MONROE - A contract between the city and the Green County Humane Society that caused divisiveness between members of Monroe Common Council has been renewed for another year, with a few changes.
City Attorney Dan Bartholf said during the council meeting Tuesday that the contract mirrors the agreement Green County has with the society, improving its clarity.
"This is a significant change," Bartholf said. "Ours was pretty complicated. We wanted to simplify it more."
Yet the new contract comes with the same price to the city - $35,000. Its price tag was part of the reason members of the Finance and Taxation Committee included it in a list of expenses to be cut along with subsidies to Main Street Monroe and Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Alderwoman Brooke Bauman was a part of the committee during budget season when she said she did not feel the cost of the contract was equitable to what the city received in services. Bauman was not present at Tuesday's meeting.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley had said the previous contract did not pay for the use of the facility for holding animals in criminal cases, which costs the city $10 per day per animal, a stipulation still included in the newest contract. The contract covers the cost of a resident who brings a stray from the city to the shelter.
Funding was allocated to cover the costs of proposed cuts, including a proposed $10,000 to the humane society, but the council had in late October instructed City Administrator Phil Rath to hold further discussion with the facility which continued until the end of 2017.
Assistant City Administrator Sam Liebert said because the contract began Jan. 1, city staff felt it would be more beneficial to approach negotiations again later in the year, keeping in mind that other facilities within the region can be utilized if an agreement cannot be met.
"There are alternatives, but we thought because of the lateness of the hour, we'd streamline this and come back to the contract in the summer," Liebert said.
Bartholf said that numbers outlining how many animals are taken in by the humane society from Monroe and surrounding communities would likely help with negotiations in the
coming months. He noted the figures indicated the number of dogs taken to the facility from Monroe has dropped over the last decade.
The newly approved contract specifies that the city will be given an access key to the "part of the Animal Shelter that is designated for after hours drop-off of animals by humane or law enforcement officers and appropriate instruction regarding the securing of Covered Animals left in such area."
Under the contract, the budgeted amount of $35,000 will be paid to the humane society in monthly installments of roughly $3,000.
Council members Michael Boyce and Chris Beer were also absent from the meeting. Aldermen Jeff Newcomer, Charles Koch, Richard Thoman, Ron Marsh, Rob Schilt and Tom Miller approved the contract, which will expire Dec. 31.
City Attorney Dan Bartholf said during the council meeting Tuesday that the contract mirrors the agreement Green County has with the society, improving its clarity.
"This is a significant change," Bartholf said. "Ours was pretty complicated. We wanted to simplify it more."
Yet the new contract comes with the same price to the city - $35,000. Its price tag was part of the reason members of the Finance and Taxation Committee included it in a list of expenses to be cut along with subsidies to Main Street Monroe and Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Alderwoman Brooke Bauman was a part of the committee during budget season when she said she did not feel the cost of the contract was equitable to what the city received in services. Bauman was not present at Tuesday's meeting.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley had said the previous contract did not pay for the use of the facility for holding animals in criminal cases, which costs the city $10 per day per animal, a stipulation still included in the newest contract. The contract covers the cost of a resident who brings a stray from the city to the shelter.
Funding was allocated to cover the costs of proposed cuts, including a proposed $10,000 to the humane society, but the council had in late October instructed City Administrator Phil Rath to hold further discussion with the facility which continued until the end of 2017.
Assistant City Administrator Sam Liebert said because the contract began Jan. 1, city staff felt it would be more beneficial to approach negotiations again later in the year, keeping in mind that other facilities within the region can be utilized if an agreement cannot be met.
"There are alternatives, but we thought because of the lateness of the hour, we'd streamline this and come back to the contract in the summer," Liebert said.
Bartholf said that numbers outlining how many animals are taken in by the humane society from Monroe and surrounding communities would likely help with negotiations in the
coming months. He noted the figures indicated the number of dogs taken to the facility from Monroe has dropped over the last decade.
The newly approved contract specifies that the city will be given an access key to the "part of the Animal Shelter that is designated for after hours drop-off of animals by humane or law enforcement officers and appropriate instruction regarding the securing of Covered Animals left in such area."
Under the contract, the budgeted amount of $35,000 will be paid to the humane society in monthly installments of roughly $3,000.
Council members Michael Boyce and Chris Beer were also absent from the meeting. Aldermen Jeff Newcomer, Charles Koch, Richard Thoman, Ron Marsh, Rob Schilt and Tom Miller approved the contract, which will expire Dec. 31.