HERMON – A decision about renewing the town’s animal shelter contract was delayed Thursday with the blessing of a resident who has complained about the shelter since September.

All of the four town councilors present voted to wait on awarding the contract until the owners of Syna Kennels on Swan Road have their day in court. Dora and Michael McCarthy have been summoned twice for violating the town’s barking dog ordinance, and are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 19. They did not attend the meeting.

“If we do a contract with these people, and we’re taking them to court, should we do a contract with these people or take them to court?” council Chairman Stanley Chapman asked.

Ed Baum, who lives near the kennel and reported the noise to police, agreed Thursday that the council should wait to decide on the contract. Because eight other towns send their stray animals to the kennel, the ordinance will continue to be ignored even if Hermon sends its stray dogs elsewhere, he said.

“I know it will continue to be violated whether we have a contract or not,” Baum said.

After talking with 13 other agencies, only Syna Kennels and the Bangor Humane Society are viable options for the contract, according to Town Manager Clint Deschene. The other agencies aren’t interested, are too far away or require the town to vaccinate strays before accepting the animals, he said.

“If you want to switch, my recommendation is the Bangor Humane Society,” Deschene told the council.

That option, however, would cost approximately $6,000 per year, five times more than the current contract with Syna Kennels, Deschene said.

In other business Thursday, the council renewed last year’s arrangement to plow the roads in Hermon Heights and Stony Brook. Contractor Louis “Buzzy” LaChance will be paid to plow the remaining 60 miles of town roads, though councilors had intended for public works to plow more roads this winter.

“We’ve got to think about the taxpayers. That’s number one,” councilor Donald Shepley said.