CARE's Response To Shelter Partnership Agreement 'Vague'

Monday’s human services committee meeting to discuss a new partnership agreement for running the Evanston Animal Shelter didn’t go exactly as planned. While it was hoped that the current partner would give some indication whether it wanted to move forward under the new agreement, audience members instead got a lesson in how to file a class action lawsuit against a non-profit organization.

Evanston aldermen met Monday evening to review a draft of a proposed partnership agreement calling for greater accountability, transparency and best practices with an volunteer animal organization to help run the municipal animal shelter.

Problems with the city’s current shelter partner of over 25 years, Community Animal Rescue Effort, or CARE, have been the center of heated public hearings regarding the organization’s canine euthanization rate, lack of financial disclosure and poor customer relations.

CARE board members were given a week to review the proposed policy to determine if they were interested in partnering with the city for another year.

Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said members of the public felt the draft did not go far enough to address cat care; others felt more disclosure was need from the volunteer organization, as well as clarification on fundraising.

Ald. Jane Grover (7th Ward), who asked at last month’s meeting that CARE be given an extension and first refusal in working under the city’s new policy, said that the first draft was “exactly what i had envisioned.”

“I want to make clear that this is not about CARE, it’s first and foremost about operations at the shelter,” Grover continued. “I think it’s a good product so that we can find the right volunteer agency. I don’t know if the volunteer agency (CARE) that we’ve been engaging at this point has the capacity or leadership to help us achieve our goals for best practices for shelter operations.”

Ald. Coleen Burrus (9th Ward) asked Bobkiewicz if the city had gotten any response from CARE’s board of directors regarding the draft.

“We did receive an email, it came in this morning at 8:30,” Bobkiewicz said, reading the CARE missive to committee members. “‘Thank you for the opportunity to review the draft proposal, however, it’s abundantly clear that proposal is not consistent with the committee’s request. Thank-you, CARE.’”

Bobkiewicz added that the email came from CARE’s board president Linda Gelb.

“I have no clue what it means,” Ald. Mark Tendam (6th Ward) said. “I don’t know what their intent is.”

Gelb and other CARE volunteers were invited repeatedly to come to the podium and speak.

“Ms. Gelb says she doesn’t want to come up,” Bobkiewicz said.

Grover suggested that CARE meet behind closed doors and negotiate privately with the city manager.

“We don’t know what CARE is willing to say,” Ald. Judy Fiske (1st Ward) said, who is strongly opposed to letting the group to remain at the shelter. “I’m not willing for CARE to negotiate … behind closed doors. This has been going on for a year.”

Other discussion involved the $1.3 million that CARE has collected in donations over the years in the name of the Evanston Animal Shelter. Residents, thinking they were donating to the shelter, were often told to make new checks payable to CARE.

Burrus asked if the city had reached out to the IRS or a philanthropy consultant about recouping some the donations. Since the city never struck up any written fundraising agreements with CARE, Bobkiewicz and the city attorney, Grant Farrar, said it was between the donor and the organization.

“I’m putting it out there for the public,” Burrus said, wearing her self-described attorney hat. “Maybe people who have donated want to band together and bring something against CARE. It’s something to look into because donors do have strong rights over what they give to and that it’s being used properly.”

After the meeting, Bobkiewicz said it was up to the city council how vigorously they wanted to pursue recouping CARE’s amassed nest egg. The city manager said that he emailed CARE’s board and asked for a response by noon Friday.

The human services committee’s next regular meeting is April 7. Bobkiewicz expects the committee to make a recommendation, that would go before the full city council for a full vote on April 8.