PARKERSBURG - Wood County commissioners Thursday announced they will pay the Humane Society of Parkersburg an additional $21,972 on the existing contract to assure the society continues providing after-hours animal control services through June 30, 2010.
Commissioners also announced they will appoint a study task force to look at a longer term solution to animal control services.
"In February we received the requested increase from the Humane Society. The additional funds, over and above what we already agreed to allocate for the coming year, will be taken from the cash carryover in the budget. This will take us to June 30, 2010," Commissioner Blair Couch said.
Originally, county officials said the additional amount would be about $12,000, but on Thursday, after rechecking budget numbers, it was determined that $21,972 would be needed to bring the contract amount up to the original request.
The county provides funding from the general county fund and assessor's dog tag fund to pay for animal control services provided by the Humane Society. State code requires the county provide animal control services and the commission contracts those duties out to the Humane Society.
The commission-appointed task force will be made up of representatives from the Humane Society, county commission, sheriff's office, prosecutor's office, cities of Parkersburg, Vienna, Williamstown and North Hills, Farm Bureau, West Virginia University Extension Service and others.
"We will ask for a report within six months, before our budget process begins next year, to provide us solutions. They will be asked to have public stakeholder meetings to get input from the community as well," Couch said.
The society previously notified the county, as of July 1, it will no longer provide after-hours humane officer services and effective July 1, 2010 would cease all animal control services for the governmental entities.
The county increased the budget allotment for the services to the society this year, but not as much as requested. Among all the governmental entities, officials said nearly $200,000 is paid to the Humane Society for the services.
Humane Society officials said earlier the shelter has been dipping more and more into endowments and like funding sources set aside for improvements and expansion of community services at the shelter, because they found themselves running in the red.
Commissioners have met with three private animal control service providers while exploring other options for the call out after-hours services.
Couch said the commissioners didn't want to "hastily" enter an agreement with an outside vendor that didn't assure maintenance of all services currently provided could be met.
"So, although the cost is great and we are concerned with the expenses, we believe the care of the animals is A-plus and this is the best compromise solution with July 1 only five days away," Couch said. "And we need to make sure this task force comes up with some long-term solutions within six months."
