR was present at the work session), but no meeting on the advisory board issues.
However, yesterday was a different story!
Tetreault came armed with a full blown plan to resolve all the outstanding issues of the Pound contingent on the commissioners passing a dog license fee and kennel operation fee increases.
Based on discussions which commissioners had yesterday, it appears to the SCPR that some sort of increase will be passed today. Most likely, the dog license fee will go from $12 to $16 and the kennel fee from $60 to $80 in 2012.
The SCPR does not believe the action would have been forthcoming (at least, not for now with the 1/2% sales tax issue on the ballot in November), had it not been for the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board.
When The Report asked Tetreault after the meeting whether or not she had read a report on Pound deficiencies put together by Judith King (a member of the SCDPAB), she answered that she had merely scanned the report and that she had no comment on it.
Judge for yourself by viewing the video below, but the SCPR's take on Tetreault's attitude was one of curtness and obvious annoyance at the questions. Hardly, what one should get from a public employee.
Last year, The Report believed that public employee Tetreault blew off yours truly in a quest to contact her by telephone to request a video of alleged dog abuse at the Pound. Yours truly thinks it was only at the intervention of Stark County Chief Administrator Mike Hanke that she eventually returned the call.
As readers of the SCPR know, The Report has been impressed with the new regime of commissioners (Bernabei and Creighton) since they took office in November, 2010 and January, 2011; respectively.
They brought with them an "apparent" commitment to increased accessibility, accountability, transparency and a determination to go out into the Stark County community to connect with Stark Countians.
At first blush, they seemed to deliver on their promise. But, of late, the SCPR is beginning to believe that their enthusiasm has ebbed especially on the matter of transparency. And The Report thinks that their handling of the Pound situation, perhaps, is the best example of what yours truly is talking about.
However, there are others.
One that comes to mind is the bond situation and Stark County Treasurer Gary D. Zeigler. Earlier in August they were supposed to have a representative from Sirack-Moore (the county's insurance agency) to explain to the Stark County public what the holdup is on the need to acquire a $500,000 bond before Zeigler can once again become a full-fledged treasurer. But the meeting was abruptly cancelled.
The Report keeps asking commissioners and Stark County Assistant Prosecutor Ross Rhodes when Sirack-Moore will have an answer, but still can get no answer.
From being impressed with the commissioners and their commitment to more democratic processes, the SCPR is in "a reserve judgment mode."
The Report asked Commissioner Creighton yesterday about the SCDPAB report directed to the commissioners. She had read the report, but had no comment. Accountability, transparency? Here is the video of the Q&A between The Report and Creighton.
One of the things that the SCPR has heard frequently from commissioners is how little authority they have. And it is so. For the most part they have to deal with more or less autonomous elected office holders. In the case of the Veterans Service Commission, commissioners cannot even curtail the amount of appropriation that the agency can demand (up to about $3.2 million)
But dealing with the Stark County Dog Pound is "a different kettle of fish." They are in charge (witness the firing of Evert Gibson).
It was refreshing yesterday to see Tetreault come in with a plan to rectify the problems at the Pound.
While nobody said anything, The Report believes that the commissioners (likely through Hanke) much have knuckled down on Tetreault.
Below is a video that endeavors to show Stark Countians the outline of the dog warden's plan to "finally" get the Stark County Dog Pound to operating the way it ought to.
Of course, "the proof is in the pudding." We shall see
(accountability?) over the next year how Dog Warden Tetreault and the
commissioners are doing in getting the Pound in first-class operating
order.
Stark Countian Judith King (a member of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board [SCDPAB - Pound]) is "hot on the trail" of Stark County commissioners about what she alleges to be unacceptable delay in placing a ventilation system at the Stark County Dog Pound facility on Mahoning Road so that the dogs housed there can get some circulating air to cool them on these hot, hot, hot "dog days of summer."
King, in a couple of emails over the past week, has endeavored to bring the plight of the dogs to the attention of area media including the SCPR.
Of course, The Report has a track record of being the most responsive media outlet monitoring the solving of long standing problems at the Pound which predate the current Stark County Board of Commissioners.
Ms. King in the emails makes the following allegations:
The Stark County Dog Pound operation is a low priority with the Stark County commissioners,
Three years ago former Stark County Dog Warden Evert Gibson in having the roof of the Pound repaired, did not maintain ventilation for the resident dogs, to wit:
"Prior to that [the reroofing] both sides of that long room you walked through were open to the outside. Now it is all enclosed rendering it dark, dank, and suffocating" (an exact quote from King, in bold type for emphasis),
The Friends of the Stark Pound (FOSP) held a fundraiser in September, 2011 for the express purpose of getting money which was to be applied towards remedying the lack of ventilation at the Pound. She claims that Commissioner Janet Creighton and Dog Warden Reagan Tetreault attended the event.
The commissioners promised to have the ventilation fixed prior to the onset of summer, 2012,
The only action taken as of the summer of 2012 is to have an engineering study done with the commissioners have elected to take money from Stark County's capital improvement fund,
Meanwhile:
"The dogs are beginning to suffer from kennel cough and heat stress due to the extreme temperatures."
The Stark County Dog Pound "remain[s] firmly rooted in yesteryear" when compared to the Stark County Humane Society and the Summit County Dog Pound which, she says, have implemented "amazing changes" in "the philosophy and practice of kennel management" in recent years.
"The current commissioners have turned a deaf ear to the [advisory] board because we have reported to them that conditions at the pound are not improving and indeed Reagan Tetrault [the dog warden appointed a little over two years ago] is part of the problem."
[In an aside to The Repository's Jim Hilibish, who did a piece on June 29th entitled: Keep your cool in this heat wave], King alleges that the wading pools he saw when he stopped by the Pound (apparently, an ad hoc way to cool the dogs down) to get information/response from Warden Tetrault co-incident to his article, were provided by a group of Stark County citizens who volunteer at the SCDP at their personal expense, and, finally, to quote King:
"The volunteers are responsible for any aid and care the dogs receive at the pound. The county provides storage space only. The warden can not tell you what dogs are at the pound or anything about them. She is in her air-conditioned office. She does not come to work dressed to handle dogs despite that fact that she does have a uniform she could wear. Staff members send potential adopters to the volunteers for information about the dogs," and
"I think there is agreement by everyone involved, including the pound
employees, that [Warden] Reagan [Tetreault] has made a total disaster of the pound."
Quite a list of grievances by Ms. King, no?
Well, the SCPR forwarded a copy of King's email to Commissioner Creighton.
On Tuesday, Commissioner responded to yours truly with a telephone call.
