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County seeks proposals for Titusville animal‑shelter site after lease termination, staff to return with RFP
Summary
Brevard County accepted termination of a lease with Forever Home Animal Rescue after the City of Titusville cited code violations. Two local nonprofits said they would pursue the property; the commission asked staff to prepare a fair solicitation and return with selection criteria at the next meeting.
Brevard County staff told commissioners on March 11 that the county’s leased animal shelter in Titusville is in deteriorated condition and that the City of Titusville has issued a notice of violation. The county announced it would accept the lease termination from Forever Home Animal Rescue and asked staff to return with options for the property, including a competitive solicitation for nonprofit operators.
Mark Bernath of county staff said the county received a Titusville notice of violation tied to the property’s condition and offered five options for moving forward. He told the board there were at least two nonprofit groups interested in leasing and rehabilitating the building.
Sarah Skywind of Brevard Bark House and Lane Lang of Lang’s Relic Canine Rescue each spoke in support of using the facility for a county‑run or nonprofit animal‑care operation. Skywind told commissioners the building can be repaired and that volunteers and local contractors are eager to help. “There is no question that this building is needed for Brevard County,” she said, urging the board to give nonprofits an opportunity to present improvement plans.
Staff told the board the city’s original compliance deadline could not be met and that Titusville and county attorneys were discussing a revised timeline; staff later reported the new report date to Titusville is June 9. County staff provided preliminary cost estimates: cleaning and making the facility operation‑ready was estimated at roughly $100,000 to $200,000; demolition was estimated at about $90,000; county staff estimated the vacant parcel value at roughly $135,000.
The board instructed staff to prepare a proposed RFP/selection process and suggested including a clear list of required deliverables and financial assurances. Commissioners also requested staff propose proposed review criteria and a membership list for a selection panel; staff said it would bring the RFP and selection criteria back at the April 8 board meeting.
Why this matters: The county has a shortage of shelter and intake capacity, particularly in North Brevard. Several nonprofit rescue groups told the board they could run adoption and low‑cost veterinary clinics from a rehabilitated facility, but the building requires substantial remediation and code work.
Next steps: Staff will draft an RFP and proposed selection criteria, consult with Titusville city counsel, and return to the Board of County Commissioners for further direction at the next meeting.
