Perry hears proposals for new dog shelter
PERRY -- The city is moving forward with plans to build a new dog shelter.
The shelter will be part of an animal complex being established at the site of the current animal shelter. The current administration building will house cats, and those offices will move into a modular building donated by Houston Healthcare.
At Monday night's work session, City Council members reviewed proposals from four construction companies to design and build the dog shelter.
Parrish Construction Group had the lowest proposal at $544,022. City Manager Lee Gilmour said it was a proposal, not a bid, so it's not a firm amount yet.
The city's specifications called for a building with 27 pens with outdoor runs, heating and air, exam room, quarantine room and other amenities.
The city requested proposals to design and build the shelter, so a firm price can't be determined until a design is complete.
Although there was no vote, council members agreed to move forward with the project.
"We've been wrestling with this long enough," Councilman Randall Walker said. "We need to move forward."
Mayor Jimmy Faircloth said the next step is for Parrish to create the design, and then a firm cost can be determined.
"I would anticipate it being a little lower than what their initial proposal is, simply because they don't have a specific design," Faircloth said.
The council originally planned to build an animal shelter that held dogs, cats and offices under one roof, but that was estimated to cost more than $900,000. After the donation of the modular building, the city decided to move toward a complex.
The city had estimated the dog shelter to cost $450,000, so Parrish's proposal is well over that. But Gilmour said he did not expect that will delay the project.
Gilmour said he expects construction could get started within six months.
To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.
This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 8:09 PM with the headline "Perry hears proposals for new dog shelter ."