Franklin Co. Humane Society asks city for further funding, public for help as new animal shelter project costs rise

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) – A new Franklin County animal shelter has run into some difficulties with improvement. So now, the county’s humane culture is trying to find hundreds of 1000’s in extra funding from the city of Frankfort – but can the city present it?

“We’ve been in a floodplain for virtually 50 many years so of course this was required,” said Sam Marcus of the Franklin County Humane Culture.

Marcus suggests the humane society’s relocation is now about 30 p.c finish, but they’ve hit a roadblock. Companion Area necessary to be paved for the shelter to open and it arrived at a significant rate.

“We shouldn’t have to shell out for this road,” Marcus stated. “It’s a general public road, it is your street, and it is a $350,000 value.”

He claims the challenge should be accomplished by the conclusion of August so they need the money to end the career. But the metropolis of Frankfort has presently committed $1 million to the venture, and town commissioner Katrisha Waldridge suggests it is a private road.

“I experience that it is not our responsibility,” mentioned Waldridge, who also serves as mayor pro tempore. “We donated the $1 million and that can be for the developing or for the infrastructure that he might have to have.”

Waldridge suggests this venture carries a higher value tag and more substantial scale than necessary…

“When I assume about $6.5 million, I never imagine about an animal shelter,” Waldridge said.

But Marcus contends that this need to established the conventional for the state.

“We desire significant…it is not that a great deal even larger than our building is now,” stated Marcus. ”The key factor is, it is by today’s criteria of medical treatment and welfare and which is some thing that’s pretty distinctive in Kentucky…sad to say.”

Even nevertheless, Waldridge thinks the city needs to save the revenue for quite a few other pressing concerns.

“We’re going to be a person of the largest animal shelters in the state – wonderful,” reported Waldridge. “But we also have a homeless trouble, we have psychological health and fitness troubles in our city and that’s the place our cash desires to start going now.”

Marcus hopes the general public will encourage city commissioners to have a dialogue about further more funding. He suggests they’ve experienced talks with some on the board about talking about it in this Monday’s function session. But they will need a few out of 5 commissioners to concur to explore the matter, and Waldridge states she is standing organization in her situation that they just can’t give any additional funds.

Nevertheless, Waldridge noted that she is in guidance of the animal shelter, as the commissioners voted unanimously to supply the $1 million commitment. She additional that after the street is complete, the metropolis has also made available to shell out for its routine maintenance likely ahead.