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Thurston County commissioners press for clearer funding path as regional animal-shelter concept advances
Summary
Commissioners received a JASCOM update on a concept plan for a regional animal shelter, discussed rough cost estimates ($33–41 million total; $26–34 million net to jurisdictions), funding options and the Interlocal Agreement’s per-capita allocation, and directed staff to circulate detailed calculations and explore revenue options.
Commissioners received an update on a regional animal-shelter concept and pressed for more clarity on funding and county oversight.
The report, given during a standing check-in on external boards, said JASCOM provided a concept floor plan and rough cost estimates for a proposed new facility; total cost estimates range from about $33 million to $41 million, with jurisdictions’ net share estimated at roughly $26 million to $34 million after other funding sources are applied. The update said jurisdictions’ per-capita share would be the mechanism for assessments under the Interlocal Agreement (ILA).
Why it matters: Thurston County’s potential share would be a substantial multi‑year budget item. Commissioners asked for explicit, jurisdiction-level cost calculations and for earlier involvement in design and sizing decisions so the county can align the project with what it could reasonably fund over a multi-year horizon.
Commissioner discussion centered on process, cost-sharing and timing. Commissioner Klaus — who said she was elected vice chair of the regional committee and attended the JASCOM meeting — described the financing options JASCOM is exploring, including reserves, state capital funding, grants, proceeds from a possible sale of the current property, donations and per-capita assessments. Klaus said the commission had submitted a $2 million capital-budget request to the state legislature and that the concept plan is the first time the group has seen a full floor plan from the consultant, Animal Arts.
Commissioner Grant and other commissioners questioned the sequence of planning: several asked why the full conceptual plan and sizing had been produced before jurisdictions agreed on what they could afford. Grant noted that a common approach for capital projects is to receive an expert’s “ideal” concept and then scale it back to match jurisdictional budgets. Grant urged the board to adopt an early position statement on fiscal constraints so the county’s expectations are understood earlier in the process.
Klaus and other commissioners emphasized the timeline is not immediate: she said even if jurisdictions agreed today, construction would be roughly 3.5 years out under a fast timeline. Klaus added, “The ILA doesn't force us to do anything; it actually says that it would be on a per-capita basis per jurisdiction if the jurisdictions authorize that.”
Commissioners also discussed possible revenue options JASCOM is exploring to reduce jurisdictional assessments, including additional contracts for services, loan repayment plans, a bond led by a single jurisdiction, and pending legislation related to animal-control districts. At the JASCOM meeting, commissioners gave staff direction to explore additional contracts for services that could generate revenue to offset assessments.
County Manager Leonard Hernandez and other staff said they will compile the meeting materials and the consultant’s cost worksheets and circulate them to commissioners for review. Klaus said she and the JASCOM chair from Lacey will meet to walk through historical context and calculations.
Clarifying details given at the meeting included immediate repair needs at the current building — HVAC, roof, electrical and kennel replacements — with immediate costs described as “upwards of $600,000” and near-term costs “close to $1,000,000.” Commissioners said JASCOM provided a possible cost‑saving scenario in which certain facility elements (for example, a dedicated post-operative recovery space) could be provided with modular units, potentially reducing cost by $2 million to $3.5 million.
Next steps noted by commissioners: staff will circulate the consultant materials and jurisdiction-level calculations; the county will consider a board-level position statement on fiscal constraints to send to JASCOM; and staff and the county’s JASCOM representative will continue discussions with the JASCOM executive director and other jurisdictions.
The commissioners did not take a formal vote during the check-in; the discussion resulted in direction to staff to gather and distribute the detailed cost breakdowns and to explore revenue options that would reduce the county’s eventual assessment.
