MONROE - With plenty of smiles on the faces of its members, the Green County Humane Society Board Wednesday approved a 99-year lease with the county for land to build a shelter at the Pleasant View Complex.
The humane society's action followed the Green County Board of Supervisor's approval of the lease Tuesday at its meeting.
The shelter will lease about eight acres of land to the north and northeast of the Government Services Building. The land is "L" shaped. A new building will be located to the northeast of the Pleasant View Complex and an area to walk dogs will be located to the north of the complex.
The land includes a barn for the shelter to use to store equipment.
A driveway for the shelter would be located off of the north driveway at the complex.
Humane society board president Paul Barrett said shelter customers could park in the driveway but any plans for the new shelter would include its own parking area.
"It was a good day for us," humane society volunteer Dan Bartholf said. Bartholf helped negotiate the contract with the county.
Bartholf said he and Barrett met with county officials four times to create the contract. He said he was pleased with the agreement.
"The county has been a good partner," he said.
Finding a location for a new shelter has always been an important step in the building process, Bartholf said.
"If it takes us five years to build (a new shelter), and I don't think it will, we at least have the site locked down," he said.
The next step for the board is to come up with a building plan, educate the public and start a fundraising campaign to help pay for the building, he added.
There aren't any definite plans for a new building, yet. The board visited other shelters last year to get ideas but doesn't have any final design plans.
According to the lease agreement, the humane society would pay the county $1 a year for each year of the agreement. The agreement begins Feb. 1, 2010 and continues through Jan. 31, 2109.
The agreement requires the humane society to use the land for an animal shelter; it can make alterations to the barn on the Pleasant View property to provide extra storage; and any buildings must face east to reduce noise so the animals don't disturb residents at Pleasant View Nursing Home or county employees.
Bartholf assured the county board Tuesday that dogs would be housed as far away from the nursing home residents and county employees as possible. He said dogs would not be allowed out of the shelter unless they were on leashes.
In addition, the county and the humane society will work together to allow water, sewer, electric and telephone utilities to be extended to the leased property at a minimal cost to the shelter.
The humane society's action followed the Green County Board of Supervisor's approval of the lease Tuesday at its meeting.
The shelter will lease about eight acres of land to the north and northeast of the Government Services Building. The land is "L" shaped. A new building will be located to the northeast of the Pleasant View Complex and an area to walk dogs will be located to the north of the complex.
The land includes a barn for the shelter to use to store equipment.
A driveway for the shelter would be located off of the north driveway at the complex.
Humane society board president Paul Barrett said shelter customers could park in the driveway but any plans for the new shelter would include its own parking area.
"It was a good day for us," humane society volunteer Dan Bartholf said. Bartholf helped negotiate the contract with the county.
Bartholf said he and Barrett met with county officials four times to create the contract. He said he was pleased with the agreement.
"The county has been a good partner," he said.
Finding a location for a new shelter has always been an important step in the building process, Bartholf said.
"If it takes us five years to build (a new shelter), and I don't think it will, we at least have the site locked down," he said.
The next step for the board is to come up with a building plan, educate the public and start a fundraising campaign to help pay for the building, he added.
There aren't any definite plans for a new building, yet. The board visited other shelters last year to get ideas but doesn't have any final design plans.
According to the lease agreement, the humane society would pay the county $1 a year for each year of the agreement. The agreement begins Feb. 1, 2010 and continues through Jan. 31, 2109.
The agreement requires the humane society to use the land for an animal shelter; it can make alterations to the barn on the Pleasant View property to provide extra storage; and any buildings must face east to reduce noise so the animals don't disturb residents at Pleasant View Nursing Home or county employees.
Bartholf assured the county board Tuesday that dogs would be housed as far away from the nursing home residents and county employees as possible. He said dogs would not be allowed out of the shelter unless they were on leashes.
In addition, the county and the humane society will work together to allow water, sewer, electric and telephone utilities to be extended to the leased property at a minimal cost to the shelter.