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Residents urge council to halt animal shelter contract changes and seek help for neighborhood vandalism
Summary
During final public comment, a resident asked the council to 'hit pause' on a $7,000,000 animal shelter contract she said diverts funds to office space for code enforcement, while another resident reported repeated vandalism near Manion/Skyline and asked for police help; the mayor referred the safety concern to the police chief.
Two residents used the final public comment period to press the council on separate community concerns: one urging accountability over an animal shelter transition and contract, and another seeking help for ongoing neighborhood vandalism.
"It's asking you to be accountable," Melissa Tresati, a resident in ZIP 89002, told the council. Tresati alleged the $7,000,000 contract for the shelter was meant for shelter operations, additions and renovations but that most of the money is being spent on an office building she said will be used primarily by code enforcement. She called the change a "bait and switch," said adoption numbers are falling, and urged the council to pause and revisit the contract and the associated decisions.
There was no direct response in the meeting record that altered the contract; the transcript shows Tresati's remarks as public comment. She named Ian Massey, director of community development and services, as responsible for decisions she criticized.
Heidi Dietrich, also a resident in ZIP 89002, said her neighborhood near Manion/Skyline has experienced repeated vandalism — broken windows, BB gun shots that have hit dogs, and dirt-bike use on pedestrian paths — and that neighbors have made about 200 calls to authorities over several years. The Mayor asked her to speak with the police chief after the meeting to discuss possible responses, and the mayor indicated staff or the police department would follow up.
Both comments were entered into the public record during the final comment period; staff and the Mayor offered to facilitate departmental follow-up but no formal council action on either concern was recorded during the meeting.
