Lancaster dog pound property up for sale

[Lee Chowaniec]

Hearing brief mention at the work session of the Walden Avenue property sale where the town dog control pound is located, the writer asked Supervisor Dino Fudoli to elaborate on the potential sale, parties interested in purchasing the property and future pound location plans.

Chowaniec: Is the dog pound property up for sale?

Supervisor Fudoli: Yes.

Chowaniec: Is it officially up for sale?

Fudoli: Yes, it has been up for sale for some time.

Chowaniec: Do you have bidders; interested parties?

Fudoli: Right now Erie County Sewer has indicated interest in it; they own property on one side of it. And, another business is interested in it as well. I called the owner of that business a couple of weeks ago, played phone tag with them for a couple of days and have not heard back from them.

Chowaniec: If the sale takes place, where will the dog pound operation be located?

Fudoli: In this environment, with the Governor’s tax freeze, in order to qualify for the Governor’s tax freeze for residents next year municipalities are forced to look into inter-municipal agreements between towns. At this point and time, I think it would be safe to say, in my opinion, not speaking for the board, we should be looking to contract those dog pound services Clarence, or other towns. That would not only save us (town) money, but would help create eligibility for our resident taxpayers to get that tax rebate check next year.

Part of the tax freeze in Governor Cuomo’s budget last year included merging services; just like with do in sharing the Assessor services with the Town of Clarence. Those kinds of mergers are encouraged under the tax freeze. This would qualify us for getting that tax rebate and I think the board should look into this.

Chowaniec: Wasn’t sharing such services with Clarence one your proposed options when the Dog Control Department operation was being reorganized in the past year?

Fudoli: Yes, it’s the same thing.

[gorja]

Was Fudoli just looking ahead when he decided not to share dog control services last year? Knowing that we needed a new shared services agreement in 2015, was he just biding time until next year?

[Wehner]

I mentioned before that the dog pound property may be contaminated. Before the town exposes the taxpayers to any liabilities, maybe just maybe the property should be checked.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Mike:

I would have to believe an environmental study would be done on the property at the time of sale knowing that a dog pound was located on this property and that highway department materials were stored here.

That said, I know that you being a former Dog Control Officer are passionate in your believe that the residents of the community are best served if the town keeps and maintains its own pound and kennels. I would rather see the town consolidate kennel services with the Town of Clarence.

I have owned and loved dogs all my life, have always licensed my dogs, and have never needed the use of the pound and/or the services it provides. I kept my dogs, and present one, tethered and/or confined to my property.

I don’t know how the pound has recently been improved, but I did visit there a few years ago and found it to be a pig sty – animal inhumane to say the least. I am opposed to moving the operation to Pavement Road and spending whatever funds to build new kennels.

It is a cost savings move to consolidate with Clarence and if it inconveniences some Lancaster resident to have to go through a lengthier process to retrieve their loose dogs, maybe they will better ensure they confine them – especially since we all heard that when the previous Dog Control officer managed the pound there were repeated offenders and he knew exactly where to take the dog back; and without penalty.

Colby for Town Justice