Council clarifies Adopt-a-Dog group's use of county building and notes recurring conflict of interest for Dwayne Marker

Council members discussed the county’s relationship with an Adopt-a-Dog organization that uses a county building under agreement, and a clerk announced a recurring conflict-of-interest disclosure for Dwayne Marker.

A council member asked who funds the Adopt-a-Dog operation; staff replied that the part-time shelter worker, Sarah Coops, is paid by the county to cover shifts when the dog warden is out of town, supplies and the part-time position are county-funded, and the county pays the dog warden. The Adopt-a-Dog group—identified in the meeting as an organization out of Wayne County—uses the county building under contract and primarily relies on donations for its operations. As staff summarized, “They just use our building.”

A clerk or staff member announced a standing conflict-of-interest disclosure for Dwayne Marker, noting it is done annually because Marker owns property and serves on a board of trustees tied to the Brookville Lake Regional Waste Resort (as named in the meeting transcript). The transcript records the procedural disclosure but does not record any formal recusal vote or other formal action tied to Marker beyond the annual announcement.

Staff also clarified operational limits: a request to have inmates walk the dogs was rejected—staff said that cannot be done—and the dog warden keeps stray animals for about 72 hours before turning them over to the Adopt-a-Dog organization under the agreement.

The council approved the agenda items that followed by voice vote and then moved on to other business.