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Model for shelter could come soon
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MONROE - Green County Humane Society (GCHS) members learned Thursday the organization is getting closer to seeing a digital model of its new shelter.

Gary Kramer, who is a member of the GCHS building committee, told about 75 members at the annual meeting the committee wants to have a digital model of the new structure available in a few months. Once the model is ready, he and the rest of the committee plan to talk to community groups and businesses to raise money for the new shelter.

"We're on track to make this happen," he said.

The new shelter, which could be built near the Pleasant View Complex northwest of Monroe, is expected to cost more than $500,000, Kramer said, but none of the preliminary plans are "set in stone," he said.

"It's easier to make changes on paper than during construction," he said.

Kramer said the building committee still must take initial steps to look at what type of building to build and the size of the building.

"We want to be fiscally responsible," he said.

Kramer said the humane society was helped by the lease between the organization and the Green County Board of Supervisors, which was signed in February. The 99-year lease, for $1 a year, allows the humane society to have eight acres of land to the north and northeast of the Government Services Building at the Pleasant View Complex.

"Our committee didn't want to spend a lot of money on property," he said.

Kramer also took time during the annual meeting to express his positive impression of shelter Executive Director Deb Broge, who took the position in November. Kramer said Broge's work at the shelter has shown humane society members and businesses that the shelter is well managed. The building committee wanted to know the shelter will continue to be managed effectively, which is also important to donors and volunteers, he said.

Also at the meeting, humane society members elected Dean Counselman, Lester Grossen, Norah Sanders and Emily Sievers to the organization's board. They will replace Tina Gilbert and Sue Curran, who decided not to seek another term on the board; incumbent Barb Gerber; and Yvonne Schutte, who resigned from the board earlier in the week.