In the ensuing discussion, she said:
While she supports the FOSP and did buy a ticket to the September, 2011 fundraiser, she did not actually attend the event,
She believes that Commissioners Bernabei and Ferguson also bought tickets to the fundraiser but did not attend,
That the commissioners will be spending $70,000 to $80,000 [from the county capital improvement fund] to fix the Pound's heating, cooling and ventilation problems and that the $8,000 raised by the FOSP will not be part of the expenditure,
King's e-mail statement that $25,000 has been spent on engineering is erroneous and that the fact of the matter is that $12,500 (a contract with MDS & Associates: consulting engineer) has been authorized,
That she was not interested in going through King's entire list and "nitpick on everything,"
That "things in government take time" and that government processes are not like a private individual calling up a contractor and ordering up a fix lickedly-split (the SCPR term, not Creighton's),
That the commissioners are going to do the ventilation project properly and not in a quick-fix fashion which means that it will be the fall before the project is done,
That the current board of commissioners has done much more to solve the problems at the SCDP than the previous three boards,
That the board in taking $70,000 to $80,000 out of the county's permanent improvement fund is evidence that the commissioners are giving the Dog Pound needs some priority because the money is not available from moneys raised from dog license and other fees and which means that the $70,000 to $80,000 will not be available to other county capital improvement needs,
The commissioners are doing the very best they can at the Pound but that "it is just not good enough for some people,"
That this problem is going to be fixed but that the Stark County public should understand that this board of commissioners is dealing with the problem whereas prior boards did not.
So what does the SCPR make of this outbreak of criticism of the current Stark County Board of Commissioners?
As readers of The Report know, yours truly believes that the current board is vastly superior to boards going back at least to the early 1980s.
While Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (former Stark County Democratic Party chairman) can say it until he is blue in the face that former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson (1995 - 2007) has been the greatest Stark County commissioner of all time, the record indicates something else.
In the opinion of The Report, she bears a major portion of the responsibility for the slide of Stark County government into county financial crisis/economic development oblivion and infrastructure decay (e.g. the Zimber Ditch) inasmuch as she was commissioner for 12 years: a time period which yours truly believes that the county began an accentuated decline.
Only with the election of Tom Bernabei and Janet Creighton in 2010 have matters began to turnaround.
However, such is not to say that the current board is doing everything right.
The Report believes that the commissioners made a major mistake in not asking the the Stark County public for a 1% sales tax rather than the 0.5% that voters approved in November, 2011.
The margin of victory on the 0.5% levy (I know, I know; using hindsight which, of course is 20/20), indicates that the current board had turned the public's confidence around sufficiently and coupled with the highly effective campaign effort they waged could have passed a 1% increase.
The Report believes that this missed opportunity will come back to haunt the commissioners.
While they will be able to stabilize current operations of county departments of government with the 0.5%, there is no room whatsoever to get aggressive with dealing with the virtual non-existence of an economic development long-term game plan and to get a grip on Stark County's falling apart or deficient infrastructure which includes more than the ditching problem.
As an example, how about the stagnation on completely and fully bringing Stark County's 9-1-1 emergency call receiving/dispatch system to a "state-of-the-art" condition because of a lack of funding necessary to finalize the project?
The SCPR also thinks that the commissioners may not have raised dog license and other fees enough when they acted last year.
The Stark County Dog Pound is set up financially to be self-supporting enterprise fund type of operation. The fact that commissioners are taking anywhere $70,000 to $80,000 from the county capital improvement fund in clear indication, among others, that they were too conservative in making sure that the enterprise fund-esque SCDP financing system has adequate revenues to meet annual needs including capital funding requirements.
There are other capital fund needs (e.g. development of a spay-and-neuter clinic and a walking path) at the Pound in addition to the ventilation system which commissioners have not dealt with. Is the reason for inaction a lack of funding?
Nonetheless, the SCPR does think that progress is being made by the current commissioners on solving persisting Pound problems.
It is clear to The Report that there is a poor relationship between members of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board and Pound volunteers vis-a-vis the commissioners, employees at the Pound (who appear to be overzealous in protecting their employment turf from intrusion by the volunteers) and Warden Reagan Tetreault.
There is some thinking that the relationships are so bad that the commissioners will later this month disband the SCABDP in an attempt rid themselves, the warden and the personnel at the Pound of what it appears they believe to be an overstepping of a proper role on the part of the advisory board members and volunteers.
If the commissioners were to do so, the SCPR believes that such would be an admission that the commissioners and the management at the Pound do not have the necessarily leadership skills to deal with these volunteer and perhaps overzealous (in the sense of understanding who is in charge) Stark County citizens and to, over time, refashion the relationships into a complementary modality.
While it is not comfortable for those who have to deal with complaints without seeming end, it is important that the likes of Judith King and Stark County dog lovers to have a forum within which to bring Pound problems to the attention of the Stark County public through the commissioners.
King has made her points to the commissioners and to the Stark County media. The commissioners have responded. (see above)
The SCPR encourages the commissioners to stay the course on disbanding the SCDPAB, if they in fact are considering doing such, and instead use their collective leadership skills to initiate a "come and let us reason together" communication structure with their advisers in order to achieve a workable balance among all the parties involved.
If the commissioners do decide to disband the advisory board, won't they thereby be sending a message to the Stark County public they do not have the patience and political grace necessary to lead in the messy business of our American democracy?
It is said that "dog is man's best friend." However, can it be said that "man is a dog's best friend?"
Apparently not in Stark County. Unless "man" is defined to be the Stark County citizens who serve as volunteers at the Pound.
For years now, there have been problems reported to the Stark County commissioners about the operations of the Stark County Dog Pound (SCDP - "Pound"). But it appears that very little, if anything, has gotten better for dogs who have found their way to the SCDP. Or, for that matter the selfless volunteers who expend many, many unpaid hours providing the unmet needs of Stark County's strays.
On January 27, 2010 (nearly one year ago), Stark County commissioners (Bosley, Ferguson and Meeks) fired Evert Gibson as dog warden because of unresolved problems. Gibson had been on the job for several years.
After some controversy between the commissioners and members of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB) over the appearance of an non-SCDPAB recommended person as one of five finalists, the current warden Reagan Tetreault (on the list) was appointed (May 5, 2010) with a starting date of May 24, 2010 subject however to a 120 probationary period.
September 24th (the end of the probationary period) came and went with nary a word from commissioners that Tetreault was experiencing any difficulties getting a handle on Pound problems. In fact, the SCPR specifically asked the commissioners that question and was told that all was going well.
Hmm?
It wasn't 30 days before big time problems surfaced about operations at the SCDP. October 13, 2010 was a particularly bad day for the Pound.
One involved a dog who had been at the Pound well less than a required minimum of 72 hours (by Ohio law) and whose owner had contacted the Pound to claim the family pet was inadvertently euthanized. A second incident involved a properly restrained dog that was mauled by a neighbor's dog notwithstanding the fact that the owners of the mauled dog had brought to the attention of Pound officials allegations of violations of law on the part of neighbor in the maintenance and control of his dog.
