County Construction and Maintenance Manager Jimmy Jones, left, gives Bob Echols, the philanthropist who donated $290,000 to build the new county dog kennel, a tour of the facility after the dedication ceremony on June 17. Jones built the facility.
By Terry Witt- Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County Animal Services Director David Weatherford was given the green light Tuesday by the county commission to open his department for half a day on Saturdays and continue for a six-month trial run.
Weatherford’s employees will track the number of people that visit Animal Services to look at animals, adopt animals, call the department, and bring animals to the facility on Saturdays to determine the level of public interest.
Animal Services will operate from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning Saturday, Sept. 5, and continue every Saturday thereafter for six months to determine how well Saturday operations pan out.
Weatherford said they have developed a number system to track how many people come to Animal Services on Saturday and how many calls they get. Commissioner John Meeks said they should also track how many animals are brought in Saturdays and how many are sent out.
“This item has generated a lot of interest over the years. I can remember back to my 2016 run and there was a lot of interest in public access to Animal Services in on Saturdays,” Commission Chairman Matt Brooks said.
Weatherford said the plan is to use existing staff to operate the facility on Saturdays. He said his two animal service technicians are present on Saturdays anyway for three to four hours.
“So they’ll be there and I’ll have one other person working in the office,” he said.
The decision to open for half a day on Saturdays comes just a couple weeks after the commission dedicated its new air-conditioned and heated dog kennel. The kennel was constructed with a $290,000 donation from philanthropist and animal lover Bob Echols.
“Without the help of Mr. Echols, we wouldn’t able to do this. That’s one of the things that enabled us to do Saturday adoptions and less staff to be there for adoptions,” Meeks said. “The way the new kennel is set up it’s easy for the public to view the animals, and it’s safer for our staff. Every time I get a chance, I thank that man for his presence.”
Weatherford said opening on Saturdays may alter the schedules of some of the staff. Depending on whether Saturdays work out, he said he may return at a later date to ask for another full-time position.
“That person would know that would be one of their workdays,” Weatherford said.
Spotlight founder Linda Cooper said juggling the schedules of existing staff should avoid the use of overtime while the county is analyzing the use of Saturdays, but said she the county could also close Animal Services on Mondays and open Saturdays to avoid increasing costs.
Brooks said he would almost like to use a part-time person during the trial period until the county knows how well Animal Services is used by the public on the new workday. He said the county could analyze the numbers and take public feedback on using the facility on Saturdays.
“Hiring a full-time person is obviously going to increase costs, or if we use existing staff and run overtime; either way it’s going to increase costs. But if we do it temporarily and realize, hey, it’s not needed as much as the perception was, we could pull back easier than if we had a full-time position,” Brooks said. “That’s my only concern. I’m saying great, if we can accommodate and try it out, I’m all for it. Running my business, I’d do it temporarily and if the need’s not there, I have to shift gears. Government’s not as nimble as my private business.”
Commissioners decided to go along with Weatherford’s plan to use existing staff members at Animal Services to operate the department on Saturdays and analyze the numbers.
Brooks suggested adding a mid-point update during the six month trial period. The board didn’t oppose his proposal.
“If we could have a mid-point review, I would be open to that – three months in,” Brooks said. “If it’s working, great continue on, if it’s not, leave some flexibility to make adjustments and changes.”
Weatherford agreed to the three-month review.
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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting July 7, 2020; Posted July 9, 2020
