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Marksville residents press council on animal-control help and parish shelter plan; council asks attorney about stipends
Summary
Several residents and local business owners urged city leaders to address overcrowding at the Marksville pound and a proposed parishwide animal shelter; a business owner asked for per-call restitution and city attorney said liability concerns mean a contract or payroll arrangement will be needed.
Several residents and volunteers told the Marksville City Council on a recent evening that the city’s animal-control system is overwhelmed and that private rescuers are absorbing costs to keep animals off the streets.
Jennifer Falls, who said she is circulating a four-question parishwide survey to gauge need for an animal shelter, asked council to help distribute the survey so the resulting data would be district-specific and valid. “A survey is being done to determine the need for a parishwide animal shelter,” she said, and offered to text the survey to staff for distribution.
Business owner Meline, who identified herself as owner of Glovers Boarding and Beyond in Hesmer, described repeatedly rescuing animals when the pound is full and said the time and expense are jeopardizing her business. “I move anywhere from 100 to 250 dogs every couple of months,” she said, adding that in the last ten years she estimated handling thousands of animals and sometimes dozens at once. She asked the council to consider “some type of restitution” — for example a call-out fee — rather than payroll or a monthly salary.
City leaders responded that legal counsel would need to weigh in on whether the city could pay individuals directly or should instead pursue a contract. City attorney Jonathan T. Gaspar said that when someone acts “on behalf of the city for the benefit of the city, it’s as though you’re an employee,” and that the council should consider putting a worker on payroll or creating a contract with clear parameters so liability and limits are defined.
Council members and staff also discussed a parish-level shelter plan that was mentioned during the public comments. According to remarks in the meeting, 17 acres of land have been donated toward a proposed shelter; planners are reportedly exploring multiple funding sources and possible operational models (including shared staffing or trustee support from the sheriff’s office). Council members emphasized the need to “delineate responsibilities” between the sheriff’s department, city police and any regional shelter staff.
Council asked staff to draft a contract outlining the scope of work and per-call compensation and to bring that contract to the city attorney for review. The council did not adopt a final policy or set a dollar amount during the meeting; instead members directed staff and legal counsel to prepare parameters so the council could consider a formal agreement at a later meeting.
The council also acknowledged the practical limits of municipal authority and the potential for a broader parish solution: attendees were urged to share ideas, to participate in the parish meeting on a shelter proposal, and to supply documentation of prior impoundments and citations so the city can better understand enforcement history.
Next steps: staff will draft a contract or stipend proposal with defined parameters and submit it to the city attorney for legal review before returning to the council for formal action.
