[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6630671,"mediaKeyId","2690343-fbccc2e0766e9eb2b566e789ec9f080f","parentId",2690343,"title","Joint Animal Services reports rising intakes, unveils $33M–$41.5M facility concept and funding gaps","audioSeconds",3148,"startMs",3154000,"endMs",5734,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690343-fbccc2e0766e9eb2b566e789ec9f080f&start=3154&end=5","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690343-fbccc2e0766e9eb2b566e789ec9f080f/thumbnail_3154000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6630671/Olympia/Thurston-County/Washington/Joint-Animal-Services-reports-rising-intakes-unveils-33M415M-facility-concept-and-funding-gaps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630671-a3ae23b5a61c8a5ba332e4b1f699351c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771214941&Signature=EltSkP3AVKkR-SxXf9T3zfaTPsJ5ctzM4QLiGy7uhJAdtlFd5HBHrpb5UrYIgey8Bq59sj~zF9V6z-qR3n0kDtAX9L9w~cNHnIIQ0WG0gbP6wIyiI0G4~SsSMj8hQgJWirKnfAwkHYd09uGUer6J5z5NaySm8J5D-Y4HouRY3klT3mkJi1cKn3oTRd257UjHc~rKXQR3gWtQ~XZ0xwvw5mFBjz4rFXIbmyA7LQVBbHZV0wV5BxY3kM63hNQiYUs5JPlP-piLeGiWMAkkCikQ6UMikbg-zGatEKvN-MDl4CGh-a2D-Vlo-1SN8yanSfs0qi3J~IUAVt-qFpZDJmz1vw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Olympia","date","2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","article","Joint Animal Services reported rising animal intakes and field responses in 2024 and presented a revised facility concept with an estimated total cost that could range from about $33 million to $41.5 million, the agency’s executive director told the Olympia City Council on March 18.

Sarah Hawk, executive director of Joint Animal Services, summarized the agency’s 2024 year, including volunteer and veterinary-care milestones and a space-needs study that produced a preferred building concept and several funding scenarios. \"This was all done with our full time veterinarian, our full time veterinary assistant,\" Hawk said when describing the first full year of having an on-site veterinary medical team.

The report said agency intake totaled 3,305 animals in 2024, with a near 28% increase in dogs (about 300 more dogs year over year). Joint Animal Services reported more than 140 volunteers averaging about 40 hours each (equivalent to roughly 2.7 full-time employees). In its new in-house veterinary suite, the shelter completed more than 1,200 spay/neuter surgeries, about 2,200 exams and 64 other surgical procedures last year.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for detail because the shelter’s existing building is functionally limited and cannot support additional staff or programming that could keep pets out of the shelter. Hawk warned the current facility will not meet the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ highest standards of care so long as the agency remains in the present building.

Key program and case examples

Hawk highlighted the shelter medical team and foster network as reasons for improved outcomes. She described an individual medical case — a dog named Cinder — that required three life‑saving surgeries, including an amputation and a spay to treat a pyometra; Cinder recovered in a foster home and was later adopted by a friend of that foster caregiver.

The presentation also described a multi‑animal welfare response in which officers found more than 40 Great Pyrenees mixes on a property with inadequate shelter. Joint Animal Services implemented a staged surrender and placement plan so rescues could take dogs gradually; staff said the owner kept eight original dogs after the agency ensured spay/neuter care for those animals.

Facility concept, space and cost estimates

Hawk said the capital planning process began with larger concepts (roughly 27,000–30,000 sq. ft.) and was value‑engineered down to just under 20,000 sq. ft. The revised floor plan would include indoor–outdoor dog kennels, play yards, a public lobby and an in‑building veterinary clinic (the agency currently operates clinic services from a modular unit).

