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Independence, MO —
As one Independence City Council member described it, Tuesday evening’s extensive meeting showcased many residents’ love for the community and its animals.
For more than a month,city officials received phone calls and emails from concerned citizens – on both sides of the issue – about possibly amending an agreement between the city and Jackson County for a new regional animal shelter.
Even in the minutes leading up to the final vote, four citizens testified before the council, including Dr. Michael O’Brien, the existing animal shelter’s contract veterinarian, and Dr. Howard Braby and Dr. Ralph Ruckman, both members of the Independence Advisory Board of Health.
O’Brien encouraged the council to vote against amending the agreement, calling it a bad deal for the city. A huge difference, O’Brien said, exists between public health and animal welfare. Animal welfare focuses on no-kill efforts, he said, while public health benefits everybody, whether a resident chooses to own a pet or not.
“Euthanasia is necessary in some instances. There are instances where public health has to come first,” O’Brien said. “I think that we’re missing that in this debate right now.”
The amendment, including all of the additions separately discussed and approved, passed 5-2, with District 1 Member Marcie Gragg and District 2 Member Curt Dougherty opposed. It now goes back to the Jackson County Legislature for its vote, necessary before the new shelter can open its doors.
Lifelong Independence resident Kim Touzinsky, a participant in Independence Animal Shelter rescue efforts for six years, rounded out the citizen comments. Touzinsky said she’s seen animals get sick and even die in their cages at the existing shelter, and she urged the council to vote in favor of the amendment. Rescue groups, she said, are the main reason that euthanasia rates have improved at the shelter in recent years.
“(The animals) are what this is really all about,” Touzinsky said. “You have the opportunity to bring positive change to our city animals, the citizens and the reputation of our city.”
More than two-and-a-half hours into the meeting, council members voted 5-2, with Dougherty and District 4 Council Member Eileen Weir opposed, to end discussion on the matter and take final action on the amendment.
“Everyone on this council should be commended for putting in the effort and the work into the decision that they made,” At-Large Council Member Chris Whiting said. “I know that no one took this lightly and that everyone did their homework.”
As one Independence City Council member described it, Tuesday evening’s extensive meeting showcased many residents’ love for the community and its animals.
For more than a month,city officials received phone calls and emails from concerned citizens – on both sides of the issue – about possibly amending an agreement between the city and Jackson County for a new regional animal shelter.
Even in the minutes leading up to the final vote, four citizens testified before the council, including Dr. Michael O’Brien, the existing animal shelter’s contract veterinarian, and Dr. Howard Braby and Dr. Ralph Ruckman, both members of the Independence Advisory Board of Health.
O’Brien encouraged the council to vote against amending the agreement, calling it a bad deal for the city. A huge difference, O’Brien said, exists between public health and animal welfare. Animal welfare focuses on no-kill efforts, he said, while public health benefits everybody, whether a resident chooses to own a pet or not.
“Euthanasia is necessary in some instances. There are instances where public health has to come first,” O’Brien said. “I think that we’re missing that in this debate right now.”
The amendment, including all of the additions separately discussed and approved, passed 5-2, with District 1 Member Marcie Gragg and District 2 Member Curt Dougherty opposed. It now goes back to the Jackson County Legislature for its vote, necessary before the new shelter can open its doors.
Lifelong Independence resident Kim Touzinsky, a participant in Independence Animal Shelter rescue efforts for six years, rounded out the citizen comments. Touzinsky said she’s seen animals get sick and even die in their cages at the existing shelter, and she urged the council to vote in favor of the amendment. Rescue groups, she said, are the main reason that euthanasia rates have improved at the shelter in recent years.
“(The animals) are what this is really all about,” Touzinsky said. “You have the opportunity to bring positive change to our city animals, the citizens and the reputation of our city.”
More than two-and-a-half hours into the meeting, council members voted 5-2, with Dougherty and District 4 Council Member Eileen Weir opposed, to end discussion on the matter and take final action on the amendment.
“Everyone on this council should be commended for putting in the effort and the work into the decision that they made,” At-Large Council Member Chris Whiting said. “I know that no one took this lightly and that everyone did their homework.”
Several council members said the decision was among the most difficult they’ve made while serving Independence.
“Although I didn’t prevail in my vote on the animal shelter, I feel that we have hammered out the best secondary agreement that we could possibly get,” Dougherty said. “It wasn’t a total victory, but at least I feel I’ve covered the bases for the citizens and I’ve covered all of my concerns. We’ll move forward in the spirit of community pride and unity, and we hope that we can make it work.”
At-Large Council Member Jim Schultz said the council did its best in reaching a compromise, all while conducting business professionally and in a civil manner. The result, he said, is a plan that benefits both the animals and the citizens of Independence and Jackson County.
“Is it perfect for what we wanted? No,” Schultz said. “Did we make the best out of what we were dealt? I think we did.”
