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Jennings County animal-control meeting focuses on budget, volunteers, phone system and facility needs
Summary
At a recent Jennings County animal-control meeting, board members reviewed a tight $32,000 annual operations budget, discussed moving mowing responsibility to the county or budgeting it locally, sought a RingCentral phone quote to replace Frontier, and planned volunteer recruitment and an October open house.
At a recent meeting of Jennings County animal-control staff and board members, participants reviewed operational budgets, discussed mowing and maintenance responsibilities, and agreed to pursue a RingCentral phone quote while stepping up volunteer recruitment ahead of an open-house event planned for October.
Board members told county budget officials they are operating on roughly $32,000 a year for shelter operations, about $2,800 a month, and that level does not adequately cover fuel, vehicle repairs, food and veterinary care. "We're about 10 years behind on our budget," Speaker 2 said, urging clearer line items to reduce transfers and better justify requests to county decisionmakers. The group discussed consolidating related lines (for example, carcass removal and trash removal) so amounts are easier to track during the county's budget review.
Members discussed recurring problems with the current phone vendor, Frontier, and supported obtaining a RingCentral (VoIP) quote to provide app-based calling, voicemail-to-email and call recording. "They're not gonna go down as much as what we've been having with Frontier," Speaker 2 said, noting the shelter's internet is MetroNet in some locations. The board agreed to ask county IT or commissioners whether switching systems is permissible and to present a quote at a future meeting.
Facility and capital needs were described as separate from routine maintenance. Board members said some bond-funded items were expected (vehicles, building work) but they had not received confirmation on allocations; they agreed to compile a list of capital projects to request in future bond cycles, including a fence replacement they estimated would cost about $20,000 and improved air circulation for the building addition.
The group reviewed vehicle budgets after a recent tire purchase. Speaker 1 said new tires cost about $800 at Don's Tire and that the motor-vehicle line item will be strained if replacement sets cost $800–$1,200. The board noted gas-and-oil spending reached roughly $4,025 last year and the current year was budgeted at $5,000.
Shelter operations and volunteers were a major focus. Members said the shelter is managing current animals but is not accepting owner surrenders to preserve space; it is taking strays only. The board discussed creating a structured volunteer program with a point of contact, regular shifts (for example, cleaning from 8–10 a.m.) and a SignUpGenius calendar so volunteers can commit to specific times. Speaker 2 urged recruitment and suggested an open house in October to introduce the facility to the community and recruit a "head volunteer" to coordinate schedules.
The board also noted ongoing field work to capture strays: Speaker 1 said a trap is active at JTR (JTR/JRT) Motorsports and a tan dog has been present near Highway 3 North by Lowe's since July.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of prior meeting minutes: Speaker 1 moved and (by voice) the motion passed by general consent (motion recorded at the start of the meeting). - Motion to adjourn: moved and seconded by members; the meeting was adjourned by voice consent.
Next steps include requesting a RingCentral quote and checking county approval for a phone-system change, cleaning up and consolidating budget line items to present to county budget officials, compiling a capital-project list for potential bond funding, and planning an outreach/open-house event in October to recruit volunteers.