An excerpt from a Repository report of November 2, 2010:
These two incidents set off a firestorm of protests by the dog owners, members of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board and Pound volunteers as to the quality of management that was being administered at the Pound.
The SCPR began hearing that members of the Stark County public and volunteers working at the Pound were not being treated respectfully by Pound employees. And these allegations were being made to commissioners at their regular meetings.
In a follow up with Tetreault (see The Report's take on her delayed response below), she tells the action she meted out was a three-day suspension of Pound employee Vince Williams to be served December 29th, January 19th and February 16th.
It appears to The Report that Tetreault "getting a grip" may have been wishful thinking by yours truly.
Since the 13th, The Report has had occasion to contact Warden two times for information about Pound operations and both time came away feeling that Treteault was - to put it euphemistically - less than enthusiastic about dealing with the SCPR. On the second occasion, The Report made a telephone call (early in the day, then a late afternoon follow up) for certain information on Monday and only after intervention by county Chief Administrator Mike Hanke did yours truly get a Tetreault response two days later.
So this got The Report to thinking, what are others' take on how Tetreault is doing? Accordingly, The Report contacted a member of the SCDPAB and obtained these responses:
Response #1 (December 16th - before the SCDPAB meeting)
We have an Advisory Board meeting
tonight, but I doubt if we will make much progress b/c Reagan (warden)
has said she will not be attending. It would be helpful if she could
answer some of our questions. Also she has postponed sharing the
volunteer handbook she has written until after the first of the year,,
saying that the commissioners need to approve it . In my opinion, it
would be a good idea if she communicated with the volunteers and the Advisory Board. ... .
I
personally have not been to the pound since Vince's disciplinary
action: however in talking with other volunteers, I have not heard that
anything has changed for the better regarding the employees'
relationship with the volunteers and/or the public.
Also
we are asking commissioner Ferguson to respond to a recording we have
of him speaking at an Advisory Board meeting ( believe it was in July)
where he states he is extremely upset by a video he had seen of dog
abuse at the pound. If you recall, he denied seeing a video - when you
asked him about this after a recent commissioners' meeting.
Response #2 (December 16th - after the SCDPAB meeting)
Warden Regean did not show up at the meeting; the Board discussed how we
can not move forward until we have communication with the warden.
Topics such as ; poor ventilation at the pound, the volunteer manual she
is completing, reporting abuse of the dogs , answering volunteers'
questions about feeding, procedures, etc. need to be adresseed so as to
stem rumors and suspicision.
the Board agreed we would wait until
the new year to approach the commissioners about the need for
communcation between the warden and volunteers and the Advisor Board,
and also if Dr. Ferguson has not yet reponded to his comment that he had
not seen a video of dog abuse, when he is recorded on audio at a July
Advisory Bord meeting stating how upset he was after seeing abuse to
pound dogs on a video .
The SCPR is reassessing whether or not matters have improved at the Pound and so should the Stark County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Pete Ferguson needs to meet with the SCDP Advisory Board (whose members are appointed by the commissioners) and clear up once and for all whether or not he has seen dog abuse on video captured on cameras in place at the Pound.
Beyond Ferguson acting, the entire board (which will have in a few days Janet Creighton and, of course, the recently recently in Tom Bernabei) needs to take a fresh look at operations at the Pound and make a determination as to whether or not Reagan Tetreault is making satisfactory progress in "getting a grip" on the long time problems at the Pound.
While the SCPR understands better than most that the commissioners are in the throes of dealing with severe county budgetary problems, the chronic difficulties at the SCDP also require their urgent attention.
The Report urges Ferguson to meet with the SCDPAB at its January meeting and thinks it would be a good ides for the "new" board to assess Tetreault's progress or lack of progress and report back to the Stark County Public at a regular commissioners' meeting not later than the end of January, 2011.
This blog is a first in a series that the SCPR is reporting, in detail, on the long-term problems at the Stark County Dog Pound which have been unsolved by the Stark County commissioners going back at least five years. Moreover, The Report will be commenting on the status of attempts to rectify the problems and whether or not they are being effective.
About a week ago, there was a re-eruption of discontent among Stark County dog lovers that surfaced at the Stark County commissioners regular weekly meeting on October 20th when the Michael Greathouse, II family appeared at the meeting to get answers as to why, on October 13, 2010 the family dog (Roxy) was on October 13th accidentally euthanized by personnel of the Stark County Dog Pound.
Ohio statutory law requires that a dog be kept a minimum of 72 hours by a county dog pound prior to being euthanized. Roxy was missing a mere 14 hours prior to the Greathouse's learning that their dog had been euthanized.
Kristen Greathouse was back to the commissioners meeting on October 20th wanting to know why they had no answers after two full weeks of waiting for the outcome of the investigation and a report of the disciplinary action taken.
The SCPR attended a meeting of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB) on October 21st, the day after the Greathouses appeared at the October 20th commissioners meeting at which they lodged a complaint with the commissioners and asked for reasons why their dog was euthanized.
At the SCDPAB meeting (which is held monthly at the North Branch of the Stark County District Library at 6:00 p.m.), another family (the Beaver family) surfaced telling a tale of horror of how their dog who was properly licensed, sheltered, secured and maintained in terms of being vaccinated up to standard was attacked and mauled by neighboring pit bulls whose owner, they said, had not properly licensed, sheltered, secured, maintained and insured them.
The Beavers had been working with the Stark County Dog Pound (SCDP) since June of this year to deal with the pit bull owner's failure to comply with being cited by the SCDP with corrective action, but to no avail.
The Beavers believe that the SCDP's failure resulted in the mauling and the need for them to put their dog down.
The SCPR has much video footage to present to the Stark County public on the many, many problems at the SCDP.
The Report is digging into why the Stark County commissioners have been so out-of-touch with the problems at the pound; apparently working to resolve the many complaints about personnel staffing the pound, but seemingly spinning their wheels.
It seems to yours truly that the commissioners have not effectively taken charge of correcting problems at the pound that the current commissioners and their predecessors have long known about.
Commissioner Meeks told The Report on Wednesday evening the commissioners are proceeding cautiously because a number of years ago a pound employee was found to have been improperly disciplined by the county and the finding cost the county in the neighborhood of $50,000 to settle.
One of the looming problems facing Stark's dog lovers and the volunteers at the pound is that two of the three commissioners dealing with the current outcry will be gone in a matter of about two months.
Commissioner Todd Bosley is vacating his commissioner's job effective December 31st of this year as he is running for state representative in Ohio's 50th District.
Commissioner Steven Meeks is likely to be defeated in his endeavor to be elected to a seat on the Stark Board of Commissioners by his Republican opponent Janet Creighton.
