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Calaveras supervisors approve $10 million IBank lease to build new animal services facility
Summary
The Board authorized a $10 million financing lease with the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank plus nearly $5 million in county match to finance a modern animal shelter in San Andreas; supporters urged the board to act after decades of deferred maintenance and grand-jury recommendations.
Calaveras County supervisors voted to authorize a $10 million financing lease with the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank to build a new animal services facility in San Andreas, with the county providing roughly $4.96 million in matching funds.
The financing structure described to the board will use a lease-leaseback arrangement: IBank would take a site lease on county property in exchange for the $10 million upfront to fund construction, and the county would lease the completed 10,555-square-foot facility back under a 30-year financing lease at a reported fixed base rate of about 4.22 percent. Staff said the package includes a $1.5 million construction contingency.
The board heard a series of public comments supporting the project as both a humane and a public-safety improvement. "What you're voting on is a building that is comprised of many components," said Christine Albertine, who urged the board to approve the project and described the new facility as a home, a law-enforcement evidence facility and a medical and quarantine space for animals.
County staff presented years of documentation — grand jury reports and internal assessments — saying the present shelter is undersized and unable to meet modern standards for animal care, public health and volunteer/staff safety. Supporters said the project would reduce long-term operational risk and ultimately reduce avoidable emergency costs tied to the aging shelter.
Board members discussed the county’s broader fiscal constraints and the tradeoffs needed to invest in capital projects. After public comment, the board took a roll-call vote and approved the authorization needed to execute the financing and move forward with construction.
What happens next: staff will finalize lease documents with IBank, issue construction contracts per the approved budget and return with any required implementing documents. The financing requires a four-fifths vote for the lease-leaseback authorization; the board recorded its approval and staff said they expect to begin construction preparations once legal documents are finalized.
