Bowie City Council Puts Animal Shelter in 2014 Budget

Despite opposition from the mayor and city manager, the Bowie City Council Monday moved one step closer to approving a city-run temporary animal shelter, voting to add the project to the 2014 capital budget.

The city council wrapped up its review of the proposed fiscal 2012 budget Monday. The Council is set to adopt the budget on Monday.

Councilman Dennis Brady initially requested that the animal shelter project be included in the 2013 capital budget, but Brady agreed to a colleague's request to push it back one year.

The group Citizens for Local Animal Welfare (CLAW) pledged $100,000 for a short-term shelter in the city, but some officials have concerns about the costs and benefits of a shelter.

“My problem is I don’t believe they have crossed the threshold to establish the need for this,” said Mayor G. Frederick Robinson.

Members of CLAW have suggested converting the trailers formerly occupied by the police department behind the old City Hall into an animal shelter, but both Robinson and City Manager David Deutsch said they were concerned about noise affecting neighbors in the adjacent Foxhill section.

Deutsch told the council it had been his understanding that the council wanted to evaluate how the not-yet completed animal holding room was working in the new City Hall before committing to the short-term shelter.

“I think you’ve already made the decision it’s not of much value,” Deutsch said.

 The council was unswayed, voting 6-1 in favor of putting the shelter project into the 2014 capital budget.

More residents will be getting the sooner after the council approved a two-year phase-in effort to increase recycling in the city by providing residents with the bigger recycling carts. City staff had originally proposed spreading the cost of the program over three years.

 City Public Works Director Jim Henrikson said Tuesday, in an email, that the council agreed to split the cost over two years: $410,000 in fiscal 2012 and $410,000 in fiscal 2013.

After the city distributed the free carts in six North Bowie neighborhoods, the city collected 28 percent more recyclables than it did in the smaller blue bins, according to a memo by Henrikson.

Henrikson said the city would distribute the carts where they left off with the original 1688 homes in the pilot program beginning in North Bowie.

The City Council also unanimously approved a request from Councilman Isaac Trouth for a $268,000 parking lot expansion at , after parents completed a lack of parking there during football and soccer games created a dangerous situation.

The parking lot expansion was originally included in the 2015 capital budget. The council approved the funds to pay for 33 more parking spaces in fiscal 2012. Funding for an additional 10 spaces in a smaller lot at the park will be included in the 2014 budget.

The City Council approved adding $270,000 to the 2012 budget for the installation of a turf field at Whitemarsh Park. The funds were initially included in the 2013 budget. Councilman Todd Turner voted against adding the funds to the 2012 budget.