Animal shelter close to reality

By RICK MORAIN

For The Jefferson Herald

Jefferson City Attorney Bob Schwarzkopf announced at the Oct. 13 Jefferson city council meeting that he intends to resign from his position as of Dec. 31.

Schwarzkopf has served as city attorney for the past 19 years.

Schwarzkopf said he hopes a replacement can be named soon to allow time for a transition into the position. 

Also at the Oct. 13 meeting, it was announced that the city hopes to open bids for the new animal shelter on Oct. 29.

The council approved acceptance of land for the new shelter from the Greene County Development Corp. The site is at the west end of the GCDC west business park on North Highway 4. The site is immediately south of the AAI annex building.

The council in August approved an agreement with Atura Architecture for $52,700 for architectural and engineering services for the new animal shelter and its adjoining dog park. Cost of the services were to be paid by funds raised for the project.

The new animal shelter/dog park is four years in the making, and will be built with $600,000 in funds already in hand.

Don Orris, the longtime fundraising spearhead for the project, briefed the council in July on why the committee decided to scale back the size of the facility. Orris initially put together a plan for a facility that would cost $1.1 million, and set out to raise private money for it. But the fundraising effort largely stalled at $592,000 in grants, donations and pledges.

He and the committee instead proposed to the council a somewhat smaller building of metal rather than concrete block, altering the odor control system to save about $250,000, and installing a simpler moisture control system. A proposed garage will be eliminated, and somewhat fewer dog kennels and cat cages will be included.

Because the city will be the owner of the shelter, council approval of the changes were necessary.

In other business on Oct. 13, the council placed on second reading, then waived the third reading and adopted an ordinance reducing the speed limit on North Grimmell Road from 40 mph to 35 mph. The stretch lies between the Union Pacific railroad tracks and Highway 30, along the west edge of the new Greene County High School and Career Academy site.

The council also placed on second reading, then waived the third reading and adopted the proposed ordinance amending the city code to allow for off-road utility vehicles (UTVs) on city streets. 

Both new ordinances become effective after their publication in today’s Jefferson Herald.

The council approved accepting the $435,000 state Community Development Block Grant to help fund conversion of upper-story space in downtown Jefferson for housing. The grant will go specifically for the building at Chestnut and State streets, at the northeast corner of Square.

Mayor Matt Gordon said that an 18-hole disc golf course is under consideration for Daubendiek Park on West Russell Street. The project would be largely self-funded, Gordon said.

He also said that the first session of collective bargaining for the new police contract will be held Nov. 4.

The council approved five pay requests: $6,558.17 for shared use path improvements; $66,045.71 for the Chestnut Street water main project improvements; $7,526.76 for improvements to Arch Alley off the north side of the Square; $162,481.73 for extension of the hard-surface runway (with funds from the Federal Aviation Administration); and $50,160 to Westbrooke Construction for replacement of the roof at 100 E. State St. at the northwest corner of the Square (the home of Angie’s Tea Garden).

The city council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 220 N. Chestnut St.