Even if he should win, which the SCPR does not expect, he still will be required to step down for at least five weeks because the term he is serving now (the unfilled term of former Commissioner Tom Harmon) will expire as soon as the Stark County Board of Election certifies either Democrat Tom Bernabei or Republican James N. Walters in the election to fill the remaining two years of the Harmon seat.
The Report has gone into the political side of the succession of office to acquaint readers with yet another complication that citizens actively engaged in trying to work out the problems of the pound with commissioners will have to face.
By following the daily blogs of the SCPR, readers can become well informed as to what the problems at the pound are, who is dealing with them, what is being done, and whether or not "real" solutions are being achieved.
Commissioner Bosley (the president of the Stark County Board of Commissioners) has demanded that Warden Reagan Tetreault have a final report on the investigation of and disciplinary disposition of Roxy's erroneous euthanization by next Tuesday's scheduled commissioners' meeting.
The SCPR has learned that the Stark County commissioners are not especially fond of The Report's focus on their, once and for all, getting a handle on the manifold problems that seemingly continue to plague the operation of the Stark County Dog Pound ("Pound," - SCDP).
The SCPR has been the main media outlet over the past couple of years that has been needling the commissioners (the current and past boards) about their seeming inability going back, perhaps, as far as ten years to shape up Pound functioning.
Apparently, the current commissioners get upset that Stark County's dog lovers come to The Report with their frustrations about perceived deficiencies in the operations at the Pound.
Understandably, the new members of the current Stark County Board of County Commissioners ("Board"), appear to think they have been dealt a bad hand on the matter of Pound operations by the immediately preceding Board (Bosley, Meeks and Ferguson).
However, Commissioners Bernabei and Creighton have now been commissioners for the better part of a full year and it is time for them to start owning up to their share of not yet resolving Pound personnel problems which seem to be the main gripe of Pound operation critics.
Commissioners Bernabei and Creighton made a great fanfare about a new day dawning in how commissioners - present, going forward - interact with the public and the press on accessibility, accountability, transparency and community outreach.
While the SCPR believes that the new Board is a considerable improvement over the Bosley-led Board, The Report is curious why the commissioners want to discourage public dialogue on the pace of their progress on reforming Pound operations.
The Report is getting the growing impression that much of what commissioners say about heightened transparency may be more rhetoric than reality.
The Report last published on the Pound problems on September 1st. CLICK HERE to link up with that blog.
As the SCPR is prone to do, once an issue in presented - no matter what Stark County government entity is involved - is to check back with sources who have been critical to get an assessment of whether or not satisfactory problem resolution is or has occurred.
FIRST - 'THE OTHER PROBLEMS"
On Dog Pound operations, it appears that there is substantial continuing dissatisfaction, to wit:
an overall assessment that Dog Warden Reagan Tetreault "is in over her head,"
Because of criticism of Tetreault, Stark County Chief Administration has taken to micro-managing (The Report's interpretation) Pound operations,
It is "hit and miss" as to whether or not dog cages get cleaned depending on which Pound employee has the responsibility at any given time notwithstanding Warden's September 23rd directive that the cages be cleaned each and every day,
a continuing phenomenon whereby Pound volunteers are providing extra food,
while Warden Tetreault has issued a volunteers manual, she apparently did so with an attitude (i.e. because she was "tired of hearing about it."),
a continuing situation whereby capital (e.g. buying a new washer, dryer, and dishwasher at the cost of about $1,000) and supply purchases are made by Pound volunteers because, if they did not do so, needs would go unmet, and
inadequate and inconsistent administrative processing dogs taken into the Pound resulting in dogs not being adopted and ending up being euthanized because of the Pound having more dogs than cages.
Critics do cite improvements such as dog food bowls being dumped every night so as to eliminate a mouse infestation problem. However, the Stark County (Canton) Health Department is credited with the improvement on the basis of the filing of a complaint by Stark County Dog Pound Advisory President Nanci Miller back in July of this year.
SECOND, "EXCESSIVE EUTHANIZATION OF DOGS"
While it is agreed by various critics of the Pound operations that there is too much euthanization going on, there is disagreement as to whether or not Pound management (and ultimately the commissioners) is to blame for not developing strategies (e.g. an aggressive adoption program, et cetera) to cut down on the phenomenon or that the excess is owing to other factors such as citizens having to abandon their dogs because of the down economy and the Pound simply not having the capacity to deal with the increased number of dogs and which is not amenable to a solution other than stepped-up euthanization.
As far as the Stark County Political Report is concerned, Stark County's citizens should take the attitude that "the jury is still out" as to whether or not the current Board is "really" improved over past Boards in terms of accessibility, accountability, transparency and community engagement with the focus being on accountability and transparency.
When The Report hears that a certain commissioner does not want to be blindsided with SCPR blogs (generated because dog loving citizens come to The Report for redress of their grievances) about unresolved complaints about long overdue deficiencies at the Pound, then all the talk about accountability and transparency takes on more and more of a hollow ring.
Stark County citizens should be concerned that such is a "shooting the messenger-esque" reaction and, that despite all the talk to the contrary, that, perhaps, the commissioners really do not want to hear critical input from the citizens of Stark County.
Understandably, the Stark County commissioners (Bernabei and Creighton; Ferguson was absent due to a family death) - may it be said? - "imposed" a dog license increase of $2 (in the face of Dog Warden Reagan Tetreault's request for a $4 increase) which is the minimum the commissioners could have done under Ohio law (Ohio Revised Code Section 955.14). Moreover, they increased kennel operation fees by $10 per kennel ($60 to $70).
The statute does not use the word "impose" and you can bet that there was no talk about "imposing" a fee at yesterday's commissioners meeting, but that's the net effect of commissioners' action.
As anyone who is familiar with a previous board of commissioners know, in December, 2008, the then commissioners Bosley, Harmon and Vignos "imposed" a sales tax increase of 1/2%.
A group of Stark Countians became enraged at commissioners "imposing" the tax, organized into a "Vote No Increased Tax Committee" and led an effort to defeat retention of the levy in the November, 2009 and won handily.
Consequently, the commissioners are "gun shy" on the matter of proposing/raising taxes or fees and The Report believes that the increase would have been $4 if the former board of commissioners had not bungled by "imposing" in 2008 rather than allow Stark Countians to vote on the measure from the outset.
Being the dog lovers they are, the SCPR does not believe that Stark Countians owning dogs will be upset with the increase. If anything, they might even agree with The Report that a $2 increase was not enough.
The Report believes the increase should have been $4 which would have provided the necessary funds to take care of all the capital deficiencies that have accumulated since 2004 (the last increase ) and have gone unmet.
