Tuesday, April 6, 2010

City Work Session

When: Tonight, April 6 at 5:30pm
Where: Gibson Room, Civic Center

Agenda:
  1. DBG/HOME Program Overview and 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan – Chris Imhoff and Melanie Lattin
  2. Animal Foundation Update – John Gilbert
  3. Public Safety Update – Cascade County Sheriff’s Office

6 comments:

Lt. Col (R) Richard Liebert said...

Thanks Sandra for the information and I hope we'll get to see some animal shelter alternatives that
will satisfy all parties, but especially provide the services needed by the animals. This action is long overdue and one or more non-profits need to take charge again, as Billings non-profit does it for about $250K, so why are we spending almost $600,000 on the police to operate it, when they're having trouble with maintenance now?

Anonymous said...

Better question is:

Why, after almost 9 yrs has the Animal Foundation done nothing but make a dog park? There were, and are, animals in need and they put up a play yard for themselves. Even if they say it was for everyone.

Where is the money? They put it off and put it off and the price went up. They never talk about the animals unless they want money.
They never do anything for animals--except their own.

My tax dollars are not going to support a group that can not produce after all these years. And now they threaten the city because they didn't manage their finances?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 7:26 – Interesting comments, but not supported by the facts.

“…they put up a play yard for themselves. Even if they say it was for everyone.” Why don’t you go to the dog park and see who is there?

“They never do anything for animals--except their own.” I guess you think that free spay/neuter for hundreds of dogs and cats doesn’t count.

“And now they threaten the city…” What threat? Do you really think telling the City that the Foundation cannot afford to build a facility that includes animal control (a legally mandated function of the City) without the City’s participation is a threat?

Anonymous said...

Anon. 9:18

I think a lot of animals have died in the current shelter while the Dog Park was built. If helping animals was really the issue, that money for the play yard could have been donated to save lives.

Spay and neuter...it is Spay of the Falls, not the AF that raises that money just for that use. Can't sell that to me. The Animal Foundation didn't lay out that money.

The threats? Mr. Huber said, "Who are you going to come to if it isn't us?" That would be a threat.

Also, I heard John Gilbert say last night that the group had spent $196,000 on architect costs.

Lot of animals could have been helped or saved or the city shelter could have been helped with that money.

The Foundation throws out a lot of numbers, but doesn't build anything. We have $2.5 million, we have $2 million. The shelter will cost about $1 million, $2 million, $3.5 million. But there never is a shelter.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:18:

I agree 100% with Anon 10:34 and Lt. Col (R) Richard Liegert! The AF has been promising an animal shelter for almost eight years and so far we have a dog park that was largely funded by Pacific Steel with donated land by the city and currently maintained by the city (taxpayers). While the dog park is nice what about CATS! I certainly don't expect a cat "park" but to those many cat owners who donated to AF where is their part of the so-called $1.5 million? At first the shelter was going to be less than $2 million; then it became $3.5 million less than two years ago; then it became $4.6 five months ago; now it is awfully close to $6 million and the AF claim to have reduced the scope and size of the building. Pay alot more and get less; what could be better? Of course this is the City of Great Falls government at work so anything is possible and probable.

Commissioner Burow should be commended for his common sense approach to this issue and the commission should back him on his call for putting out an RFP to have the shelter operated by a non-profit organization. Of course this would save taxpayer dollars and thus it will be filed away and the city will continue to spend well over $650,000 a year to provide services that three years ago cost taxpayers $115,000 a year. At the very least, the city should put it up for a vote on whether the city should pay for their portion of a new shelter. The chances of that occuring - just about zero which is also the chances of it passing if the commission has the intestinal fortitude to place it on the ballot.

Anonymous said...

The dog park was a diversion to get people off the issue. Where is the money AF?

AF = SME