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More Study Needed on Garage Site: Court Says It Will Absorb Animal Fee Hikes

Posted on: Friday, 17 March 2006, 09:00 CST

By James Mayse, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Mar. 17--Daviess County officials will have to do an additional environmental assessment on the site of the proposed downtown parking garage to meet federal requirements.

At Thursday's Daviess Fiscal Court meeting, Judge-Executive Reid Haire said the environmental assessment already conducted on the site between Second and Third streets does not meet all the specifications of the Federal Transit Authority. The garage, which will be on a site owned by BB&T Inc., will be built with some federal funds. The new study must cover a variety of issues -- such as the impact on water quality and the amount of traffic and noise generated by the garage -- before receiving federal approval.

The federal agency has the same study requirements for any project it funds, Haire said.

"When you're dealing with federal dollars, it makes no difference if it's a $2 million parking garage or a $200 million highway project," Haire said.

Assistant County Administrator Steve Johnson said the completed assessment will be sent to the state, which will forward it to federal transportation officials. The transit authority will need about 60 days to examine the assessment before approving the document, Johnson said.

The new study will have to be completed with some speed: Federal officials must approve the site assessment by Sept. 30 in order for the county to receive funding for the project.

"We are in a time crunch here," Haire said.

County officials approved hiring Wilbur Smith Associates to perform the assessment, on the condition the firm can provide information on when the assessment will be complete. The $49,000 the county pays for the assessment will be reimbursed by federal dollars.

Animal shelter fees

In other business, Fiscal Court voted to allocate general fund dollars to cover the increased cost of spaying and neutering animals adopted from the county animal shelter. The Animal Control Board recently recommended the county raise the adoption charge to cover increased fees to veterinarians to spay and neuter animals.

Area veterinarians charge the county animal shelter a set rate for fixing animals adopted from the shelter. Previously, Commissioner Jim Lambert said the veterinarians are performing the operations for the shelter at "considerably below market value."

When asked how much the veterinarians charge, Haire said the county had solicited bids but received a letter signed by 13 county veterinary clinics saying they would all charge the same rate. Haire recommended the county pay the extra money itself rather than raise adoption fees.

"If we want to continue to encourage people to adopt animals (from the shelter), we can assume that cost ourselves," Haire said.

Commissioner Bruce Kunze made a motion to purchase animal microchipping tags, which could be included when people adopt animals from the shelter. The microchips are used to track animal data, such as medical history and owner information.

The chips could be purchased at $5 each, Kunze said. Lambert said the county would need to buy at least 1,000 chips to receive the $5 price but said most area veterinarians do not have scanners to read the chips.

"What I think would be the best solution would be ... to encourage the vets to do (microchipping) on a private basis," Lambert said. Kunze withdrew his motion, and commissioners voted to pay the spay and neuter increased fees without raising adoption rates. The cost to the county would probably be about $6,000, Lambert said.

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Source: Messenger-Inquirer

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