VIDALIA, La. – Dogs will once again take center stage at the Concordia Parish Police Jury’s Monday meeting.

For his part, jury President Charlie Blaney hopes jurors will assist a committee dispatched to solve the problem in its work.

&uot;It’s pretty bad all over the parish,&uot; Blaney said, referring in particular to the problem of stray dogs.

&uot;This (committee) is a dedicated, conscientious group of people who are working to fix this problem, and I&160;think we as a jury ought to back them 100 percent.&uot;

Specifically, the jury will discuss funding sources for the committee at Monday’s meeting. That meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Police Jury meeting room at the new parish courthouse on Carter Street.

On Nov. 14, the jury approved a list of members and plan of organization for a committee to establish a shelter for stray animals.

More than 1,000 people have signed petitions of support for the establishment of such a animal shelter, said committee member Donna Maroon.

The committee is working to set up a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to operate the shelter.

Setting up a corporation is necessary in order to qualify for grants to help build an animal shelter.

Local officials have estimated that a shelter for the parish and the towns of Ferriday, Ridgecrest and Clayton could cost $50,000.

One reason is that the Humane Society has detailed specifications for shelter construction.

Other items to be discussed in Monday’s meeting include:

— Revisions to the 2000 budget.

— Discussion of the parish road list.

— Lights for the flags at the old and new courthouses.

— Approval of W.L. Stampley as a board member for Recreation District No. 3; Charles Dew, Howard Jackson and Judy Pugh as board members for Fire District No. 2; and Bobbye McIntosh as a member of the Library Board.