County Board member Ken Durkin is bringing a motion forward at the Wednesday, March 18 full McDonough County Board meeting to approve the transfer of funds from the county's American Rescue Account to the Animal Control Fund to help with the funding for a new animal shelter to replace the county's dilapidated shelter.
At the Board's Finance Committee last week, members voted three to two against the motion brought forward by Durkin to transfer $110,489.34 in interest income from the more than $5 million provided to the county from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). At last Thursday's Human Resources and Planning Committee, the members approved a motion, five to three, at Thursday's meeting. The McDonough County Board's Human Resources and Planning Committee oversees the operation of the shelter.
A portion of County Board meetings include time for public comment. Members of the public can also reach out to their respective Board members; the complete Board directory is available at http://mcg.mcdonough.il.us/members.html.
The Humane Society of McDonough County (HSMC) building subcommittee is currently working to determine final construction costs, as well as the location for the new shelter. Plans for the new facility include cat rooms; dog kennels with outdoor runs; isolation areas for quarantine and control of disease spread; a utility room; adequate office space, storage and parking; a vet/exam space; attached dropoff kennels; a meet-and-greet room; and an all-purpose room for meetings, training and education.
Through an intergovernmental agreement between the city of Macomb and the county, the city kicks in 50 percent of the operational dollars necessary to pay for two full-time shelter employees and two part-time employees, as well as veterinary costs for the shelter's animals. The county covers benefits for the employees, and all fees collected from the county's mandated registration program, approximately $90,000-$100,000 go directly to shelter operations.
In other business, the Board will vote on reappointing three members each to three-year terms on Blandinsville- Hire Fire Protection District and the New Salem Fire Protection District; approving support of SB 2842 (banning eminent domain for CO2 pipelines); approving a policy for Alternate Heating Sources-Space Heaters Restriction; and approving Tri-County Interim Agreements.
