Board Members of the Chilton County Humane Society were present during Monday’s Commission meeting in response to complaints about the shelter.

Renita Hamilton was also on hand and went before the Commission with concerns and problems that she had found with the Humane Society.

Hamilton mentioned an experience she had with a dog she found and took care of for a month prior to dropping it off at the shelter.

According to Hamilton, she told the Humane Society to call her, if the dog had not been claimed by its previous owner within a certain time period.

“I never received a call, but for some reason I could just not let it go,” Hamilton said.

Eventually, Hamilton found out that the dog was still at the shelter.

“He remained in the shelter when he didn’t have to be,” Hamilton said. “The conditions of the shelter are deplorable.”

Allen Caton advised Hamilton that the first step in the process is to present the grievance with the Humane Society Board and then come to the Commission if nothing is resolved.

Katherine Reece, Kristie Hyche and Amy Nicholas were board members at the meeting in response to the criticism.

“We’re not surprised that someone would complain, because unless you have gone to the shelter in this county before it is hard to understand,” Reece said. “If someone goes to the Shelby County Humane Society and then ours, I would imagine that it is a pretty big shock. They get $300,000 a year from Shelby County and we get $30,000 a year from Chilton County. That makes a big difference.”

Reece explained to the Commission that it is going to smell because they have a concrete block building with no ventilation.

Commissioner Jimmie Hardee stated that he went on a tour of the facility a couple of days ago and the staff was doing their best to keep the place disinfected and clean.

However, Hardee did raise a question that has been expressed to him by community members concerning a fee required to drop-off animals.

According to Reece, only donations are asked for when someone brings in an animal to the Humane Society. Drop-off fees are only required for people not living in Chilton County.

“Are you sure about that?” Hardee said. “I would check again with your staff just to make sure.”

Hardee expressed that he would talk about it in further detail in January.

“We want to work with the Commission, and that is why we come to these meetings,” Hyche said. “We look forward to worked with him [Hardee], because he is an animal lover.”

The Humane Society’s board meetings are held every first Thursday of the month at the Chilton-Clanton Public Library beginning at 6 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2017.

“Everyone is welcome to the meetings,” Hyche said.

After a lengthy executive session requested by attorney Ken Webb with Webb & Eley to discuss pending or possible litigation, the meeting resumed.

Webb presented the Commission with an offer from Transcontinental Pipeline to purchase the easement rights of the pipe’s property, which includes a portion of County Road 352 for $20,000.

The Commission’s options were to accept the deal, make a counter offer or decline the deal.

According to Webb, the letter from Transcontinental Pipeline stated that the deal was their last offer and he was not sure that a counter offer would be well received.

“By accepting the offer I feel that we are robbing the people of the community that have addressed the issue from seeing the outcome come to fruition,” Commissioner Joseph Parnell said.

The Commission unanimously voted to decline the offer presented.

In other news from the meeting, the Council:

• Approved the final plat for Phase 1 of the Bellewood Subdivision located off County Road 411.
• Approved permission for Sheriff John Shearon to surplus various equipment and five vehicles.
• Approved the hiring of Jeff Brown as a full-time deputy with the Sheriff’s Office.
• Approved the hiring of Mark Rouleau and Britton Langston as part-time deputies with the Sheriff’s Office.
• Rescheduled the meeting on Jan. 9 to Jan. 12, due to the possible conflict with the University of Alabama playing in the National Championship Game.
• Appointed Jimmie Hardee to the Solid Waste Board.
• Authorized the chairman to sign and approve the publication of the unaudited 2016 financial statement.