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Board of Supervisors approves animal shelter in split vote

A broad ranging discussion of animal shelter issues stretched over a two hour portion of Monday’s Mohave County Board of Supervisors meeting. Animal control advocates urged the Board to approve supervisor Jean Bishop’s proposal to allocate up to $3-million to construct a new and improved shelter where the current facility operates in downtown Kingman.

Supervisors Buster Johnson and Ron Gould were in the minority of a 3-2 vote approving use of up to $2-million for an improved shelter. Staff is tasked with recommending a preferred location and whether new construction or a renovation and expansion model is best, so it may be a month or more before a more detailed plan takes shape.

Officials, by then, may secure answers to some of the questions and concerns that surfaced during Monday’s lengthy discussion.  

One issue involves whether the county or an outside contractor should run the shelter currently operating downtown. Manager Mike Hendrix has previous board authorization to convert it to a county administered facility; because the Western Arizona Humane Society (WAHS) indicated it did not wish to continue overseeing the operation by renewal of the contract that expires at the end of this month. Hendrix said he will continue transitioning the shelter toward county control, but that could change in the future.

It remains to be seen whether the county will entertain a WAHS proposal to continue managing the shelter if the county will increase annual compensation from $260,000 to $350,000. Chairman Hildy Angius indicated she intended to call a special Board meeting so supervisors can better consider matters involving shelter operations.

Johnson and Gould have noted that the county is only obligated to run an animal control facility where animals must be sheltered for three days before euthanasia is considered. Hendrix said allocation of up to $2-million for the facility reflects that the majority of the board is more supportive of the humane society approach with low kill and high adoption rates.

Board members on Monday repeated their belief that Lake Havasu and Bullhead City are more financially supportive of shelters in their communities and that the City of Kingman should do more for the downtown shelter. Mayor Jen Miles explained that Kingman has little to work with because it has already committed its capital funds toward projects including the Rancho Santa Fe interchange.

Gould told Miles her argument was weak.

“It’s what is real and if what is real is weak, then that’s what it is,” Miles said.

Johnson and Gould also took aim at the City of Kingman for not doing more to support a lake project that surfaced three years ago. The concept has the Elks, Arizona Game and Fish and the City of Kingman partnering with the county to develop and maintain a 3.5- to 5-acre lake on county property north of the district library along Burbank Street. Supervisor Gary Watson agreed that the city needs to “get some skin in the game” or the county can find another use for the property.