PAUL WILCOXEN
The Southern Illinoisan, Ill.
(TNS)
HERRIN — Herrin Mayor Steve Frattini is excited about the city’s future.
“We have to look forward,” Frattini said. “Where we are in Southern Illinois, Williamson County area, with the infrastructure that we have in place, the highways, the rail, the aviation, the water and everything, … we are becoming pretty much a hot spot. Marion shows you that.
Mayor Frattini is happy the city is working on two projects to improve public safety and animal care. The city is in the final stages of finishing a new fire station and recently celebrated the groundbreaking creation of a new animal control facility.
Herrin Mayor Steve Frattini says the new firehouse, an estimated $1 million project, is nearly complete and expected to open as soon as mid-December.
“We’re targeting the second week of December for the move, or certainly before the end of the year,” Frattini said. “We’re a little ahead of schedule, which is great news. It’s quite the facility.”
Frattini says the new station will meet all current OSHA, EPA and regulatory standards and replace the outdated station on Park Ave. The current station has outlived its use, but its future is being determined.
“We haven’t determined the fate of the old building yet,” Frattini said.
“We may keep it for some other city use, but we’ll most likely consider selling it.”
In addition to the firehouse, the city has begun constructing a new animal control facility, another significant investment estimated at $1.2 million.
“The construction has just begun near Bandyville Road, right by the railroad tracks near the ball diamonds,” the official explained.
Frattini says the existing animal control facility has an outdated double-wide modular building and a makeshift pole barn.
“The main building was originally a buy-here-pay-here car dealership office that we repurposed, and it’s way past its life expectancy,” Frattini said. “The facilities lack adequate space, lighting, and proper planning, causing discomfort for the animals and staff.”
The city can focus more on improving its animal control operations with the new facility.
“Animal control is about managing domestic animals within the city, handling stray dogs and enforcing codes related to animal welfare, like preventing neglect or addressing aggressive animals,” Frattini said.
Although the city is not a no-kill shelter, Frattini is proud of its recent progress.
“In 2023, less than 10% of animals that came through our facility were euthanized,” Frattini said, “which by some standards would make us a no-kill shelter, but we’re not. Unfortunately, some animals are too injured or aggressive to be saved.”
Frattini says the city hopes to promote more adoptions, so they’ve reduced fees this month.
“We’re reducing our adoption fees to $50 for dogs and cats this month, even though it costs us almost $200 per animal,” Frattini said.
Once complete, the new facility will be more spacious, allowing for better collaboration with rescue groups.
“We plan to share some space with rescues to move animals through faster and ease the burden,” Frattini said.
As one project nears completion and the other takes off, Mayor Frattini hopes the community will recognize the importance of these upgrades. “We’re excited to see these improvements coming to fruition and look forward to serving our city in a better capacity,” Frattini said.
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