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Commissioners press for quicker site search for county animal shelter, cite safety concerns at current location
Summary
Commissioners discussed locating a new county animal shelter and expressed urgency about site selection, public safety at the current Highway 72 site, and the need to follow purchasing/bidding requirements for any property acquisition.
Commissioners discussed the need to find property for a new Limestone County animal shelter and emphasized urgency because of construction timelines and public safety concerns at the current Highway 72 location.
A commissioner who raised the matter said the county is "under the gun" to get a new site and stressed the need to avoid repeating past problems. “We gotta do something. We're we're we're under the the gun here on… getting this thing up and running,” the commissioner said. He said the current site on Highway 72 creates safety problems for residents and cited limited turning movements at the existing location: “I don't like the location we're at for as the safety of the public… I would much rather be right off 72, but I'd like to have at least a red light to where we can, you know, get people back after the highway.”
Commission leadership asked the public to suggest properties. The commission chair said the county must follow formal purchasing and bidding processes and cannot buy property instantly at a negotiated private price. “If anybody knows of any property… please feel free to reach out to us,” the chair said, adding that the county must obtain fair-market value and follow procurement legalities before purchase.
Commissioners thanked Dr. Hammond for earlier assistance and praised the animal services staff for recent performance. No formal motion or vote was recorded; the exchange closed with the commission asking staff and commissioners to continue searching for suitable property and to notify the commission of possible parcels.
Why it matters: Commissioners framed the site search as time-sensitive because construction and procurement processes are lengthy and because the current facility’s access onto Highway 72 raises safety concerns for visitors and staff.
What’s next: The commission requested property leads from the public and will pursue required procurement steps if a candidate parcel becomes available; no property purchase or formal directive was recorded in the meeting.
