Animal Shelter Committee on 'Last Page' of Deal

The Animal Shelter Building Committee met with leaders from its construction company and the city to smooth out what they hope will be the final details of their plan to replace Shelton’s current, dilapidated shelter with a new building.

Chairman of the Committee Gerry Craig said the meeting was held last Wednesday, Dec. 8 in . The Construction Subcommittee, a trio composed of Craig, AJ Grasso and Steve Martino, met with Mayor Mark A. Lauretti, Public Works Director Paul DiMauro, and President Greg Raucci.

In late September, after from multiple companies, the Committee chose Milford-based Bismark – a decision both the Board of Aldermen and mayor approved.

“We pretty much came up with an agreement,” Craig said of the more recent meeting. “We have a couple items that Raucci has to go back and recalculate his figures, but we seem to be very close.”

As for exactly how long before construction will start and how much it will cost, Craig was vague on details. “I'm at a loss to give an estimate of how much time but I don't think it's going to be much longer till we hear back from Bismarck and submit our plans to the mayor and it should go fine. We're pretty happy about it," he said.

“We don’t have a budget that we have to stay within,” Craig added. Though declining to give out specific figures, and though Craig says he can’t speak for Lauretti, he did say: “I think everyone’s in agreement and I think we’re close to where we want to be.”

The more definitive news: "The contractor seems to be ready any time," Craig said. As soon as the aldermen pass the final details at their next meeting, construction can start.

"You don't know how long we've been waiting for this," Craig said. "We are all happy that we're finally on the last page of this deal and that we can get it through to Board of Aldermen and get it started."

The new building will be located on the last of the three lots on Riverdale Avenue. "There's the current shelter, the pink elephant and then there will be the new shelter," Craig said. (The "pink elephant" is the term many city workers use to describe the Public Works building).  The current shelter has environmental and agricultural inspections, is over capacity and does not take in cats.