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Council approves steps to move animal shelter design and bidding forward after county commits funds
Summary
After Douglas County approved a funding contribution, the council voted 7–2 to authorize steps to complete design, prepare bidding documents and seek construction bids for an 8,600‑square‑foot joint city‑county animal shelter at Bear Creek Park, with capital‑campaign and operating‑cost responsibilities assigned to local nonprofits and the county.
The Common Council voted 7–2 to approve a set of steps the mayor outlined to advance design and bidding for an 8,600‑square‑foot animal shelter at the Bear Creek Park site, contingent on the county’s funding commitment.
Councilors considered two linked items: first, acceptance of a Douglas County resolution to provide funding for the shelter contingent upon council action to award construction contracts (approved 7–2 on a roll call), and second, a mayoral recommendation (Item 8.2) setting procedures the city will follow to complete design, determine site and utility needs, issue construction invitations to bid no later than February 2014, and negotiate a management contract with local nonprofit partners if construction proceeds. The council approved the mayor’s sequence of discovery and procurement steps by roll call (7 yes, 2 no).
Mayor Hagan and staff said $2,221,000 remains in city bond proceeds appropriated for the project and described the need for final architectural/engineering design and competitive bids to determine the actual construction cost. Rick Salestead, identified in the record as representing “Bridal Allies” (organization name recorded in the transcript), told the council that his group (he also referenced “Animal Allies” and civic partners) would run or assist with a capital campaign and help fill capital or operating funding gaps. Mayor Hagan’s prepared steps asked public works to define site grading, parking, and utility connections at Bear Creek Park, directed nonprofit partners to undertake capital‑campaign work, and set an invitation to bid no later than February 2014.
Councilors stressed two recurring concerns: (1) the final construction bid will determine the funding gap that capital campaigns must fill, and (2) the city needs a sustainable plan for annual operating costs. The mayor’s recommendation called for nonprofit partners (listed as Animal Allies, the Humane Society of Douglas County, and the former ARF) to assist with gap funding for both construction and annual operations. The council approved the motion and instructed staff and community partners to proceed with design and preparatory steps so the public and prospective donors can see detailed plans and bids.
