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Shelter staff urge council to fund crematorium replacement; current unit shows cracks, limited capacity
Summary
Shelter staff and board members told the advisory board the shelter's incinerator is failing, limiting cremation capacity to one pet per day, causing freezer backups and delayed returns to owners. Members asked staff to add a discussion to the March 4 agenda to explore replacement options, fundraising, grants and fee adjustments.
Shelter staff told the Admiral Advisory Board on Feb. 11 that the shelter’s crematorium/incinerator is showing structural damage and limited capacity, and they urged the city to plan funding for replacement.
The shelter representative described operational constraints: “It's running. We're still using it, but it is a matter of time before this becomes, a hazard. A hazard. Mhmm. There's smoke that comes out of it,” the shelter staff member said. The speaker said the unit currently permits only one cremation per day, forcing staff to store bodies in freezers and creating multi‑week waits for owners who request remains.
Staff estimated replacement costs for a higher‑capacity “state‑of‑the‑art” unit at roughly $60,000–$100,000. “The state‑of‑the‑art good machine can cost anywhere from, like, 80 to a hundred thousand. Easy,” the speaker said. They added that the shelter has generated about $146,000 over the past five years from services, money that went into the general fund.
Board members discussed options including grants, fundraisers, raising fees, and using capital plan funds. Megan (city staff) told the board she is researching grant opportunities. The board noted the capital improvements plan previously listed the replacement but had the line item marked “on hold.”
Members agreed to add the topic to the March 4 agenda as a discussion item so the city council can consider funding mechanisms. “It needs to be landed. This is not an agenda. It shouldn't be a question. It just should be that the city needs to plan how they're gonna set money aside,” a board member said, and another moved to add the item. The motion to add the crematorium replacement to the March 4 agenda was seconded and recorded as a discussion item (no budget appropriation was made at the meeting).
Shelter staff outlined immediate operational issues the council will need to consider: the unit’s hazardous emissions and liquid drainage, disconnection of gas lines for removal, potential trade‑in or disposal options, freezer capacity constraints, and short‑term storage protocols. Staff also said some communities outside Alpine rely on the service, with animals coming from nearby towns and travelers whose pets die while passing through.
The board asked staff to return with cost estimates, funding options (grants and fundraising), and potential schedule impacts for service continuity if the unit were replaced.
