In a special meeting held Thursday, Churchill County Commissioners approved funding in the amount of $280,000, half the total projected cost of $560,000 to build a new facility for the Churchill Animal Protection Society.
County Manager Jim Barbee said that after discussions with the City of Fallon, the proposal was made to build a new, 5,000-square-foot building at the county-owned property at the Moody Wastewater Treatment plant. Issues with the current facility on Pasture Road include a horribly degraded concrete floor, making cleanliness a troublesome problem, along with poor quality well water.
Barbee said during the meeting that if ever CAPS was not able to continue to manage the program, the county could step into the county-owned facility and take that over. He said, however, that CAPS still intends to continue managing the facility with their volunteers.
“I was clear that the expectation is we will provide the building and the infrastructure around the building,” said Barbee, “and they will pursue donations and volunteers to do the perimeter fence and any other interior fencing. We will provide the office and breakroom and concrete lining around the building.”
Chris Spross, Public Works Director said the county is looking at a steel building facility to save on maintenance. Costs of the structure were developed by his office and the building will be fully insulated with restrooms, storage rooms, and indoor holding pens. Utilities will be connected to the current utilities servicing the Moody treatment facility. The county is looking at using their reclaimed water system for wash-down, and the facility will be located near the sewer plant, so disposal of waste is convenient.
CAPS is a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter that has been serving the community since 1986. During 2021, CAPS adopted 98 dogs and 75 cats and spent over $40,000 on vet bills for the dogs and cats in their care. Volunteers from the Navy, Fallon Jr. ROTC, and the Boy Scouts all help meet the needs of CAPS from fundraising, animal care, and facility maintenance. There are five employees.
The costs for the new facility will come from the Building Reserve Fund and the City of Fallon. A request for comment to the City was not returned by press time.
Comment
Comments