Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
For its 2000 budget, Animal Welfare League asked the county to quadruple its contribution over what the county gave it in 1999.
AWL presented its 2000 budget request Tuesday for $125,000 to the Kosciusko County Commissioners.
The county now pays AWL $30,000 per year for expenses, and pays the salary of the animal control officer, Jerry Clase.
AWL, which took over the animal shelter from the county Nov. 1, 1998, pays the county $1 a year to lease the animal shelter.
AWL treasurer Bob Brilliandt presented the budget to the commissioners. He said, "We weren't made aware we should have presented this before July 1." He told the commissioners he hoped they would consider AWL's request.
AWL total expenses for 2000 are estimated at $151,242. Payroll and payroll taxes make up the bulk of the expenses, at $96,492. One director, an office manager, two full-time employees and four part-time employees make up the staff. The budget does not provide for additional employees, rate increases or any employee benefits.
The budget does not include the animal control officer's budget and expenses because the county provides that service.
The spay and neuter program is estimated at $21,000 for 2000, and medicine is estimated at $10,600. Advertising is estimated at $3,500.
Brilliandt said advertising and the spay and neuter program were not in the county's budget when the county ran the shelter. However, the advertising, he said, helps get the animals adopted, and the spay and neuter program helps stop the problem where it begins.
"We've had a pretty good rate of adoption by advertising and promotion. Donations have been the biggest question to date," he said.
If the commissioners provide $125,000 in their budget for AWL, Brilliandt said, he expects total income for the AWL to be around $199,600, providing a potential excess of $48,358.
"I put $125,000 in here because of unknowns. If all these numbers come out, we could be generating a surplus. The surplus would go into our building fund to provide a better site in the future," he said.
Asked if they plan to let the AWL continue to run the shelter, the commissioners said yes, as long as the AWL wants to.
"I don't think there's any question about that," commissioner Eddie Creighton said.
They took no action on AWL's request.
In other business, the county commissioners approved supporting Norfolk Southern Corp.'s projects in Claypool.
According to information Norfolk Southern provided the commissioners, the railroad company worked with the town of Claypool and the Indiana Department of Transportation to implement a rail crossing safety project.
The project will install gates and lights at the Clay and Section street (CR 700S) crossing and close the crossings at Walnut, Railroad, Harrison and Church streets. In addition, the railroad is providing Claypool with the right of way for an emergency access road south of the tracks and west of CR 200W. Norfolk Southern also will provide base stone and $25,000 to the town for the construction of this emergency road.
Norfolk Southern agreed to demolish an abandoned grain elevator, considered a fire and safety hazard, in Claypool. Norfolk Southern owns only 20 percent of the land where the elevator is located and needs to obtain the other 80 percent to demolish the structure. Arden Rhodes is the owner of the land Norfolk Southern needs to buy.
According to the information, Rhodes' firm declared bankruptcy many years ago and the county taxes on the property have not been paid for some time.
Rhodes agreed to deed the railroad and elevator and surrounding property to Norfolk Southern. Once the deed work is complete, Norfolk Southern will ask the county to forgive back taxes due. Norfolk Southern will spend $100,000 to remove the elevator and make other improvements.
If the county forgives the back taxes, Norfolk Southern is willing to resolve a long-standing property dispute with the county in Packerton. A county road is on the railroad property in Packerton. The county argues it has rights to the property given that the railroad has allowed the road to exist for so many years. Norfolk Southern's real estate department will agree to give the county a deed to the right of way as part of the Claypool solution.
In another matter, the county commissioners named Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver as the Animal Disease Control Emergency Coordinator. Under a new state law that went into effect July 1, each county in Indiana must name a coordinator as a contact person for the state in case of an animal disease emergency, such as rabies. The coordinator would be responsible to get information out about the emergency to the appropriate people.
