Today's Feature

Discussed Humane Society Budget.

The Carthage City Council Budget Ways and Means Committee last week did not change its decision to appropriate $15,000 less than was requested by the Carthage Humane Society for the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. The Society requested $40,000 which is double the amount approved for the current fiscal year. During the previous Budget hearing, the committee tentatively set the appropriation at $25,000.

Humane Society Board President Kaylene Cole and Executive Director Connie Shull were present at Thursday’s meeting to speak to the committee, and provided documentation of the services the Shelter provides in its contract with the City as well as figures for annual intake of animals.

According to the paperwork, 770 animals were taken to the Shelter by Carthage’s Animal Control Officer between March of 2007 and March of 2008. The total intake of adoptable pets for that period was 3,427. Shull told the committee that with improvements to record keeping, the Shelter is better able to determine the cost of operation than previously.

Committee Chair Bill Fortune after reviewing the totals said he was not comfortable with how the cost per animal was figured. Fortune added that with the recent resolution of legal issues between the shelter and the Missouri Attorney General’s office, he was hesitant to increase the amount beyond the $25,000.

"I’m a little reluctant to say, ‘Okay, we’re going to double our budget out there,’" said Fortune.

The committee discussed with the board members the Shelter’s methods of handling a variety of scenarios, including animals that are dead on arrival, animals that need medical care, exotic and wild animals. Board members also discussed the charges applied for citizen drop-off of animals, and drop-offs from other municipalities.

Shull said that the shelter had recently increased its price for accepting animals from other municipalities, adding that this increase had caused at least one county to take their business elsewhere.

Fortune asked what costs are applied to citizens who take pets or strays to the shelter. Shull said that the cost is variable based on pet size, but ranges from around $5 for kittens to $15 for large dogs. Cole noted that some citizens who bring in strays refuse to pay, as the animal does not belong to them.

Fortune questioned why the City pays more than citizens for animals, saying that it seemed unfair.

Cole responded that the Shelter provides more services for the City than for citizens, including care for injured animals, transportation and followup treatments as well as having a longer required holding period.

Committee member Claude Newport suggested that the budgeted amount be left at $25,000 and that the committee schedule a 6-month review with the Shelter to see if additional funding is justified.

Cole added that another option would be renegotiation of the contract to allow for expense reduction by the shelter. Cole said that modifying several of the items in the contract, including Shelter responsibility for medical bills, and the acceptance of all types of animals, could help alleviate some of the costs. Bill Welch, council liaison to the Humane Society, said the possibility of a trap/fix/release program for feral cats could also help reduce costs at the shelter.

The committee was favorable to these ideas, and agreed to look at renegotiating the contract to allow for less expenditures by the Shelter as well as including a 6 month review period.

The committee made several other cuts and modifications to the budget, primarily capital improvement projects, and also allotted $110,000 for the implementation of the recommendations from the City salary study, which is nearing finalization.

Mornin'
I never figured that clippin’ coupons was worth the time, although I know there are a lotta folks that spend a lotta time pickin’ them up.

The problem I have is even if I save one I know I could use, I never have it with me when I’m ready to purchase the product. Or, I never send in the "rebate" coupons. Sometimes I wonder if the rebates really get sent in by most folks, or if they just get ya ta buy the product by makin’ ya think you’re savin’ money. Evidently a good percentage don’t send ‘em in, or they would just lower the price in the first place.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bag of dog or cat food without a coupon inside. Wonder if they’d mind me openin’ up the bag at the check out counter? I’d promise not to spill too much.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

This Is A Hammer
By Samantha Mazzotta

Home Insulation

Q. The bottom floor of my two-story house has concrete blocks on the outside. My utilities are running to $500 a month. How can I fix the insulation problem on the first floor?

A. Insulation can be a tricky issue. The concrete foundation itself may not be the big problem (and I don’t think that it is). Even though it feels cold to the touch, a properly insulated home should not lose too much heat through the concrete blocks.

An energy audit is one low-cost way to find out where your home is leaking heat. Most electric companies offer a free or low-cost audit, so call your electric company to find out more.

Next, make sure the entire home’s insulation is in good shape and at the proper rating for your region. The Department of Energy recommends different levels of insulation thickness depending on the type of insulation and its location in the house. You can find more information about "R-ratings" at its Web site, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/insulation.html.

Often, an insulation contractor will need to be brought in to analyze a home’s current insulation and recommend improvements. Do read the insulation Web page to at least get an idea of the insulation a home needs, so you can ask in-depth questions during the contractor’s analysis. Always get a written estimate of recommended repairs, and approve it before the contractor starts any work.

You also can do a few things on your own to improve year-round energy efficiency. Insulate hot and cold water pipes in crawlspaces and basements (pipe insulation is available at home improvement stores). Change the furnace filter monthly in winter. And have a programmable thermostat installed in your home -- it can be set to automatically turn down the heat or air conditioning when no one is at home.

HOME TIP: An energy audit is a quick, low-cost way to find out how efficiently a home is being heated or cooled. These audits are offered by most electric companies.