By Jason C. Mattox

The City of Batesville and Panola County moved one step closer to construction of an animal shelter following Tuesday’s meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

Members of the Panola County Humane Society appeared at the first monthly meeting of the board to ask the status of the animal shelter and help move the project forward.

“We are a small group,” Humane Society member Kim Strickland said. “When we don’t have an answer for people, we come to you and that is what we are doing now.”

Strickland said the group had been conducting fund-raisers to pay for expenses at the existing and outdated dog pound, but contributors wanted to know the status of a long-proposed animal shelter.

“People that are donating money have been told the funds would go to help contribute to the new animal shelter,” she said. “Well, these people are starting to ask when the animal shelter is going to become a reality.

“We want to know when you will make a motion to begin building,” Strickland added. “We would like you to do it now.”

Mayor Jerry Autrey explained that the city has gotten spec plans that would cost the city and county $450,000.

“We have been talking about maybe changing some things up,” he said.

Autrey also said he would solicit bids from local builders after seeking their input on the proposed addition to Fire Station #2.

“The plans we saw for the new fire station addition was almost the same amount as the animal shelter,” he said. “I have talked to some local builders that have said it would cost us about $250,000. So, I want to get their input first.

“If the building comes back at $250,000, I am ready to make a move on it,” Autrey added.

Ward 4 Alderman Bobbie Jean Pounders questioned if the humane society would help the city with maintenance and management of the proposed facility.

“If this group is not wanting to take part in the management of the facility, it will create two new positions and salaries we will have to pay,” she said.

Strickland said the humane society would like to be a supplement to the city’s paid staff at the animal shelter.

“We will help out in whatever ways we can, but we are a small group of volunteers and there needs to be someone there full-time to make sure it runs smoothly,” she said.

Aldermen were then made aware that the inter-local agreement signed in January between the city and county had not yet been sent to Jackson.

“In six months, that should have already been done,” Strickland said.

The board voted unanimously to allow assistant city attorney Colmon Mitchell to send the letter to the attorney general’s office.