MARK SCHUMANN
After hearing from a number of citizens who opposed laying off the Police Department’s animal control officer, the City Council voted 4-1 to not cut the position in the 2013/2014 budget.
The council left open the possibility of restoring another one of the four positions it had earlier eliminated from next year’s Police Department budget. Before making a final decision, Council members told City Manager Jim O’Connor they would like to hear again for Police Chief David Currey.
The Council’s decision today to retain the animal control position was a reversal of last month’s 3-2 vote, with Mayor Craig Fletcher and Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll changing their earlier position. Councilwoman Pilar Turner remained adamant the city should look to the county to provide the service.
“We are not an impoverished city,” said Cornelia Perez. Perez spoke of the importance of trapping animals soon after biting incidents are reported. The long-time Humane Society volunteer said the city needed to continue offering prompt animal control service.
Ilka Daniel, Director of Animal Protection Services with the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, told the Council the city cannot expect the County to provide adequate service. Daniel said the County has just four animal control officers for 140,000 residents, which, she said, is half the recommended number. She cautioned that the County’s animal control unit would not be in a position to respond promptly to the needs of city residents.
Daniel stressed that animal control is an “essential service,” not a value added service.
In another 4-1 vote, with Turner again the lone dissenter, the Council reversed its earlier decision to eliminate one of four employees in the City Clerk’s office.
Asked by representatives of the Little League to restore $24,000 for lights, the Council agreed to contribute $10,000. The remaining $14,000 needed to pay to light the Little League, senior league, and girls’ softball fields will either have to come from private funding or from the County Commission. League representatives estimated seventy percent of participants live outside the city.
The 2013/2014 budget will also restore 4.6 percent pay cuts imposed in 2011 on city employees making $70,000 a year or more.
Indian River Guardian 
Several months ago we found a bob cat that hit by a car on Indian River Dr near the new CVS. Unfortunately it was a Sunday and guess what, the county animal control does not work on Sunday. So if we switch to the county, you better not have a rabid animal on you property on the weekends. Just tell the rabid animal to come back between 9-5 Monday through Friday and of course not on any holidays
Glad to hear they saved Animal Control. I live in the county and have tried calling them on weekends and have gotten no where. The position they are thinking about saving I heard they have 5 office people now entering reports so if they eleminate one person that still leaves them 4 people. I work in a busy office and we only have 2 office ladies and our work gets completed. Sounds to me beggers cant be choosers.
Thank you Vero Beach! Not only is Bruce Dangerfield a brave caring man when it comes to helping animals, he is so willing to help our residents as well! One morning a few years ago my son came in our room and reported a strange scratching squeaking noise in the ceiling above his bed. He looked a bit scared, (dont tell a soul) and wasnt sure he wanted to sleep in there. We replied with a standard “dont be silly, its just your imagination” comment, because we went in and didnt hear a thing. The next morning delivering a stray toy to his room I heard this very little squeaky noise in the ceiling. I knew it had to be a newborn something or other and I wasnt about to climb in the attic and start snooping around, so Animal Control came to mind and I called them immediately!
Enter Mr. Dangerfield, pleasant and concerned willing to go to any length. The attic stairs were dropped down into the garage and this lovely man climbed across rafters and dodged bundles of spray in insulation in order to rescue the little creature way on the opposite side of the house that was wailing up a storm! It turned out to be a newborn teeny little opposum that had a face even his mother couldnt love, she had abandoned him. Poor little baby was gently put into a carrying case to be taken to a place they could hand feed him to eventually release him into the wild, thanks to our animal control officer! This may not seem important in the scheme of things, but, my son was relieved, so was I , ( if the baby had dropped down inside the wall it would have been a real mess) and required coontractors to cut the drywall! Mr. Dangerfield went above and beyond his call of duty on more than one occasion trapping animals and helping residents in our neighborhood, I am so glad you are keeping him!
Dangerfield tries to save any animal he can.