County renews animal shelter contract

By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The Morgan County Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to renew for one year at no additional cost an animal control agreement with the city of Hartselle.
The agreement tasks the Morgan County Animal Shelter with the responsibility of providing animal control services within the city’s corporate limits for fiscal 2008-09.
It includes the investigation of all animal complaints; enforcement of federal and state animal laws and city ordinances, issuance of citations for animal related violations, impoundment of stray animals and investigation of animal cruelty complaints. Not included is the removal and disposal of dead animals found on streets, roads and rights-of-way.
In return the city agrees to pay the county a monthly fee of $5,500 payable in advance on the first day of each month.
The county’s animal control shelter is currently located at the inert landfill in Hartselle; however, plans are in the making to build a new building and relocate to the Hartselle-Morgan County Industrial Park in the near future.
In another matter, the governing body approved an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Industrial Development Board of East Morgan County. It incorporates changes made with the passage of a local act in the last regular session of the State Legislature. The industrial board currently has jurisdiction in rural areas throughout the county and the manner of electing members of its board of directors has been changed to give three appointments to the commission, two to the state senator having jurisdiction in the county and two to two state representatives whose constituency includes a part of rural Morgan County.
The commission also acted on other matters as follows: