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Oak Ridge budgets design funds for animal shelter; staff aims to bid construction soon
Summary
City budget includes design funding and a design-to-bid timeline for a new animal shelter; staff said it will hire a construction manager, move to design now and that debt service was modeled as about $600,000 per year over 10 years.
City staff included funding to begin design of a new animal shelter and said they plan to hire a construction manager and move the project to bid in the near term.
Staff told council the design contract is budgeted in the current proposal and that work should begin within months so the project can proceed to bid. The presentation described the shelter as a “dire need” and prioritized starting the design phase rather than delaying. Staff also said the budget models a 10-year debt service for construction and estimated roughly $600,000 per year in payments over that 10-year term to show the impact on annual budgets.
Council and staff discussed timing: design work is expected to progress in fiscal 2026 with construction later in the multi-year capital plan. Staff said they will present options for financing and that debt-issuance structure and term length will be finalized with financial advisors as the project advances.
Ending: Staff asked council for support to proceed with the design contract and to authorize hiring a construction manager to keep the project on an accelerated schedule.
