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Riverton council to form task force after lengthy discussion of PAWS capacity and finances
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Summary
After extended public comment and council debate, Riverton aldermen proposed a small stakeholder task force to study shelter space, accounting practices, and funding for PAWS; council did not vote to change the contract at the meeting but asked staff to draft a resolution to create the committee.
Mayor Tim Hancock led a long public discussion on April 21 about the city’s obligation under local ordinance to impound animals at large and recurring capacity shortfalls at the local PAWS shelter.
Councilmembers, PAWS board members and volunteers discussed overcrowding, unpaid veterinary bills and accounting inconsistencies at the nonprofit. Councilwoman Johnson urged a collaborative approach and said PAWS volunteers and the city were working together to find solutions; she told the council she and shelter staff had reviewed financial records and identified accounting irregularities that make budgeting and public reporting difficult.
PAWS treasurer (identifying herself to the council) said she had begun reconciling records and hired a new accountant; the board acknowledged prior bookkeeping errors and asked for more technical help. Multiple councillors pressed for clarity on how much additional space or funding would solve the problem; Public Works and police liaisons raised operational concerns about impounding animals when the shelter has no kennel space.
Council members proposed a small, nimble task force—representatives from PAWS, veterinary services, the Riverton Police Department animal-control officer, two council liaisons and one or two at-large community members—to identify options for facility expansion, clarify financial controls, and draft a sustainable operating plan. Mayor Hancock asked staff to prepare a draft resolution for the council’s next meeting spelling out membership and the committee’s scope; no vote to provide new funding or change the PAWS contract occurred on April 21.
Council members emphasized the public-safety obligation to seize dangerous or at-large animals while also saying they want the shelter to succeed. Several members suggested the task force report back in six months with concrete, costed options, including possible fundraising, bookkeeping support, or limited city assistance tied to performance and reporting steps.
Next step: staff was asked to draft a resolution creating the task force and return it for council action at the next regular meeting.
