Calaveras supervisors authorize staff to negotiate up to $10 million I‑Bank financing for new animal shelter

The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors authorized the county executive officer to negotiate a potential financing agreement with the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I‑Bank) to fund construction of a new 10,555 square‑foot animal services facility.

County staff told the board the existing San Andreas shelter is undersized and lacks proper quarantine, intake and medical areas. The CEO presented a financing request capped at $10 million, an illustrative interest rate of 4.39% and an estimated annual payment of about $65,221 over up to 30 years if those illustrative terms hold. Staff said the $10 million figure is a conservative “worst‑case” estimate to cover contingencies and avoid depleting the general fund.

To start repayment, staff proposed creating a dedicated repayment account seeded with $1 million from county capital funds, a freed annual payment of roughly $290,000 from a paid‑off HBAC loan, and annual IWM (Integrated Waste Management) paybacks (about $500,000 per year over eight years) to cover early payments. Staff said with those sources the shelter payment could be covered for the first decade and that certificates of participation scheduled to end in year 10 could help cover remaining payments thereafter.

Supporters at the meeting included shelter staff, volunteers and partner organizations. “Our local shelter is not just a place for neglected, abandoned and lost pets. It is a critical public safety and community service that always is at a breaking point,” Lisa Medina, environmental management agency administrator and animal services director, told the board.

Several supervisors raised concerns about total long‑term borrowing costs, cost‑overrun risk, and what happens if the county missed payments. Staff responded that final terms, a negotiated amortization schedule and any refinancing options will return to the board for final approval. The board voted to authorize negotiation; the final financing agreement will require a future board vote (staff indicated a four‑fifths vote may be required for final approval depending on program conditions).

The motion authorized negotiations only; it did not commit the county to borrow or bind future boards. The board asked staff to continue searching for grants and external funding during the negotiation and to return with an amortization schedule and final terms before any funding is accepted.