In a four to two vote the county council approved building the animal control building which has been under discussion for several years and heavily debated since the new council took office. The county currently leases space from local veterinarian Marion Lott for $1,300 per month. The council has been debating whether to replace this lease with a facility built by the county for several years. Last year the council took action to request a low cost loan from state funds to construct a facility for animal control. The decision to borrow the money was not heavily debated in the council at the time, but has caused controversy and debate ever since new councilmembers took office in January. The initial decision was for a loan of $600,000 to fund a building that could include expansion to manage the overcrowding in the county building. Later, due to cost estimates, the council scoped down the building. At present the plan is for animal control and garage space for county vehicles, but the council is still considering some additional options.
