York County staff told the County Council at a Nov. 10 workshop they plan to proceed with design procurement for a new animal shelter even as the council considers policy changes that could determine the facility’s final size and operations.

The move aims to keep the project moving through the county’s capital improvement process while the Public Works and committee reviews continue. Tom Couch, assistant county manager, said staff will seek council approval in December for architect/contract negotiations and expects an agreement for architectural services in January or February. “If we hire a designer tomorrow, I would probably say …” Couch said, describing a timeline that would put construction contract decisions into next fall and design lasting about a year.

Why it matters: Council members said the size and cost of the shelter depend on policy decisions intended to shorten stays and improve animal churn, including how animals tied to incarcerated owners are handled. One councilmember noted the county previously set aside $16,000,000 for this project and urged clearer milestones so the public can track progress.

Staff and council debated sequencing. Lisa Hagood, an engineering department accounting engineer, said staff is “committed to getting a good estimate on the cost, but we’re gonna work with the designer to make sure that it’s a cost that we’re onboarding,” and emphasized staff do not recommend waiting for policy changes to begin designer procurement. Council members pushed back that policy work must have “teeth” and be completed quickly to inform final sizing.

Council also discussed legal constraints raised by staff. A council member said it was his understanding that state law currently limits what can be done with animals tied to an incarcerated owner, a constraint staff said could affect how the facility is operated and its required capacity.

What happens next: Staff said they will return to council in December with a recommendation to award preconstruction services and expect to bring an architectural agreement in January–February. Design would then proceed for roughly a year with construction contracting likely to come back to council in fall 2026.

The discussion ended with council asking for clearer Gantt-style timelines and budget-to-actual reporting in future quarterly updates so members can follow contract awards and cost estimates.