One remedy for Warden Tetreault to pursue is increasing enforcement of the fee. While about 50,000 dogs, more or less, are registered in Stark County, thousands remain unregistered. At a work session two weeks ago, Tetreault indicated she would step up efforts to increase the ratio of registration. Stark County Auditor Alan Harold will be asked to carry the financial burden of advertising the need to register inasmuch as his office get 15% of the revenues generated by Pound fees.
The increase from the current $12 to $14 will generate about $100,000 of additional money. A $4 increase would have generated about $200,000. Even a $4 increase would have been very much in line with comparable Ohio counties.
There is about a $60,000 shortfall in getting all the desperately needed repairs/replacements done in 2012 and therefore it appears that the remainder will have to wait until 2013.
The Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board is doing its part to help with capital improvements. They are looking to fund improvements of the Pound ventilation system with the proceeds from a fund raiser to be held in September.
The SCPR encourages all Stark Countians (dog owner or not) to support the SCDPAB (many of whom volunteer at the Pound) in their effort to help provide for Stark's lost, orphaned, and stray dog population.
At yesterday's meeting, Nanci Miller, president of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB) appeared to endorse an increase in dog registration fees. She did not specify an amount. Undoubtedly, she is grateful for any increase to provide the financial resources that are needed to get the Stark County Dog Pound (Pound) up to full speed in being a first-rate pound.
Another interesting note is that in the SCPR's interview of Commissioners Bernabei and Creighton after the commissioners meeting had adjourned show that they say they would have liked to do a $4 fee increase but could not do so in light of a number of factors which each expound on in the video provided below.
Commissioner Creighton, in particular, was pointed in scoring prior boards of commissioners for not keeping pace with the financial needs of the Pound operation over the years between 2004 and 2011 (which is, by the way, an enterprise fund in that its operations and capital needs are provided for from revenues generated from the Pound itself and NOT from county general fund dollars).
Here is a video of Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board President Nanci Miller, Dog Warden Reagan Tetreault and Commissioners Bernabei and Creighton speaking to the matter of fee increases.
Dissatisfaction with the way the Stark County Dog Pound operates surfaced anew at the commissioners' meeting of October 20th (last Wednesday).
The commissioners collective stomachs had to be turning as the listened.
An upset Stark County Couple showed up at the commissioners' weekly meeting to complain about their seven year old dog apparently being accidentally euthanized by a Stark County Dog Pound (SCDP) employee after only being missing for 14 hours.
Ohio law mandates that at least 72 hours must pass before a dog can be euthanized,
Commissioners thought they had fixed the Dog Pound problem back in the late spring/early summer when they fired former warden Evert Gibson and hired Regan Tetreault in July. Tetreault was an experienced warden from a nearby county.
Last night a number of Stark County citizens showed up at the regular monthly meeting of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB) meeting at the North branch of the Stark County District Library located on 25th Street in Canton to complain about the quality of operations at the SCDP.
Some of the citizens were pointing the finger at Tetreault as showing she has been unable to gain control of the unionized staff at the Pound. Others were more tolerant and asked that she be given more time to get what many describe as being irascible unionists under control in terms of being more "public" friendly and more "volunteer" friendly.
Included in the group of citizens were a couple who told the SCDPAB that their two year old dog, which was properly and lawfully housed, secured and maintained by them, was attacked and mauled by a neighbor's two pit bull dogs that they allege were not properly registered, secured and insured (a requirement of law for pit bulls), The couple described how devastated and horrified they and their children were over the mauling of the family dog and blamed SCDP's bungled handling of the pit bulls as the reason why their dog is now dead.
Tetreault was at the SCDPAB meeting to answer questions. She also was present at Wednesday's commissioners' meeting to answer questions on the Greathouse matter.
Only on September 24th did she pass her probationary employment date. The SCPR asked commissioners at their September 22nd meeting whether or not she was going to pass her probation status. They all indicated that all was well and that she would no longer be a probationary employee after the 24th.
One has to wonder in light of recent developments whether or not the commissioners are finely tuned enough to the goings on at the SCDP?
An even deeper question is what commissioners and their chief administrator are doing to get the union under control? It appears to the SCPR that the union workers are in control and the warden and commissioners are taking orders from the organized workers.
The SCPR is sympathetic to organized labor, but only when they operate with flexibility and common sense. Organized labor can be effective to provide its membership with living wages and the dignity that the everyday laboring force should have.
However, unions can be enablers of an attitude of "go _ _ _ _ yourself." If that is what unionization brings, then it is not a good thing.
It does not appear that the Dog Pound unionized staff fill The Report's bill of having flexibility and common sense.
If the union at the SCDP is out-of-control vis-a-vis management, then the commissioners will find that they will have a parade of dog wardens as long they do not effectively deal with the underlying problem.
But do they have the "political guts" to do it?
All three commissioners are Democrats who heavily rely on union contributions in their election campaigns. In fact, Commissioner Bosley just filed a campaign finance report on Wednesday showing that unions have provided him with tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions in his quest to be the state representative for Stark County's 50th congressional district.
The SCPR will be tracking commissioners and pushing them to have a public meeting with union leaders so that the public can be clear that the union will take a hand in reordering its Dog Pound members.
If this cannot be achieve soon, then the county should get out of the dog pound business and look to contract with a "for profit" owner/operator.
BACK TO THE PIT BULL MATTER.
SCDP personnel had cited the owner of the pit bulls for the failure to register, to insure and secure the two pit bulls, but when the owner failed to cure the citation, the SCDP failed to follow up with any kind of enforcement action against the owner. Accordingly, the couple-owners of the mauled dog (which had to be put down) lay the blame for their loss at the doorstep of the SCDP.
From the recounting of the dog mauling, many of those in attendance at the SCDPAB meeting went on to criticize Tetreault for her apparent inability to deal with SCDP's unionized personnel. They cited the rudeness of SCDP employees to the general public, the employees unacceptable handling methods of dogs, and other attitude deficiencies among their bevy of complaints.
In the end, some of those assembled were talking about privatizing the dog pound.
What will the Stark County commissioners (all of whom are Democrats heavily dependent on union support) think of the privatization talk?
Should be a very interesting meeting next week with the Stark County commissioners, no?
The past Wednesday the commissioners appointed a new member (Judy King) to the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB) and reappointed a serving member (Sally Rouse). Both Ms. King and Ms. Rouse are volunteers at the Stark County Dog Pound.
At Commissioner Creighton's initiative, the commissioners now ask appointees to come to the commissioner meeting at which they receive an appointment so that all the commissioners are acquainted with and somewhat familiar with their appointees.
One of the things that the commissioners did not do in their exchange with the candidates for appointment was to pursue points brought up by them in their remarks about problems continuing to exist at the Stark County Dog Pound.
After their appointment, The Report stepped out into the hallway and interviewed the two appointees (see the video at the end of this blog).
