(VIDEOS) STARK CO. DOG POUND ADVISORY BOARD FORCES CHANGES AT STARK CO. DOG POUND?

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.

With the new money, it should not be a problem!

VIDEO SERIES: EPISODE 2 - AIRING OUT THE DOG POUND COMPLAINTS! SEE YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS PETITION THEIR GOV'T FOR REDRESS OF THEIR GREIVANCES. CAN THE COMMISSIONERS GET IT RIGHT? ARE THEY WILLING TO TACKLE THE UNION? IS REP. SNITCHLER READY TO HELP "PRIVATIZE" THE DOG POUND?

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.