County chooses animal shelter location

A site has been chosen for the county’s Animal Control Center, and with a local business donating building materials, along with a $10,000 donation from an anonymous individual, the project is moving along with surprising speed.

The property, located across the bypass from the jail and behind the DeZurik plant, is owned by the county, but it’s within the city limits. The county held a joint meeting of the Building and Grounds and Health and Welfare committees Thursday night to discuss and vote on the location, which was approved unanimously.

The county decided to move forward with building the facility after falling to work out an agreement with the local Humane Society in a specially called meeting with the organization earlier this month. County Executive Kenneth Rogers explained what transpired at that meeting for the benefit of those who had not attended.

“We offered them the same contract as the city did,” Rogers said, “and they refused us. So that’s the reason they called another meeting, and then we went out and looked at ground to build on.”

Building and Grounds Committee chairman Carl Bouldin said the property seemed to be ideal for the purpose.

“There’s a paved road down there,” Bouldin said. “The city has a pumping station down there. There’s acreage down there, we’ll have to get a bulldozer in there, but there’s really a good place down there to put it. It’s pretty level and it’s off from everybody. It’s really a good location for it. It’s out of the way with nobody to hear dogs barking down there.”

Rogers reported a number of non-city residents support the project, even offering financial assistance. According to Rogers, General Shale has donated 1,400 concrete blocks toward construction.

“Kenneth has gotten the block plant to donate enough block to build the building,” Bouldin said.

According to Health and Welfare Committee member Bill Yancy, the donated block will actually build a larger building than the project may require.

“There was 1,400 12-inch corner blocks donated,” Yancy said. “When I called the contractor, I said what you could build with 1,400 12-inch corner blocks, and right off the top of his head, he said you could build a 50-by-16 building with an eight-foot ceiling, not counting your doors and your windows. But we don’t need a 50-by-16 I don’t think.”

Bouldin suggested the county check into getting preliminary drawings as soon as possible.

“We need to get an architect to draw up a plan on this building,” Bouldin said, “so we can get everything like it needs to be.”

The two committees voted unanimously to approve the location, and proceed with preparations for construction. There will be further meetings to discuss financing the project and the full county commission will have to vote to approve the plans at its meeting in October before actual construction will begin.