Was yours truly surprised. The two gave The Report an ear full of dissatisfaction with the way things are going at the Pound and their dismay that Warden Tetreault was not improving matters.
In fact, they told the SCPR that they were inviting the commissioners to their next SCDPAB meeting scheduled for August 18th so that they can air out with commissioners problems which linger and perhaps worsening at the Pound.
The SCPR has a alternative suggestion.
The commissioners have work sessions on Mondays (10:00 a.m) and Tuesdays (11:00 a.m.) of each week. Why not take one of those days and have a work session with advisory board members, Tetreault and the Stark County public on the issues that surround the operation of the Pound?
Last year was a year within which commissioners (not the current board except for Ferguson) fired (January 27th) the then dog warden Evert Gibson. Matters had gotten so out of hand at the Pound in terms of Gibson to effectively manage union personnel that commissioners felt compelled to replace him with Reagan Tetreault (May, 2010) who was dog warden in Holmes County.
But even the Gibson successor hire process was not without some controversy. Members of the SCDPAB suspected then Commissioner Bosley of trying to finagle a person, who had not been a part of the SCDPAB's screening of candidates, to the top of the list of persons being considered to replace Gibson.
Moreover, there was a controversy between Commissioner Ferguson and some SCDPAB members as to whether or not he saw a video of Pound employees mistreating dogs housed at the Pound.
While the SCPR understands that the commissioners figure to have "bigger fish to fry" (i.e. getting their 1/2 cent levy proposal passed on November 8th), the county does have other business and it is high time that they dig into the bubbling problems that appear to continue to plague the Pound and get them resolved "once and for all!"
Matters like the quality of work being done at the SCDP also factor into the commissioners' quest to reestablish trust between themselves and the Stark County public.
The commissioners can ill afford to lose votes for their 1/2 cent proposed sales tax increase.
While no one connected with the SCDPAB, Friends of the Pound, or from the members of the dog-loving public have indicated to the SCPR that their vote is in jeopardy as a consequence of perceived problems at the Pound, The Report believes that, if the commissioners fail to act on the complaints, they may be risking such a reaction.
BACK TO ROUSE AND KING
The state of repair at the SCDP have gotten so bad and with the county experiencing severe financial problems and likely that commissioners are not willing to make needed repairs themselves, the Friends of the Pound (which both Rouse and King are involved in) is holding a fundraiser to raise money to fix a ventilation problem among others at the Pound.
Stark County Dog Pound (SCDP - Pound) volunteers - are they "a gift to the [Stark County] community?"
The Stark County Political Report says: ABSOLUTELY!
Civic volunteers are the personification of everyday citizens being part of the governance of our local community. They have no political motivations (i.e. getting re-elected, et cetera). They are involved because they consummately care about their specific project.
In the case of the dog pound volunteers, if the animals do not have the volunteers looking out for them, their needs and safety concerns may go unmet.
So why raise the question in the first place?
Because the SCPR is increasingly hearing suggestions that the volunteers (i.e. unpaid Pound workers and Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board [SCDPAB] members) have become a case of "the tail wagging the dog."
The Report has been hearing these rumblings ever since the SCDPAB got very active in forcing the county commissioners' hands in removing Evert Gibson as dog warden earlier this year and in weighing-in against a last minute "surprise" candidate to replace Gibson. Other criticisms of the commissioners include the appointment of former commissioner Tom Harmon's stepson as a deputy dog warden, the failure of the commissioners to control the union (Local 94, Teamsters Union) and ensure that the Pound function properly.
And there is also the matter of the Animal Welfare Society of Stark County (AWSOSC) being led to believe (by Commissioner Bosley?) that the county would be putting county money into a facility on SCDP grounds to house a spay/neuter clinic operated by AWSOSC (a non-proift). So far as the SCPR knows, commissioners have not delivered on the commissioner suggestions of financial help (i.e. $1 a year lease, and, perhaps up to $100,000 for reconstruction costs?).
The commissioners "apparent" change in attitude is probably the case (in addition to the evaporation of the political motivations - see below) because of the very limited funds that the county has for such purposes these days. When it was "more or less promised."
While he has been commissioner, Todd Bosley has been "apparently" been very supportive of the volunteers. It will be interesting to see whether or not his support continues as ex-commissioner Todd Bosley. The SCPR suspects that Bosley's interaction with the volunteers will disappear now that he has no political purpose in doing so.
Moreover, former Commissioner Steve Meeks seemed to be on board with Bosley on being gungho for the volunteer groups until November 3, 2010. Whether or not Meeks genuinely supports the volunteers will be shown by his involvement or non-involvement now that the political purpose is gone.
The Report believes that "in reality" the volunteers have been "a pain in the __ __ ___" to the commissioners including Bosley and Meeks and that the negativity has been embraced by Commissioner Ferguson (see yesterday's video in which he talks about "the - limited - role of the SCDPAB" (a body of volunteers).
Within the past few days, the SCPR has learned that an employee of the Stark County Dog Pound has been written up a second time and/or suspended, depending on whom you believe.
Commissioner Ferguson tells the SCPR (last Wednesday that a Pound employee was "written up a second time", but not suspended). However, here is a edited e-mail that The Report has gotten on the matter which suggests a suspension, to wit:
I heard that ... was hosing out a dog cage with the dog still in it. (
supposed to take the dogs out before cleaning the cages , which is more
time consuming) The volunteer reported this to the Warden and she said
she would handle the situation. A short time later ... came up to the
volunteer screaming at her , saying she should not go behind his back ,
she did not see him spraying the dog ,and on and on .....About this time
the Warden walked up and ... stopped shouting (sic) and walked away. The Warden told the volunteer to write a report of the incident and give it to her.
After
this, ... again approached the volunteer , saying he wanted her to
talk to his wife in the parking lot, implying that his wife would handle
the situation, if the volunteer got smart with her.
I
heard some of the volunteers that witnessed this, passed the info on
to the commissioners, and ... was suspended with pay until a hearing
takes place. Not sure how long the suspension is.
Here is another excerpt from an e-mail received by the SCPR that suggests reasons why acrimony is seeming to prevail between the volunteers, county commissioners, and Pound employees. To wit (with minor editing):
I
see that this issue is taking a disturbing turn; that being that the
real problems that have existed at the pound for some time, the very same issues
that provoked the installation of video cameras in the first place (by
Evert Gibson) to record abuse and unnecessary rough handling by the
deputies are now being used to defend the abusers. I believe the
freedom of information act makes the tapes available, but the reason
they were installed was so that the WARDEN (who it now appears has
become the darling of Ferguson and Hanke) can review them on a regular
basis. Obviously the darling is not doing so. It should also be noted
that according to inside sources the deputies have learned how to avoid
being photographed. I have been told that the "program" to view the
videos is complicated, hence the evidence that does exist may not have
been thoroughly viewed/edited.
