Commissioners and humane society board hope to reach common ground

Published 5:27 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Encouraging conversation seemed to be the theme between members of the Chilton County Humane Society and commissioners during a work session Monday night.

“I was very pleased with the conversation between the commissioners and the humane society board,” Commissioner Bobby Agee said. “I think everyone should be commended for their cooperation in the room during the discussion. I can’t say we have reached a permanent agreement as of yet but we are close to reaching common ground.”

Agee declined to give specifics of the conversation during Monday night’s work session but did indicate during a telephone interview on Tuesday a decision regarding funding would be made at the upcoming commission meeting on March 25.

“If everything works out, we should get everything resolved at the next meeting,” Agee said. “I am hoping everything will fall into place.”

Secretary for the humane society board Kathy Plier was one of the humane society representatives attending the work session and thought the meeting was productive.

“I think everything went tremendously well,” Plier said. “It was the best meeting we have had with the commissioners.”

Plier said some of the board members were unable to attend the work session so details of the work session will be discussed at a humane society board meeting on March 22.

The board will then report what they decided to commissioners at the regularly scheduled commission meeting on March 25.

Plier said commissioners did offer to give additional funds to the humane society for the rest of the budget year that ends in October 2013.

After October, commissioners proposed to give $30,000 to the humane society each year.

Plier said one thing the board would like to do is make sure a contract is signed designating the agreements made between the commission and humane society.

“We suggested if the county owns the building then maybe they could start paying the insurance with the exception of liability insurance,” Plier said. “We also have our incinerator that is not EPA approved and we have had to bypass a lot of the safety things to merely keep it running.”

Plier said commissioner Joe Headley volunteered to come take a look at the incinerator and get quotes for a new one.

“We were just very encouraged,” Plier said.