A building plan was tentatively selected Wednesday for a new Mississippi County-wide animal shelter, when the project's board of directors met in Osceola.
According to chairperson Shirley Connealy, the project has received over $12,000 in donations from private individuals, but the board is making the pursuit of grant funding their primary objective, as the construction of a new shelter will cost a great deal more than what they have.
Connealy informed the board that she has already received a tax ID number for the shelter, and is in the process of obtaining 501-C3 non profit status and opening a bank account.
Several options for building plans were presented by board member Jane Stanford, and one was selected which will feature indoor/outdoor dog runs, an office area, and a cat room, in addition to other necessary facilities. In order to receive possible government grant money to build the shelter, Stanford said that the committee must take their chosen plan to an architect and then meet with representatives from the United State Department of Agriculture. The U.S.D.A. can provide grant money for such projects, and recently funded the construction of a shelter in Phillips County, however it is unsure whether or not money will be available this year for a shelter in Mississippi County. Stanford said that according to her research, the general cost to build a shelter is $150 per square foot. The plan chosen by the board is one for a 7,980 square foot facility, but can be shrunk down in size in order to make the plan more cost effective.
The board nominated members Shirley Connealy, Etowah Mayor Bo McCollum, and Mike Gunn to serve as a building committee. In the upcoming weeks, the committee will pursue possibilities of having building materials donated by a corporate sponsor, and any other avenues which would cut costs of construction.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com