Officials purr over pet refuge's revenues

CROWN POINT | The Lake County Animal Shelter has become taxpayers' best friend.

Lake County commissioners on Wednesday recognized the dog and cat refuge run by the county sheriff's department for generating more than $87,300 last year in adoption and other user fees the public paid at the facility.

That is nearly triple the money it made in 2010, according to figures the county auditor's office released.

"The staff has done an outstanding job. They have cleaned the place up," said Lake County Sheriff John Buncich. His department oversees the facility for more than 100 homeless dogs and cats.

He said the State Board of Accounts cited the shelter under the prior sheriff's administration for failing to regularly deposit public funds it collects for various services.

"We are collecting the fees we are supposed to and turning them in an orderly fashion.

"We have made so many improvements. Our adoptions are up. We started during the Lake County Fair showcasing the animals and we will be putting other shows on during the year. We also have a Facebook page," Buncich said.

Lake County commissioners also restructured their contractual arrangements with consultants working to bring the county jail back into compliance with federal standards of medical and mental health care.

Commissioners rescinded a $430,000 contract they awarded several weeks ago to Kenneth Ray, a corrections specialist, and approved a new one paying Ray no more than $361,000 through the end of the year.

John Bushemi, an attorney for the sheriff, said Ray's new contract is smaller because Ray will no longer pay Dr. Ron Shansky, another consultant who will be compensated under a different contract to improve medical service policies.

The jail services this year will still cost the public more than $5 million for inmate health care required under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and another $12.6 million for the lockup's other operations.