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Board directs design and phased funding planning for new Nassau County animal services facility
Summary
Commissioners agreed April 9 to proceed with design and phased implementation planning for a replacement animal services facility, authorizing staff to use existing carryforward funds and consider debt capital allocations to advance design and modular construction options.
Nassau County commissioners on April 9 gave staff consensus direction to pursue design and a phased funding plan for a new county animal services facility, after commissioners described the current shelter as functionally obsolete for the county’s contemporary ‘‘no‑kill’’ operations.
Staff confirmed an RFP for full design had been issued and that the county expects to select a design firm within about 30 days. County staff identified roughly $3.3 million of cash carryforward and prior grant releases available in FY 2024–25 for the project, and said an additional approximately $1.3 million is available from the debt capital millage that staff proposed to allocate to the animal services project for early site work and design.
County project staff described the new facility as a medical‑grade, modular design that can be phased: core veterinary and quarantine infrastructure would be prioritized while ancillary items (such as additional paddocks, festival street hardscaping or barn space for large animals) could be added in later phases. Staff emphasized modular design will produce an ‘‘itemized menu’’ of options so the board can match funding to phases after final engineered cost estimates emerge from design. ‘‘We can really bring that forward to you in a menu for you to allocate the funds for execution,’’ one staff member said.
Commissioners framed the issue as both a facilities problem and a policy choice: the county has adopted a no‑kill approach that places additional demands on veterinary care, quarantine and animal handling infrastructure. Several commissioners said retrofitting the existing structure would be costly and would not deliver the hospital‑grade quarantine and medical space needed to maintain a high live‑release rate.
What staff proposed and commissioners accepted by consensus: - Proceed with design procurement (RFP already on the street) and select a design firm within the coming weeks; - Use the FY 2024–25 carryforward/grant release funds earmarked for the project (staff identified $3.3 million) and consider allocating available debt capital millage funds (staff estimated roughly $1.3 million available) to keep the design and initial site phases moving; - Require the design team to provide phased cost estimates and an options ‘‘menu’’ to enable a staged construction approach.
Why this matters: Commissioners said the existing shelter lacks the medical‑grade infrastructure and quarantine capability needed for the county’s no‑kill policy. Staff noted design will take 12–18 months and that construction sequencing and financing will be refined after design produces a final engineer’s estimate.
Next steps: staff will return with the selected design firm’s scope, a phased engineer’s estimate and recommended funding schedule; formal budget amendments or bond actions will be required for construction phases.
Ending: Commissioners expressed strong support to move the project forward, with multiple members urging that the county ‘‘break ground’’ once funding is confirmed.
