HILLSDALE, MI (WTVB) – Hillsdale County Commissioners have approved their portion of a 10 year agreement with Branch County for an animal shelter project.
Plans call the construction of a new animal shelter next to the Branch County Jail. Funding would come in part from insurance money following the May 2015 fire at the old shelter south of Quincy.
The Hillsdale Daily News reports Hillsdale Commissioners made a change to the agreement which limits Branch County from raising the price per dog above the annual inflation rate.
County Administrator Bud Norman says the agreement would have Branch County providing stray dog services for Hillsdale County. Part of the proposal calls for Hillsdale County to pre-pay for five years. In turn, they would get 10 years of service.
The funding formula in part calls for Hillsdale County to pay a total of $90,000 over three years, or $30,000 a year. The money Hillsdale County pre-pays would be used for project capitalization.
Branch County Commissioners still have to take formal action. Negotiations between the two counties have taken longer than expected. It was originally hoped that ground for the project would have been broken last month.
