MONROE - The city is offering to pay the Green County Humane Society $130 for each animal it presents for holding to the animal shelter, a move away from its previous contracts that offered flat monthly payments.
The City of Monroe presented a draft of a proposed contract Monday at the Public Safety Committee. The humane society was given an unspecified amount of time to consider the contract and respond.
But some committee members and City Administrator Phil Rath are interested in working through the county with an arrangement.
"Why are we not working together...why wouldn't we join Green County?" said Michael Boyce, committee chairman.
The city is currently not a part of the county contract with Green County Humane Society, and city taxpayers are charged through the city's levy, not the county's levy, for support of the shelter.
The city has brokered its own agreement with the society in the past, because it provided a city building for use as a shelter. Part of those agreements included the costs of maintaining the building and providing some snow and trash removal.
The arrangement changed as of January, when the humane society moved into its new facility, funded by donations and constructed on county property at the Pleasant View Complex along Wisconsin 81.
The Common Council budgeted $35,000 for the humane society services for 2013, up from $22,500 in 2012. Expenditures for 2010 were $4,000 and $15,500 in 2011.
During the city's 2010 budget meetings, the humane society asked for substantial increase in funds for 2011 and after, noting that stray animals from the city made up about 50 percent of the total animals admitted for holding. In 2012, animals from Monroe made up 47 percent, 171 animals out of 354 total, according to Paul Barrett, society president. In January 2013, 10 out of 23 animals coming into the shelter, about 43 percent, were from the City of Monroe.
The city could still change the terms of the contract, but members of the committee indicated a desire to negotiate in closed sessions, if needed. A future committee meeting on the proposed contract has not been set.
The City of Monroe presented a draft of a proposed contract Monday at the Public Safety Committee. The humane society was given an unspecified amount of time to consider the contract and respond.
But some committee members and City Administrator Phil Rath are interested in working through the county with an arrangement.
"Why are we not working together...why wouldn't we join Green County?" said Michael Boyce, committee chairman.
The city is currently not a part of the county contract with Green County Humane Society, and city taxpayers are charged through the city's levy, not the county's levy, for support of the shelter.
The city has brokered its own agreement with the society in the past, because it provided a city building for use as a shelter. Part of those agreements included the costs of maintaining the building and providing some snow and trash removal.
The arrangement changed as of January, when the humane society moved into its new facility, funded by donations and constructed on county property at the Pleasant View Complex along Wisconsin 81.
The Common Council budgeted $35,000 for the humane society services for 2013, up from $22,500 in 2012. Expenditures for 2010 were $4,000 and $15,500 in 2011.
During the city's 2010 budget meetings, the humane society asked for substantial increase in funds for 2011 and after, noting that stray animals from the city made up about 50 percent of the total animals admitted for holding. In 2012, animals from Monroe made up 47 percent, 171 animals out of 354 total, according to Paul Barrett, society president. In January 2013, 10 out of 23 animals coming into the shelter, about 43 percent, were from the City of Monroe.
The city could still change the terms of the contract, but members of the committee indicated a desire to negotiate in closed sessions, if needed. A future committee meeting on the proposed contract has not been set.