The Clinton City Council has tentatively approved the contract with Humane Society with a nearly double city subsidy with a hope a new proposed plan can be developed in the next couple of months.
The council spent about an hour and a half exchanging comments and discussions with Humane Society representatives about the Humane Society’s proposed contract which increased the city subsidy from the current 65-thousand dollars to 120-thousand dollars and other increased fee.
Various comments estimated the city’s total cost for animal control at about 220-thousand dollars considering the animal control officer within the police department and the Humane Society fees.
As the discussion continued-Ed O’Neil spoke on behalf of the board leadership and offered to sit down with some city representatives and he had a plan that will reduce the city’s expenses by 25-to-30-thousand dollars a year. He said statements have been made that created confrontation from both sides. He said he could ‘guarantee’ the city support for animal control would decline.
The details of the idea were not presented. O’Neil said the idea would get the city out of the dog business.
The council agreed to the new proposal and approved the contract during the committee of the whole session with plans to look at a new plan developed as O’Neil promised. Also during that time, O’Neil encouraged the city to look at other options.