Although costs toward the City of Taylor Animal Shelter have risen, city leaders expressed excitement Thursday at the prospect of a rejuvenated facility around next year’s horizon.
Upgrades for the animal shelter are expected to be finished within seven months of bidding this summer. Jacob Walker, HDR Engineering associate, provided a brief timeline of the shelter’s next steps during a general project update to the Taylor City Council May 26.
“I’m looking to get it on bidding in June, open up bids in July,” said Walker, “so around the New Year, we should have a new, updated shelter.”
HDR representatives also went over how the scope and design of shelter improvements have changed since the project’s original documents were made in December 2019. Adjustments include toward the dog kennel and cat holding area.
“I’m excited. We need the room desperately, and we need that room today,” said Sandy Perio, Taylor animal control supervisor.
In addition, late last year, engineers determined that new custom modular buildings were a better option than renovations calculated to be more costly.
“The market is fluctuating quite drastically as we know,” said Chris Casey, HDR civic architect, “and we’ve gotten actual costs on the modular building and we’ve also updated the cost estimate.”
As a result, costs for the project have risen reportedly due to increased scope supply chain issues, material demands and document modifications. Initial project cost estimates of $1.6 million have risen to $2.2 million.
Councilmember Mitch Drummond asked how the city would be able to pay for the increased costs. Deputy City Manager Jeff Jenkins indicated the first step would be to wait and see how much are bids to serve the project
“We have some options where we can take some 2022 bond money that we did. One example is the Donna Channel (project). It’s $3 million. We have extra,” said Jenkins, who also pointed to the city’s application for funding from the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure Fund Program. ”That’s one option, but there’s several other options we could do. Some of those road projects are a couple of years out, and we might be able to shift them or use some of the money split It over different bonds.”
Council members remarked on the animal shelter’s path towards the upgrades now seemingly within reach.
“It’s a whole lot better than what we had before, and I guess It’s step one,” said Ariola, “and as future councils come on and want to invest more and more and more, at least we’re taking this initial (step).”
For more from Thursday’s discussion, visit https://taylortx.swagit.com/play/05272022-580/9.
