8
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2003
Society to reveal review of animal shelter tonight
Will cap months of scrutiny of APS
BY KATHRYN GRIM
CITY EDITOR
Months after the Orange
County animal shelter came under
attack, the Humane Society of the
United States will release its full
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evaluation of the shelter at
tonight’s Orange County Board of
Commissioners meeting.
The board requested the report
in September after citizens protest
ed administrative actions by the
News
staff of the Animal Protection
Society of Orange County.
The board plans to use the results
of the report to determine whether
to allow the APS to continue to run
the shelter.
The final report will evaluate the
shelter’s facilities and operations,
its animal control and field servic
es, and the organization of its man
agement and administration, said
Krista Hughes, coordinator of
HSUS’s Animal Services
Consultations.
The report will offer suggestions
as to how the shelter might be run
more efficiently and effectively.
“It doesn’t mean there’s neces
sarily a right or wrong way,”
Hughes said. “It’s a tool for positive
change.”
The report will be referred to
the county manager and staff for
evaluation before the board takes
action, said board Chairwoman
Margaret Brown. “There was a
great deal of criticism, so we decid
ed to call in a neutral party,” she
said.
APS renews its contract with the
county for use of the shelter site
annually. Board members said they
might consider contracting the
Report shows local progress
BY SHANNAN BOWEN
STAFF WRITER
Local initiatives are moving for
ward thanks to effective interplay
between the Chapel Hill Town
Council, various municipal depart
ments and public interest groups,
according to the Town Council’s
quarterly report.
The report on the council’s goals
reveals progress on top priorities,
including bicycle and pedestrian
safety.
Chapel Hill Recreation Planner
Bill Webster said minor projects,
such as natural-surface trail con
struction and the paving and
movement of existing trails, are
under way.
But major projects can’t start
until a vote is taken on the Green
Infrastructure Bond. If passed, the
bond will provide funds for the
safety projects outlined in the
pedestrian/bicycle action plan.
“The bond we are wanting to
float shows this is a priority,” said
council member Flicka Bateman.
“We’ve been unable to put in a num
ber of sidewalks because of costs.”
The plan includes a comprehen
sive network connecting neighbor
hoods, businesses and the down
town area, said Gordon Sutherland,
the principal planner and staff liai
son to the Bicycle and Pedestrian
shelter’s operation to an outside
nonprofit entity or revising APS’s
contract with the county.
Concern over the shelter’s oper
ations arose again in February
when area residents Elliot Cramer
and Judith Reitman began a cam
paign against APS executive direc
tor Laura Walters.
Cramer and Reitman, who lead
a nonprofit watchdog organization
called the Piedmont Animal
Welfare Society, criticized Walters
for taking voting rights away from
members of APS not on the exec
utive board.
Cramer, Reitman and Walters
will meet with a court-appointed
mediator in the next couple of
weeks.
Last month, the HSUS released
part of its report, detailing
improvements requiring immedi
ate attention, such as its animal
Board. “It will basically provide a
way so folks can get around."
Greenways and open space
development are additional prior
ities outlined in the council’s com
prehensive plan, but they are con
tingent upon additional funding,
which likely depends on municipal
bonds.
“People are very excited about
greenways and recreational open
space,” said council member
Dorothy Verkerk. “We are open
space poor, and having these bonds
will help us purchase them."
According to the quarterly
report, council members and mem
bers of the Northside
Neighborhood Conservation
District Committee also have had
productive discussions some
thing the council slated as one of its
top priorities for the year.
Since May 15, the Northside
committee has had several meet
ings with neighbors, student
renters and neighborhood land
lords to discuss issues pertinent to
the area.
“The largest issue is still to keep
the Northside neighborhood from
becoming a student neighbor
hood,” said committee member
Estelle Mabry.
Mabry said the council has
accomplished its goal of initiating
Utyp Sailg (Tar
processing and facilities cleaning
procedures.
Walters said shelter staff have
already begun implementing sev
eral of the report’s suggestions.
In 2006, the shelter will be
forced out of its location to make
way for UNC’s development of the
Horace Williams tract. No decision
has been made as to where the
shelter will move.
Tonight’s meeting will take place
at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern
Human Services Center at 2501
Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.
Although they will not be solicited
for feedback at the meeting, the
public is invited to attend.
The board is scheduled to hold
two public hearings on the matter
on Sept. 15 and 18.
Contact the City Desk
at citydesk@unc.edu.
conversation and working toward
alleviation of the concerns raised
by many residents.
But she said the town could bet
ter enforce limits on the number of
unrelated people living together.
Bateman, however, said the
council has enforced the duplex
moratorium and rental licensing
programs to address the concerns
of the Northside community. Last
June, the council extended the
temporary ban on duplex con
struction in Northside an addi
tional eight months.
Northside is one of the most
pressing issues to consider this
quarter, she said. “To be able to
restore the character is something
we want to achieve,” Bateman said.
The council will take a step
toward resolving this issue when it
receives the status report from the
Northside committee in September.
Both council members and
department leaders commented
positively on the progress achieved
in the past quarter.
“Once you get people cooperat
ing and working together, things
become a lot easier,” Verkerk said.
“We are actually moving ahead
now.”
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.