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Board presses city manager to act on volunteer program; members raise concerns about laundry, kennels and isolation space
Summary
Advisory board members urged faster action on volunteer recruitment and asked staff to seek direction from the city manager without hiring a consultant; the meeting also highlighted facility constraints, a planned 2026 washer/dryer purchase and concern about kennel and isolation-room capacity.
Members of the Salina Animal Control Advisory and Appeals Board on Monday pressed staff and city leadership for faster action to reestablish volunteers and improve shelter conditions.
Board members argued volunteers could handle many recurring tasks — from laundry to walking dogs — and questioned why a consultant was being considered. "We never had this forward with it... I would move that we talk to the city manager, and that we try to get this volunteer program going, and that we do so without a consultant," one board member said before the motion passed by voice vote.
Staff said the volunteer program is currently on hold pending direction from the city manager, Jacob Wood, and that the idea to consult outside experts was raised after feedback from the Friends of the Animal Shelter. Shelter staff noted they have operational constraints and need direction from higher-ups before moving forward.
Facility concerns were a major part of the discussion. A board member who toured the building raised the volume of dirty laundry and asked whether a larger-capacity washer and dryer should be purchased; staff said a larger-capacity washer and dryer are in the 2026 plan and can be procured once that budget year begins. "It's on our '26," staff said, noting April 2025 budget approval determined the timing for purchases.
Members also criticized visible conditions in the garage where small dogs are sometimes housed in wire kennels because main kennels are full. Staff explained the garage kennels are a backup and that isolation space is limited by state standards; adding an isolation room would require significant construction and multi-million-dollar budget considerations.
The board made a formal motion asking staff to take the volunteer program request to the city manager and to pursue implementation without a paid consultant; the motion carried by voice vote. Separately, the board recommended to the city commission that the advisory board meet every two months (rather than quarterly) to speed decision-making.
Next steps: staff will follow up with the city manager about direction on volunteer programming and the board will forward its frequency recommendation to the city commission.
