City leaders are moving forward with a long-awaited expansion to the animal shelter.
At the Sept. 22 regular meeting of the Taylor City Council, the council approved a $1.4 million bid to complete a kennel expansion to Fazzone Construction Co., as well as site work, new paving, utilities, fencing, signage and the installation of two modular buildings at its location at 701 E. Fourth St.
“This is the last piece to begin construction,” said Jacob Walker, city engineer. “We visited with Fazzone. They are ready to get going.”
According to Taylor’s 2023 budget, the city is using approximately $2.25 million in funds to remodel and expand the shelter — $1.5 million of which will be funded through the 2022 Certificate of Obligation Bond, and the rest directly from the city’s general fund.
Walker said this bid was for the construction project, but the city had already procured the two modular buildings that Fazzone would soon install.
“We are anxious to get a pre-construction meeting established,” Walker said. “And we are working with Commander (Joseph) Branson and his staff and Sandy (Perio, animal control supervisor,) to make sure that the animal shelter is able to operate at 100 percent capacity as they are now as this thing is built.”
At the meeting, District 4 Councilman Robert Garcia was enthusiastic about moving forward.
“I am just excited about this,” he said.
“This has been a long time coming.”
City leaders said that the expansion and remodel project, which has been planned for years, is expected to begin in October and should be completed by June 2023.
At a previous council meeting last spring, Animal Control Supervisor Sandy Perio said that the need for more space was urgent.
“We need the room desperately,” she told the council May 26 at their meeting. “And we need that room today.”
