The Kitimat Community Humane Society is getting a bump to their annual animal control contract, to better reflect their services and the ongoing increase in labour costs that haven’t been reflected in their annual budget until now.
As well, employees of the Humane Society will now be granted the ability to issue tickets and perform inspections under powers allowed in the Community Charter.
From here, the Humane Society will receive a monthly deposit of $13,410 for their services.
That brings their contract up from the $6,115 they were receiving before.
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Warren Waycheshen said at the March 10 committee of the whole meeting that over nine years their contract had only rose about 13 per cent, not equal to even inflation.
The increase will also help them take away reliance on volunteer hours, since they get calls at any time of day to handle animal control calls.
Council’s motion meanwhile will also have the District advancing funds to the society in order to help out with a levy from the Canadian Revenue Agency.
Relating to when the humane society detached itself from the SPCA organization, the CRA eventually determined after audits that they had to pay GST for their animal control services, which they hadn’t prior.
The bill, said shelter manager Maryann Oullet, was at its start $39,600.
That has since been paid down to about $15,000, she told councillors.
The advancement of the money to the society is not a grant, according to the motion.
The funding in this new contract includes the cost of the manager-dog control officer, a full time dog control officer and two full time shelter workers.
Staff are in the shelter seven days a week to feed and care for the animals.
For 2014, the contract will cost $153,401 for wages and benefits, $5,000 for crematorium fees (the crematorium in Terrace is used) and training costs come to $2,500, for a total of $160,901.
Costs for the building and grounds are included through the Public Works department, and other society operations are fundraised separately through events and donations.