She presented a cost breakdown that showed building construction estimates of about $15 million to $17 million, plus site acquisition, site development and soft costs (equipment, FF&E and contingencies). Those line items produced a total project estimate ranging from about $33 million to $41.5 million, a variance Hawk attributed to site selection and the depth of equipment/soft costs chosen for the project.

Funding and next steps

Joint Animal Services told the council it has about $1 million available in reserves for site acquisition or early design work and has submitted a regional request of $2 million to the state for design/build assistance. Hawk said the agency is exploring roughly $500,000 in additional grant funding and expects sale of the current site and local donations to contribute; she stressed that a substantial funding gap remains at the higher end of the cost estimates.

The agency also noted the interlocal agreement (ILA) among the four jurisdictions currently prescribes per‑capita repayment of any debt for a project. Hawk said jurisdictions will need to discuss the ILA and consider other financing tools — including bonds or a potential animal control district mechanism previously introduced in the Legislature (Representative Parsley’s bill did not pass cutoff this session).

Hawk said JASCOM has asked jurisdictional partners to appoint staffing representatives to help develop a financial plan and that the agency will continue to pursue grants and local funding options.

Council questions and community implications

Council members asked about outdoor space, location, transit access and impacts on neighborhood sites; Hawk said the preferred program includes indoor/outdoor kennels and play yards and was designed to allow staged growth (clinic expansion or public services could be added later). She said the agency is looking for 3–5 acres that provide both access and reasonable buffering from residential neighbors.

Hawk repeatedly framed expanded space as a prerequisite for program growth (expanded pet‑food pantry, more robust resource programs and additional staff) that the agency expects will reduce shelter intakes over time.

Ending

Council members expressed support for advancing planning and said they would expect follow‑up discussions about financing, site options and ILA adjustments. Hawk closed by asking jurisdictions to participate in a working group to refine the funding strategy and timeline.

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Finance committee and housing support

Council Member Lisa Gilman, reporting from the finance committee, said committee members discussed scoped research on minimum wage, fair scheduling and workplace safety that will rely on academic research and community voices. Gilman also described a forthcoming proposal tied to the city’s emergency affordable‑housing package: staff will present details on a proposed initial seed of about $500,000 to stand up a fund to help pay permitting costs and otherwise assist affordable‑housing projects. Gilman said the finance committee will present a proposal for priorities and eligibility criteria to the full council.

Tax and revenue analysis

Gilman also summarized staff analysis of a possible change to the city’s business‑and‑occupation (B & O) tax rate (the presentation showed revenue distribution across industries and quadrants of the city); staff told the committee that about 1,700 entities filing B & O tax returns are not physically based inside the city limits.

Transit, regional plans and sea‑level rise

Council Member Mengerone and others reported on regional planning work. Inner City Transit is conducting a system redesign that would increase frequency on higher‑demand corridors and consider restoring service to key routes (an example cited was extending service along Black Lake Road). The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is updating a regional transportation plan and future‑conditions assumptions; council members said the region is not on track to meet several long‑range targets (including its Vision Zero‑style pedestrian safety goal and vehicle‑miles‑traveled reductions).

Mengerone and others also reported on sea‑level rise and the LOTT Clean Water Alliance (referred to in committee as LOT/LOTT). Work on the downtown digester upgrade will temporarily close a downtown street for roughly three years while a crane and construction occur; staff have coordinated outreach to food trucks and commercial users and have set weekend access for RV users at the hauled‑waste receiving station. Mengerone said the Anderson permanent supportive‑housing project received a 50% connection fee rebate from LOTT, including about $125,000 from the city’s allotment.

Opioid abatement and other regional coordination

Council Member Cooper said the inaugural meeting of a regional opioid abatement council (Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Thurston County) established a body to create a grant program for opioid‑settlement funds. Cooper said the combined funds across jurisdictions total \"several million dollars\" and the council will next reconcile allowable uses against the local opioid response plan before recommending grant priorities to the full councils.

