COLLINSVILLE, Okla. — We have a follow up to an issue Collinsville residents brought to our attention at our listening booth at the Tulsa State Fair.
BACKGROUND:
Ward-Wiseman Haven is a non-profit no-kill shelter. It sits next to the Collinsville animal shelter.
The city's shelter is designed to house dogs and cats taken in by its animal control officer for a few days at most.
The haven is designed to provide more long-term care until animals can find a permanent home.
Under its old lease agreement with the city the Haven took in dogs from the city shelter that may otherwise be euthanized.
Click here to read the lease.
In recent years, the city's animal shelter also took in cats so the Haven took in some of those as well.
18 months ago, the Haven's lease with the city expired. As part of renegotiating the lease the city and the Haven were working out the number of cats and dogs the Haven would take in.
Under the old deal the city paid the haven's utilities, building insurance, and some maintenance.
After months of unsuccessful efforts to come to terms on a new lease, Collinsville's City Council voted unanimously in September not to renew.
City manager Chuck Ralls told 2 News the Council's main reason for not renewing dealt with the city subsidizing a non-profit.
"Honestly, I think it's unethical and fiscally irresponsible for a city to subsidize a non-profit," Ralls said.
But on Sept. 30 the city offered the non-profit another lease proposal.
Click here to read the proposal.
"Basically, it was the same of them taking the building, however they would hire our employees," said Coza Huffman, Ward-Wiseman's Board Chair. "We voted to not accept that proposal."
Instead, Huffman told 2 News her non-profit plans to circulate a petition asking the city to not take over its shelter as the Collinsville Animal Shelter.
She added, it also plans to make that request in person at the Oct. 7 City Council meeting at 5:30pm in City Hall.
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