The Pahrump Animal Shelter recently received an additional disbursement of money from the county’s contingency fund and officials hope that it will be the last one.
Nye County commissioners extended the funding for the temporary kennel assistant in the Pahrump Animal Shelter for a maximum of 60 hours that will end on March 18.
The extension was funded by $894 out of a contingency fund that provides money for unforseen expenses. Nye County officials had spent over $16,000 to keep the troubled shelter afloat since it closed its doors to the public last June.
Most recent data showed that the available balance of contingency funds for the fiscal year 2016 was $40,918, down from the initial $100,000. In addition to the shelter expenses, officials pulled $22,940 for the abatement of the property on Savoy Boulevard in Pahrump and $20,000 for the Akerman Senterfitt contract as part of federal lobbying activities.
Suzanne Zervantian, one of the members of the recently-formed nonprofit Desert Haven Animal Society spoke to Nye County commissioners at the meeting in January where she outlined her plans for a takeover of the shelter and eventually expanding it to a new state-of-the-art facility.
Commissioners then gave the nonprofit the green light to bring back a plan of operational lease agreement after Zervantian presented the costs and the means of raising the funds for the operation.
Zervantian was unavailable for comment by press time on Tuesday.
Nye County officials are currently awaiting the plan from the nonprofit. They said it’s expected to be ready prior to March 18 when the shelter will need more funding.
“I’m confident that we will have that private entity in place before we run out (of money),” Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman said in a phone conversation.
Nye County Commissioner Dan Schinhofen echoed Wichman’s hopes.
“I believe we will have that contract on very soon,” he said.
For months, officials had been trying to find a funding source for the facility as it continued to grapple with budgetary woes amid the increased number of incoming animals.
Once in place, the agreement will relieve the county from funding the shelter as it will be operated by Desert Haven Animal Society.
Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com