City revamps plans for animal control upgrade

City of Gladewater personnel are shifting course a bit on plans to refurbish and relocate the community’s animal control facilities.
The current pens at Gladewater Police Department are neither fully-secure nor large enough. During budget talks earlier this fall, city leaders allocated up to $5,000 to craft a new setup using some materials on hand and help from local volunteers.
“Originally, we wanted to put them out at the wastewater plant,” Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith said last week. “TCEQ came in and said we were going to have do some other things if we wanted to put the pens out there.
“We’ve taken a step back, and we’re thinking about other options.”
It won’t make for a major change to the plan, he said. Only the precise location of the planned pens and dog-run needs to be adjusted out at the wastewater treatment facility.
“I think within the next two months, we’ll have some headway. We want to keep it where it’s manageable and secure,” Smith added. “I think if we follow-through with what TCEQ is requiring of us, We’ll be alright.
“We’ll be able to put them out there, we’re just going to have to put them in a different area,” and the revised strategy shouldn’t require any additional funding.