County Commission Fails to Muster Enough Votes to Form Animal Welfare Committee

January 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb Animal Coalition would like to receive more financial support from the county for the operation of the shelter but the county commission appears to be divided on entertaining that notion.

Although the coalition has made no formal request for additional help from the county some members of the commission want the county to be more involved with the City of Smithville in addressing needs at the shelter.

During Monday night’s monthly meeting, Fourth district commissioner Dr. Scott Little made a motion that the commission ask the county mayor to appoint an animal welfare committee to look at various issues at the shelter. Third district member Jenny Trapp offered a second to the motion. Dr. Little, who is also a local veterinarian, said such a committee would serve on a short term basis working with the City of Smithville which is planning to appoint a similar committee.

The motion received seven votes in favor to five opposed with one abstention but it failed because eight votes were needed for passage. One member was absent. Those voting in favor of the motion were Dennis Slager and Julie Young from the 1st district, Jenny Trapp from the 3rd district, Dr. Scott Little and Janice Fish-Stewart from the 4th district, Matt Adcock from the 6th district, and Beth Pafford from the 7th district. Commissioners voting against were Sabrina Farler from the 2nd district, Bobby Johnson from the 3rd district, Jerry Adcock and Anita Puckett from the 5th district, Jeff Barnes from the 6th district. Seventh district member Bruce Malone abstained. Second district commissioner Myron Rhody was absent.

“We gave them (animal coalition) $75,000 four years ago and they promised they would never come back to us. They weren’t politicians so I thought they were being honest about it. It’s not right for them to come back and ask us four years later for more money,” said Fifth district member Jerry Adcock.

“Appointing a committee doesn’t necessarily obligate us to give more money?” asked seventh district member Pafford.

“That’s true. Whatever they recommend has to come back to the budget committee,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling.

“This is a study to evaluate needs if there are needs and what those needs would be,” said First district commissioner Slager.

“And to get more factual information. There are some things I would like to know such as how many (animals) are being picked up in the city of Alexandria and the city of Liberty,” added County Mayor Stribling.

In September, 2015 the county commission voted to appropriate $75,000 toward construction of the new animal shelter to match the $75,000 allocation from the City of Smithville for the same purpose. But the appropriation from the county came with conditions that the $75,000 be a one-time donation earmarked for shelter construction; that the county not be responsible for the hiring and payroll of any employees relating to the animal shelter; and that the county not be responsible for the operation of the shelter or the future funds needed to operate the shelter. Under an agreement the coalition is to pick up animals for the county when a request is made from the county mayor’s office or the sheriff’s department at a fee to the county of $100 and $50 for a dead head.

While the Coalition had hoped the $150,000 contribution by the local governments would have been sufficient to build the shelter, it fell short and the coalition had to raise more funds and borrow money to finish the project.

Prior to construction, the City of Smithville entered into a 99 year lease with the Coalition. Under terms of the lease, the city agreed to fund one full time and a part time position at the shelter and to provide an animal control vehicle. Megan Moore was later hired as director along with employee James Wilkerson.

Construction was completed on the shelter in 2017 and it opened for business in November that year on a four acre site near the solid waste transfer station, behind Tenneco Automotive off of Highway 70 east.

By February of 2018, members of the coalition returned to the city asking for more help because of the workload. Although volunteers had been used to help take up the slack it still apparently wasn’t enough. In response to the request, the city later made Wilkerson’s part time position full time.

Last month the city bought a newer animal control vehicle for the shelter and Director Moore updated the mayor and aldermen on activity there since it opened.

“We opened November 2017. We have had 502 animals at the shelter and 336 of those have been adopted while 117 have gone to rescues. That leaves 49 and most of those have been returned to owners. We have hosted three adoption events so far, two at Tractor Supply and one at Christmas on the Square in 2017. We also reinstated our volunteer program in December and we have doing classes to help train volunteers so they will know what they are doing when they come in. James is now a full time employee and that has helped tremendously but the shelter has been a lot more labor intensive than we previously thought. It’s a much bigger shelter than the facility we had before by far,” said Moore.

January 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

An intoxicated driver found passed out in his vehicle with a child passenger has been charged with DUI and child abuse or neglect.

29 year old Ralph Edward McIntyre, Jr. of Lavergne Street, Alexandria is under a $7,500 bond and his court date is February 14.

Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Monday, January 28 a deputy was dispatched to West Main Street in Alexandria due to a complaint of a man passed out in a vehicle. Upon arrival the officer spotted the vehicle and stopped to investigate. He found the driver, McIntyre passed out with his foot on the brake and the vehicle in gear. A 10 month old child was in the passenger seat. After being awakened McIntyre submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. McIntyre told the deputy that he had snorted klonopin.

38 year old Jayme Denise Hendrixson of Sparta Highway, Smithville, was arrested January 22 and served with sealed indictments returned last fall by the Grand Jury charging her with four counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver methamphetamine and two counts of violation of the drug free zone. Her bond is $75,000 and she will make a court appearance for arraignment on February 22. Hendrixson was among several defendants indicted as the result of an undercover drug operation which started in February, 2018.

January 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County is getting a state grant for special needs funding to make renovations at the local health department.

The grant is for a total of $146,000 to fund new ceilings and lighting, painting, flooring, and renovation of two restrooms. No local match is required.

County Mayor Tim Stribling sent a letter in December making the request for funding to Deborah Johnson, Regional Director of the Upper Cumberland Regional Health Office in Cookeville.

“The purpose of this letter is to request special needs funding in the amount of $146,000 to support necessary renovations to the DeKalb County Health Department. After extensive review and discussion with Michael Railing, County Health Director, we have determined that the following improvements are needed in the health department. New ceilings and lighting, painting, flooring, and renovation of two restrooms,” said Stribling in the letter.

The contract between the county and the Tennessee Department of Health would be from March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 for $48,180 in fiscal year 2019 and $97,820 for the 2020 fiscal year.

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