Port and economic development notes

Mayor Camara Payne described a recent Port of Olympia visit and the arrival of a cargo vessel from Brazil; Payne called the visit an economic development opportunity and said the port is updating its master plan.

City manager update

City Manager Jay Birney said he attended the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C., and met with members of the federal delegation; he said staff will follow up with a federal funding update in the coming weeks and that federal lobbyists are working on a spending ask related to the armory.

Ending

Council members asked staff to return with more detail on the proposed housing permit fund, transit redesign impacts, and the regional opioid‑abatement grant timetable. Several members also expressed interest in further briefings on sea‑level rise implementation and the LOTT digester project timeline and traffic impacts.

","Several council members used the March 18 meeting to report committee activity and regional coordination on economic development, affordable‑housing supports, transit and opioid‑abatement planning.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6630666,"Olympia hires Susan McLaughlin as director of Community Planning and Economic Development",262,35000,297000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690343-fbccc2e0766e9eb2b566e789ec9f080f&start=35&end=297","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690343-fbccc2e0766e9eb2b566e789ec9f080f/thumbnail_35000.jpg","/articles/6630666/Olympia/Thurston-County/Washington/Olympia-hires-Susan-McLaughlin-as-director-of-Community-Planning-and-Economic-Development","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630666-234ca604f05481248f0cb247aeb6672d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771214941&Signature=HCo78bPlnFADwghLC5V88cyUMrsQ6PC-2mrAe5~4PzVIkPJUv~DKQ-qr2IUxOwPTBrKqNvm-4rxqi7BrhFy0VtFa16xoN9m1qcoREaFljD1Up0qFCGL~LIMsJFqnuEDjogP1hFPjPA2ucDop~bPnIISe0ahBLNGW-BzS8kDGcfiIIcUuOTnfgyhTMzmQiMTKR38VZkQrwKqIBdxsYeR2dyTUbvM1eFrAKdh0zpkrEDbPxVPdv8Ra4RHvS7Kszb36KrTlQ82UVRqDIgTMFt8PjbP3g4jxkw~38psCunMBqDqZK2f~Uh8gY-NMQxSe4ao-p3Yv2PToB15mbl1QZi~YJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Susan McLaughlin was introduced to the Olympia City Council on March 18 as the city’s new director of Community Planning and Economic Development.

Jay Birney, city manager, introduced McLaughlin and told the council she is on her second day with the city. \"She's on day 2 of her employment with the city of Olympia,\" Birney said. McLaughlin told the council she had reviewed council meetings and the city’s values and vision before accepting the position and said she was \"honored to be here.\" She told council members, \"it's been a fantastic 2 days,\" and said she looked forward to working on the comprehensive plan and community conversations.

According to Birney, McLaughlin most recently served as the planning director for the city of Edmonds and brings more than 25 years of government experience, including work in climate planning, land use, transportation, urban design and revitalization. Birney also mentioned McLaughlin’s experience in emergency response work in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Why it matters: The director of Community Planning and Economic Development will play a lead role in completing the city’s comprehensive plan, overseeing planning staff and engaging with community stakeholders on land use, transportation and climate policy.

Council Member Danny Madrone, who chairs the Land Use and Environment Committee, welcomed McLaughlin and offered to meet for coffee to discuss the comprehensive plan work.

Ending

McLaughlin said she was ‘‘excited to work under Jay’s leadership’’ and welcomed follow‑up conversations with council members as she settles into the role.

","City Manager Jay Birney introduced Susan McLaughlin to the Olympia City Council on March 18 as the new director of Community Planning and Economic Development; McLaughlin started work the day before and cited interest in completing the comprehensive plan and community engagement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Joint Animal Services reports rising intakes, unveils $33M–$41.5M facility concept and funding gaps

Olympia council reports: $500,000 seed proposed for affordable‑housing permit fund; transit redesign and opioid‑abatement planning advance

Olympia hires Susan McLaughlin as director of Community Planning and Economic Development