As for the dog food: Food
has always been supplied by donations. When Evert was the warden, if
donations ran out, he bought food for the dogs out of his own pocket,
but such needs were very few because the pound had (PAST TENSE) the
support and respect of the community, so donations were usually
plentiful. I think the current issue is not (as suggested in your
video) that dogs are starving, but that moldy food is considered
acceptable by this warden. In some cases there are dogs that come in so
malnourished that feeding them extra would be a logical and humane act,
but (as I understand) the deputies refuse to allow volunteers to
provide extra food to such animals, not for any economic reason, but
because the dog might poop more, thus the deputies who are being paid
outrageous salaries to CARE for these dogs might have to clean the
cage.
I have personally experienced the irresponsible, inexcusable and
irreversible act of ... kill at will behavior. I have personally
seen ... lift a big dog using a snare pole. Several people in this
neighborhood have seen him exert utterly unnecessary force and
roughness, in addition to extreme rudeness to themselves when the pound
was called regarding 2 apparently lost dogs that did not require the
force used.
To suggest that the volunteers are making false claims regarding what is
and is not basic humane and responsible treatment of animals, civil
behavior toward the tax-paying public and competent management by the
person who was hired to 'fix' the problems is disturbing to me. While
there may be a volunteer or two who have unrealistic expectations is
possible. I don't know as I don't go down there, but I do know that
these people (volunteers) are not working their asses off for any gain
or glory. They are doing so because there is a tremendous need and that need exists because the employees do NOT work their asses off. Rather, they prefer to do little more than sit on them.
It should also be noted that one of the final blows to Gibson's tenure
at the pound came because Ferguson didn't feel he had received an
appropriate response to a personal issue he'd reported. Now that
citizens have boldly come forth to reveal some inexcusable behaviors at
the Pound (Greathouse and Beaver) that have resulted in the loss, not to
mention heartbreak and financial costs due to a lack of competence and
management under the new warden, Ferguson himself seems to be very
forgiving.
Does anyone think that this warden who lives in another county is going
to even show up for work when the weather gets bad? I doubt it. Has
anyone asked WHY she left her previous job? I'd like to know that
answer. And finally, her public statement that the heart-stabbing ... and a few other deputies can't bear to have dogs named because
it's too upsetting when they have to "put them to sleep"just about made
me spew!
It appears to this reader that certain commissioners have tired of this
issue and are taking the easy way out by siding with their new hire
rather than making management demands upon her as they did upon her
predecessor. I hope that the new commissioners will use their authority
to address this situation.
So there you have it folks!
It appears that the relationship between the current commissioners (not including the "new to be soon installed" Tom Bernbei) and the volunteers is not the best.
As stated by the second e-mail writer, the new commissioners (Creighton and Bernabei) need to take a firm hand on matters at the Stark County Dog Pound and solve this festering problem "once and for all!"
It is disturbing that there may be those and including, perhaps Commissioner Ferguson and County Administrator Hanke, who find the volunteers as communication "inconvenient truths" especially at a time the county is experiencing severe financial shortages and therefore are to be diminished in terms of their believability so that they do not get in the way of county officials getting public support for additional revenues so sorely needed by the county.
Had Bosley, Meeks, Ferguson, Vignos and Harmon effectively tackled the long brewing SCDP problems over the past five years, the commissioners would not have the current set of problems.
But they didn't.
The SCPR finds it to be an outrage that there might be a subtle trashing of the dog pound civic volunteers by public officials. If such is the case, cooler heads (Creighton and Bernabei) need to step forward immediately and diffuse this problem which seems to be at "a low boil" currently before it hits "a high boil" and gets out of control.
Civic volunteers and their "check and balance" on how government functions is a critically important part of the public's confidence in government institutions, the local government included. Commissioners should be pleased that the Pound volunteers are bringing the problems of the Pound to the public's attention. The way to honor the volunteers is to take their complaints seriously and to solve the problems, post haste
Stark County, with the Frustaci matter fresh in the local collective memory, does not need another "bad taste in the public's mouth" event. If the commissioners fail "to take the bull by the horns" and solve the Pound problems, "Hell will freeze over" before any kind of tax issue passes in Stark County. And, inaction or ineffective action could result in a new round of ex-commissioners dotting the Stark County political landscape.
The SCPR applauds the Pound volunteers for exposing the SCDP problems and pushing for resolution.
In doing so, they can expect to kicked around. The Report has experienced the same fate with the reports and investigations that surface in these pages. One of the reasons that politicians and many elected officials are disdained by the public (only about 20% of Americans have confidence and trust in government) is because they look after themselves and their political hides rather than the general welfare of the governed.
So rather than fix problems as they can and will continue to surface, the politicos and highly politicized elected office holders either bury the problems or try to make victims out of those in the greater Stark County community who "put the light of day" on their self-serving ways.
Lamentably, the SCPR reminds the Dog Pound volunteers that in looking after the public interest, oft times "their good deeds will not go unpunished."
Such is the reality of life, especially when the electoral fate of public officials may be at stake!
But the Stark County public undoubtedly esteems the likes of the Stark County Dog Pound volunteers!!!
Here is a video of SCDP Advisory Board members discussing "volunteer policy," "whether or not there is a dog food shortage," and "whether or not there is abuse at the Pound."
For several years the SCPR has been publishing blogs about the vociferous and vigorous complaints by some activist Stark County dog lovers (Activists) on conditions at the Stark County Dog Pound (Pound).
The complainers - for the most part - are volunteers at the Pound who recount eye witness incident after incident after incident of what they allege to be abusive treatment of dogs who land at the Pound.
In late 2009, the outcry got so marked that the then commissioners were forced to act. In early 2010 the fired Warden Evert Gibson and replaced him in May, 2010 with former Holmes County Dog Warden Reagan Tetreault who still is Stark's dog warden.
On January 27, 2010 (nearly one year ago), Stark County commissioners (Bosley, Ferguson and Meeks) fired Evert Gibson as dog warden because of unresolved problems. Gibson had been on the job for several years.
After some controversy between the commissioners and members of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB) over the appearance of a non-SCDPAB recommended person as one of five finalists, the current warden Reagan Tetreault (on the list) was appointed (May 5, 2010) with a starting date of May 24, 2010 subject however to a 120 probationary period.
Ever since there has been simmering discontent among much of the Activists community with the management style of Tetreault.
Commissioners have been aware of the rumblings and have been trying to keep a lid on it.
But at yesterday's regular weekly meeting of the Stark commissioners the lid exploded off "the can of worms" which The Report believes descriptive of the mishmash of turmoil afflicting Pound operations.
