Shutdown Plan In Place For Detroit Zoo

[MiniShaniaTwain]

Shutdown Plan In Place For Detroit Zoo
Zoo Will Remain Open To Public Through May

POSTED: 12:14 pm EST February 21, 2006

The Detroit Zoo closing is under way, and many different officials are saying different things.

The City Council said it is not ready to hand over control of the zoo; Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said the city cannot afford to keep the zoo; Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said that the metro park system could handle the zoo; and zoo officials say something needs to be done fast, Local 4 reported.

Though deadlines have passed, the city is moving ahead with the process, and has put together a shutdown plan.

Wednesday, the director of the Detroit Zoo will receive a call from the city Human Resources Department, advising zoo officials to enact the shutdown plan.

The plan is written out in stages:
Stage one
Layoffs will include administrative staff and guest services.

Stage two
Layoffs will include seasonal staff, gardeners and zookeepers.

Stage three
Layoffs will include remaining zookeepers and the animals will be moved.

Stage four
Layoffs will include zookeepers and veterinarians.

The entire shutdown process could take about 12 months.

Zoo officials are going back to the state to see if they can receive aid, Local 4 reported.

If the zoo begins to lay off employees, it can call them back, but once the animals are moved, the process will be harder to stop, according to the station's reports.

The zoo will remain open to the public through May 1, 2006.


Copyright 2006 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/7293608/detail.html

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There is a petition you can sign if you'd like to save the zoo- go to this website: http://www.petitiononline.com/detzoo/petition.html

[Terjeriuke]

Thank you very much... :D

[MiniShaniaTwain]

Detroit Zoo Will Stay Open
City Council Voted 6-3

POSTED: 5:56 pm EST March 1, 2006
UPDATED: 9:53 am EST March 2, 2006

After hours of debate, the Detroit City Council voted 6-3 Wednesday to keep the Detroit Zoo open.

Under the agreement, the Detroit Zoo will be transferred over to the Detroit Zoological Society, and council members say Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's appearance may have made a difference.

"I suggested the mayor to come up and sell this issue, and I think that definitely helped," said City Council President Ken Cockrell Jr.

Under the terms of the agreements, the city is mandated to turn over $5 million within 15 days to the Zoological Society, Local 4 reported.

"I know this is critically important to the people of the city of Detroit," said Kilpatrick.

The next course of action is trying to retain the loss of $4 million in state aid. The City Council gave up the aid by rejecting the original proposal, Local 4 reported.

At this point, residents will not see any changes at the zoo, the station reported.

The zoo was expected to close May 1 under a shut down plan.

Previous Stories:
March 1, 2006: Rescue 4 The Zoo: Public To Express Opinions
February 27, 2006: Rescue 4 The Zoo: Mayor Speaks About Detroit Zoo
February 24, 2006: Rescue 4 The Zoo: Detroit Zoo Decision Nears
February 23, 2006: Rescue 4 The Zoo: Council Votes Could Change Zoo Future
February 22, 2006: Shutdown Plan In Place For Detroit Zoo
February 21, 2006: Mayor's Office: Detroit Zoo Could Close



Copyright 2006 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/7589458/detail.html

[nds76]

I'm glad it's staying open cuz I love animals and would hate to see anything happen to them.

David

[Troll]

Thanks for the update glad it is staying open.