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Council offers original contract proposal to Boone Area Humane Society after debate over after‑hours service
Summary
After a lengthy presentation and council questions about safety and cost, the City Council voted 4–3 to offer the Boone Area Humane Society the original contract proposal rather than approve the shelter’s requested service and pay changes.
Ann Adams and Boone Area Humane Society staff presented the shelter’s annual report and asked the council to reconsider terms of the city contract.
The shelter said it took in about 353 animals under the city contract last year and estimated average care and medical costs at roughly $570 per animal, while the city’s contract payment works out to about $255 per animal on a $93,000 contract. Shelter representatives told council the organization is absorbing substantial additional costs and asked the city to move beyond the council’s 2% budget cap to maintain current service levels.
Vanessa, identified in the presentation as the shelter director, said the organization cannot sustainably staff a 24/7 on‑call operation and proposed limiting on‑call response to weekdays 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with no holiday on‑call. She also proposed a $75 fee per after‑hours call as a possible compromise and said many after‑hours calls are low‑priority (for example, a found cat that is reclaimed before staff arrival).
Several council members pressed the shelter on counts and costs, asked how many after‑hours calls occur (the shelter estimated roughly 62 calls per year), and warned of public‑safety tradeoffs if police must routinely respond to animal calls. One council member said shifting responsibility to police could tie up officers and raise safety concerns; shelter staff acknowledged those concerns but said staffing costs and employee burnout make the proposed change unavoidable without more funding.
Council debated three options — maintain the current contract, grant an 8% one‑time increase the shelter initially requested, or authorize the shelter to return to its board with a counteroffer. After discussion, a motion was made to offer the original city proposal back to the Humane Society. The motion passed by roll call 4–3.
The council did not adopt any permanent change to the city’s contract language at the meeting; the shelter said it must present any final acceptance or adjustments to its board and return with authority to finalize terms.
