$459,000 Plan Would Put A Municipal Animal Shelter In St. Cloud City Hall

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud City Council is expected to award a $459,000 contract Monday night that would convert part of lower level lockeroom at city hall into a municipal animal shelter.

The item sits on the consent agenda for the council’s 6:00 p.m. regular meeting. The shelter work would rebuild the former boys locker room in the into animal sheltering space and includes asbestos abatement, sound attenuation panels, and HVAC and plumbing improvements. City staff say the existing floor plan works well for the use because the lower level has a separate entrance with direct access from both the main atrium and the staff entrances.

The city has contracted with an outside provider for animal sheltering for years, an arrangement staff say has led to rising costs, inconvenience for residents, and inefficiencies for staff. Administration looked at using other city buildings, building new, and buying private property before settling on City Hall.

The financial case is built on savings the city says it is already seeing. St. Cloud started providing partial sheltering services on January 1st, 2025, and estimates that cut roughly $124,000 in expenses that year compared to the previous arrangement. The city projects about $152,000 in reduced expenditures for 2026 and ongoing annual savings of roughly $170,000 once the work is done. At that rate, staff say the shelter portion of the project pays for itself in less than three years.

The city is also exploring partnerships with neighboring communities to provide sheltering services. One area city has expressed interest so far, which staff estimate could bring in another $25,000 to $30,000 a year. Health Director Matt O’Brien presented on animal sheltering services at the Joint Area Cities Meeting in St. Joseph on March 31st.

Several other City Hall upgrades are folded into the same project, aimed at safety, security, accessibility, and general functionality. Those include a new lower-level restroom near Door #6 at $70,400, asbestos removal and tile replacement at $22,500, replacement of Door #6 and related concrete work at $47,800, safety improvements and repair of deteriorated concrete at the Door #1 entrance at $75,000, and removal of the Council Chambers stairs leading to the second floor at $25,000, which staff describe as a security improvement.

The restrooms, asbestos removal, and tile replacement would be done alongside the shelter work. The rest would wait until that work is near completion so the city can be sure no unforeseen costs have cropped up.

The total project budget is capped at $600,000 and would be paid for out of city reserves. The Health and Inspections Division has applied for a $100,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with a decision expected this fall. If the grant does not come through, staff say an equal amount will be cut from the project scope to stay under the $600,000 ceiling.

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