City’s animal shelter still not in use

Some members of the Hazlehurst City Council appear to misunderstand the City Charter.
Here’s what the City Charter has to say in “Section 2.21. Quorum; voting.”
(a) The mayor is considered a council member for purposes of determining a quorum and voting. All references to the number of council member votes under this charter shall include the consideration of the mayor’s vote.
(b) Three council members shall constitute a quorum and shall be authorized to transact business for the city council.
(c) Voting on the adoption of ordinances shall be taken by voice or show of hands vote and the yeas and nays shall be recorded in the minutes, but on the request of any member there shall be a roll-call vote and such vote shall be recorded in the minutes. Except as otherwise provided in this charter, the affirmative vote of three council members shall be required for the adoption of any ordinance, resolution, or motion.
(d) No member of the city council shall abstain from voting on any matter properly brought before the council for official action except when such member of council has a conflict of interest which is disclosed prior to or at the meeting and made a part of the minutes. Any member of the city council present and eligible to vote on a matter and refusing to do so for any reason other than a properly disclosed and recorded conflict of interest shall be deemed to have acquiesced or concurred with the members of the majority who did vote on the question involved.

By
MARY ANN ANDERSON
The lack of progress on refurbishing the Hazlehurst Animal Shelter and getting it back into operation was a major topic of discussion at last week’s meeting of the Hazlehurst City Council.
Voices of Hazlehurst Animal Shelter volunteer Janet Corcorran said Thursday was day 55 of the shelter’s closure under a USDA stop order, and that the closure was approaching 100 days this year. She said she had asked for an update last month and never received one. City police and staff had called her rescue organization and other local groups six times in two weeks about stray dogs, she said, and she had received 41 emails or messages about dogs in the city limits in 30 days.
“I’m not necessarily looking for a date,” she said. “I’m looking for some transparency of what’s going on.”
Ramay said he had none to give.
“Janet, I can’t give you what I don’t know,” he said. He said the shelter is one of many city buildings still tied up in Hurricane Helene insurance claims more than two years later, noting that City Hall itself remains under construction.
Another volunteer, Laura Thompson, said officials’ answers had been unclear. She described a friendly stray that appeared to have been dumped in her neighborhood and asked whether the city faces liability without a shelter. Police Chief David Adams said the department has been unable to find a place to hold animals after a local veterinarian declined, and that an isolation pen is being set up for temporary use.
Ward 3 Council Member Chris Jones said the city’s claims are with an insurer it no longer uses, having since moved to Georgia Municipal Association coverage. “They’re giving us the runaround,” he said, adding that the city may soon give the company a deadline and involve attorneys. “We can’t make them do what we want. I wish I could.”
City Clerk Vernice Thompson said the problem is far larger than the shelter. The city’s first insurance check was $1.9 million, she said, “and it ain’t even going to touch it.” Claims submitted total $12.3 million against a $17 million cap, she said, and damage at the airport alone exceeds $7 million. Water is coming in on her desk, she said, and ceiling lights and a surveillance camera have fallen at the police department. The claim is now in the hands of a public adjuster, she said.
The clerk said she cannot read a 206-page scope and predict spending. “My blood pressure is already up,” she said. She invited Corcorran to contact her directly.
Ramay said residents are welcome to sit down with him or the clerk. “Our hands are tied 40 ways from Sunday,” he said. “Animal control is one small piece of the city, and the whole is a conglomerated mess.”
Laura Thompson asked that the shelter be placed on future agendas rather than “passing it over like it doesn’t exist.”
Later in the meeting, Jones proposed creating a volunteer “live rescue coordinator” for the Hazlehurst Animal Shelter. The coordinator would be a point of contact between shelter volunteers, rescue groups and the police department, which oversees the shelter. Jones said the coordinator would help fill gaps in shelter records, such as whether an animal has been spayed or neutered, and advise the council on rescue-related decisions, since neither the council nor law enforcement are experts in that area.
Ramay urged caution. “I think we need to put some study into it before we overload somebody,” he said, adding that the duties should be defined before anyone is asked to serve. Ward 1 Council Member Dywane Johnson asked how long a person would serve and whether the post should rotate so other residents have a chance to participate.
The council voted 2-0 (see Editor’s Note below) to refer the proposal to a committee chaired by Jones, who may set meeting times and appoint members. The committee will define the position and report back, with the aim of having a plan in place to start 2027.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: According to the Hazlehurst City Charter, when a council member refuses to vote on any matter before the council for a vote, that member’s vote shall be recorded as being in favor of the majority. So, the 2-0 vote was actually a 3-0 vote because Mayor John Ramay’s not voting is considered a vote in favor of the majority.]