County moves forward with animal shelter

BY VALERIE REDDELL
Editor
polknews@gmail.com

LIVINGSTON — Polk County Commissioners approved a contract Tuesday with Ivy Construction for $3,000 to raze a building that lies within a frequently flooded area and breakup its concrete foundation. The property was purchased by the federal hazard mitigation funds. Pct. 1 Commissioner Bob Willis suggested dumpsters be placed at the demolition site and the debris — other than concrete — hauled to the county landfill. Willis said the road and bridge department can take the concrete chunks to be used in other projects. Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the contract and allocate up to $5,000 for debris removal. The court also took action to allow the county animal shelter project to move forward. Commissioners approved a project budget of $57, 455 in the 2010-2011 fiscal year to build the shelter adjacent to the Pct. 3 Road and Bridge barn in Leggett. The project budget was calculated based on the use of convict labor from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Polunsky Unit. The limited availability of those inmates has made the project extend beyond the budget, so excess funds were transferred to the general fund balance, according to County Judge John Thompson. Tuesday’s action reauthorizes the funds to be spent from the fundbalance and allows the court to include the project on the year-end certificates of obligation for capital projects. The funding mechanism remains the same as discussed last year. Sheriff Kenneth Hammack asked whether the $57,455 included refurbishing office space for the animal control officers assigned to work at the shelter. Thompson said he couldn’t answer, but the judge’s administrative assistant Marcia Cook said the documentation she has been given indicated it did not. County Maintenance Supervisor Jay Burks was attending training classes and could not be present at Tuesday’s meeting. Hammack added that he wanted to be sure that he Sucarichi, 34, Livingston. and the court were “on the same track”. “Jay talked about adding an office to the front of the kennel area of the shelter. There’s plenty of room,” Hammack said. Tuesday’s action provides for installation of an aerobic septic system and fencing. Connecting the septic system to the facility will come in a later phase of the project. The site is not yet equipped with water or electricity. “This may be step one of two or more steps,” Thompson said. The court also voted to accept a bid from Skyline Roofing in the amount of $148,343 to replace the roof at the Onalaska subcourthouse and the Polk County Regional Health Center. The court also accepted two options detailed in the bid that call for a slightly thicker roof, extending the warranty to 20 years and adding gutters and down spouts that will be covered under the warranty. Commissioners also voted to hire Melissa Gates as veterans service officer, to comply with requirements from the Veterans Administration. Gates has handled the duties of the VSO since the retirement of Penny Nelson. The VA requires counties that have a veterans service office to have a veteran’s service officer and Gates meets the requirements to hold that position. County officials reduced staffing in that department from two full time positions to one full time and one part time in the current budget cycle to offset lost revenue.