EXHIBIT 1
A video of Stark County citizen Ellen Shankle, (a former volunteer at the Pound and, according to a source, a former board member of the Friends of the Pound [Stark County], who was the primary complainer at yesterday's meeting, to wit:
The SCPR's impression is that yesterday's outburst was a surprise to them.
Apparently, they did not see this coming. But The Report believes that they should have in light of what is going on with Canton City Council with its mulling over as to whether or not to continue with its present program of animal control of trapping wild animals (mostly cats) and then having them euthanized.
Opponents to the current program have besieged council with demands that policy be changed to TNR (trap-neuter-return).
The focal point of the TRN advocates cause is a viral YouTube video showing Canton Animal Control Officer Phil Sedlacko (also an employee of the Stark County Dog Pound) and his handling of a dog which he had captured.
The commissioners did hold a press conference after the presentation of Ms. Shankle and two other citizens.
In the main the response was:
we have been working on this problem and will continue to do so until it is remedied,
we are sending Chief Administrator Mike Hanke to spend the day (Friday, February 24) at the pound to get a first hand take on the situation of the Pound,
we will hold public work sessions with dog warden to get to the bottom of problems,
we deem the Pound in important concern, but it is not our top priority.
Noteworthy on the last bullet point are the remarks of Janet Creighton, to wit:
One would think that Commissioner Tom Bernabei would especially be interested in zeroing in or solving the festering SCDP problem inasmuch as he is up for re-election in November.
The SCPR could see this Republican opponent Craig T. Conley (who in the view of The Report has little else to pounce on Bernabei about) using this issue as a difference maker as to who gets elected.
In any event, to yours truly, it is high time that the commissioners (with the sales tax increase having been passed and the county budget having been completed) move to resolve the seemingly eternal Pound problems to the top of their list and getting a resolution "once and for all!"
It appears that the Stark County commissioners are gluttons for punishment.
For years now, Stark Countians have complained often, loudly, and vigorously and yet the commissioners appear to have been unable to take care of the festering problem.
Recently, they hired a new dog warden. She is Reagan Tetreault, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, but more recently of Holmes County, where she still lives. Seemingly, the commissioners did the correct thing in hiring Tetreault, at least from an "animal" and "dog pound experience" standpoint.
A reader of the SCPR provided The Report with a link to a radio interview done with Tetreault on August 19, 2009. For those readers who want the background on her, the radio interview is the place to go. When you get to the site that the SCPR provides, go to August 19, 2009 and click on "Reagan Tetreault." (see graphic below for guidance). CLICK HERE to go to the radio website.
Tetreault of Tuscarwas County worked at the Holmes County Dog Pound, first as a deputy, then as warden going back about two years. On May 24, 2010 she was hired by the Stark County commissioners to replace Evert Gibson as warden at the Stark County Dog Pound (SCDP - Pound). Commissioners fired Gibson in April because of the many problems at the Pound that they felt Gibson had failed to deal effectively with.
Tetreault has worked at the SCDP for almost six months now. The question that commissioners should be asking is this: Is Tetreault showing enough progress in managing the unionized workers at the Pound to justify keeping her on?
Some members of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (SCDPAB - Board) think that Tetreault has had enough time to show more progress than she has. But has she?
One has to remember that Gibson had some five to six years to deal with the problems, but appears to have failed to get the upper hand on them. Hence, his firing.
The SCPR believes that the commissioners have confidence that Tetreault will, in time, get the union members under control. Commissioners will not say it, but The Report has reason to think that the commissioners believe that the union has de facto control of the Pound. All the commissioners are Democrats, and, as is common knowledge, Democrats tread very lightly where union issues come up, because unions provide campaign contributions and campaign workers almost exclusively to Democrat candidates for public office.
So what would lead the commissioners to think that Tetreault or any other manager of the SCDP could manage the Pound members of Local 92 - Teamsters union?
The SCPR does not think the problems at the Pound (no matter who the warden is) are going away until and unless the commissioners have someone like Mike Hanke (the county's chief administrator) to knock heads with the bigs at Local 92. But will they do it?
Well, Commissioners Meeks and Bosley won't. Although both lost elections this November, The Report does not think they are done with politics, and if they are not done with politics, it would not be a wise move to take on the Teamsters Union.
So who will?
Perhaps the combo of Republican Janet Creighton (former mayor of Canton) and Democrat Tom Bernabei, both of who were newly elected on November 2nd. Democrat Bernabei? Maybe? As long time law director for Canton and having held a number of positions in Canton city government, Bernabei is used to dealing with unions. Maybe, just maybe, he through the likes of Hanke can communicate to Local 92 that it is in the interest of the union to get their Pound members under control.
As the SCPR sees it, the commissioners are the key for anyone to being able to manage the Pound effectively. If they want to solve the Pound problems, then they have to "persuade" the union to corral in the problem employees at the Pound.
Being Stark County commissioner is absolutely the worst elected job in all of Stark County these days. If the county cannot convince voters to renew a 0.25 sales tax in May or, alternatively, a "dedicated to the criminal justice system" sales tax; then come 2012 Stark County will be trying to provide services for $35 million a year compared to $56 million or thereabouts in 2010. It ain't going to work folks, but won't citizens still expect undiminished services?
One thing the commissioners should be looking at is privatizing the Pound. It could be that the county by state law is mandated to have a pound. However, if that is the case, state law can be changed. Especially with the likes of Republican Todd Snitchler (state Rep. 50th House District) being in a leadership role in Columbus.
Snitchler has to be Stark County's premier advocate of "anything government does, private enterprise can do better." So why not him to demonstrate his unbridled faith in the private sector with the SCDP? With the Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly majority come January 1, 2011, and with a Republican governor, all of whom are in the thrall of the private sector in varying degrees; legislation to turning dog pounds over to private enterprise - if needed - should be a slam-dunk for Snitchler.
If Snitchler were to take this project on, there would be a strong dose of irony to his doing so.
How's that?
Well, Snitchler was challenged by Commissioner Bosley for the 50th House District seat this past November 2nd whom Snitchler defeated 61% to 39% and, wouldn't it be quite a coup for Snitchler to solve a problem that Bosley couldn't for four years of being commissioner?
Undoubtedly, commissioners-elect Creighton and Bernabei would be eternally grateful, no?
Here is a video showing a sampling of the outrage that dog lovers have at the way the SCDP is operating these days.
B.A. - Political Science
J.D.
AN INDEPENDENT MINDED POLITICAL COMMENTATOR
Until 1976 I was a Republican. Since then I have considered myself a Democrat. So after long term stints of being a Republican, then a Democrat, I have come to the political position I feel most comfortable with - being an INDEPENDENT MINDED ANALYST who demands effectiveness of our politicians - Republican, Democrat or whatever.
I have changed my political affiliation to "non-partisan" by not voting in either political party primary election.
