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Board hears plan to relocate animal shelter ahead of July 2027 deadline
Summary
County staff and the sheriff told the board a town notice requires vacating the Airport Road animal shelter by July 8, 2027; officials proposed siting a new shelter at Poorhouse Park, hiring two animal control officers, and starting site surveys and engineering work immediately.
County staff and Sheriff Holmes told the Essex County Board of Supervisors on June 9 that the town issued a notice on July 8, 2024 requiring the county to vacate the animal shelter on Airport Road within 36 months; that deadline will fall on July 8, 2027.
Joe, who introduced the item, said the county already owns land at Poorhouse Park and recommended starting site planning and engineering now so the county can meet the deadline. "The deadline will be coming up on July 8th, 2027," Joe said, urging the board to begin work immediately. Sheriff Holmes told the board he plans to hire two animal control officers, train them through the sheriff's academy and pair them with shelter staff to improve operations.
Staff described two parallel tracks: (1) the operational model for shelter management and animal control, with options to contract management to a third party or split operations between civilian shelter staff and sheriff's office enforcement, and (2) the physical siting and permitting work, which will require surveys, stormwater assessment and possible parcel reconfiguration at Poorhouse Park. Counsel noted that separating the shelter parcel or leasing it to a nonprofit could aid grant eligibility and private partnerships.
Board members emphasized urgency and asked staff to begin surveying potential footprints, coordinate with the EDA on the park plan, and explore grant and partnership opportunities. Several members said available donations could be used immediately for planning and that staff should return with a phased plan and cost estimates.
What happens next: staff will start site studies, explore operational models with the sheriff, and return with a proposal and timeline to meet the July 8, 2027 vacate deadline.
