Board to pick shelter contractors

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Williams

The county Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting Sept. 9 to award construction contracts for the new county animal shelter at the county farm property in Milton.

The special meeting will allow the county to get work started sooner than if supervisors waited until the regular September board meeting on Sept. 15.

Officials hope to get work well under way before winter.

“The sooner the better, because of the weather,” said Animal Shelter Director Dan Butler.

The special meeting will be held at 4:45 p.m. Sept. 9 in the board chambers in Ballston Spa, just after the monthly Law and Finance Committee meeting.

Construction bids were opened on Aug. 18, with 63 contractors bidding on some aspect of the work. The county’s engineers and architects have been reviewing the bids since then, but are ready to make recommendations on nine separate contracts.

In general, the bids were for less money than expected, making officials hopeful they can stay within the $5.3 million budget authorized by supervisors.

“It looks fine,” Butler said.

Officials hope to start work later this month, with a goal of completing the building in about a year. It will be built directly in front of the current shelter, which will be demolished.

County public works crews have already removed a barn that was on the site of the new shelter.

The new building will replace an existing animal shelter that officials have concluded is both too small and is antiquated for the county’s current needs.

The supervisors are also scheduled to consider issuing bonds to pay for the new shelter at the special meeting.

Planning for the new shelter began more than three years ago, and the plans have been revised several times to lower the cost.

Supervisors generally acknowledge, however, that there’s a lot of public support for building a new facility. County leaders have said starting it this year is a priority.