City Council discusses animal control, streets
City Council discusses animal control, streets
By MARVIN BAKER
EDITOR
Three Affiliated Tribes game warden Fred Poitra met with the New Town City Council last Wednesday to request financial cooperation with the city regarding the local animal shelter.
Poitra said the TAT Game and Fish Department is in the process of putting up a new facility in two lots that will be behind the present Game and Fish building. In addition, he said Game and Fish is planning on the purchase of three new vehicles.
Poitra didn’t request a specific amount of money, however, suggested an agreement that would reduce the monthly cost burden of the Game and Fish Department that includes feeding incarcerated animals and disposing of those that nobody claims. He added Game and Fish is considering kenneling dogs as an additional method of raising income.
“We want the animals adopted but we can’t always afford the shots, etc.,” Poitra said. “It does cost us a lot to house them and feed them. We’re actively looking for grants so this can pay for itself.”
The bulk of the animals are dogs, according to Poitra, but some cats are taken into custody. Game and Fish oftens catches and disposes of other animals as well, including beavers, skunks and raccoons.
Poitra said animal control is reservation wide and he has also asked the city of Parshall for a similar agreement. As an example, he said 26 dogs were taken out of Parshall in a recent month and 21 dogs were taken out of New Town in the same month.
“During the last meeting we agreed we were in favor of this,” Mayor Dan Uran said. “We just have to come to a compromise.” Michael White Owl of Game and Fish discussed the issue with city council during the May meeting.
“We have to find ways to dispose of these animals,” Poitra said. “We want a co-op agreement with the city on a new facility and three vehicles.”
In other business:
*Alan Estvold, of Ackerman-Estvold Engineering, met with the council briefly to talk about the N. D. Highway 23 project through downtown New Town. Estvold said the project will take two years to complete and he was sure that crews will begin survey work the week after July 4 weekend.
