At the previous Jefferson City Council meeting, there was a lengthy discussion regarding the Greene County Animal Facility project.

Organizer Don Orris expressed to the Council via Zoom video conferencing that he was willing to work with Atura Architecture to make even more reductions, after the Council rejected all bids to build the facility, with the lowest being over $1 million. The architecture firm’s estimation was $450,000-$500,000. The original price tag for the building was $1.2 million, but Orris made several concessions, including converting the building from brick and mortar to a metal exterior, along with altering the odor control and heating and cooling equipment. 

Orris gave his reaction after spending five years asking for donations and pledges, only to raise over $600,000.

“I don’t see an endgame. If I saw an endgame I’d continue, but I don’t see an endgame here. If we can’t find somebody who wants to give a major part of this, or you can figure out how to do $600,000 additional to do this. Otherwise, in essence you’ll lose the money that I’ve raised because I have to give it back.”

Orris notes the largest contributor to the project is Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation with their three-year pledge of $200,000. Orris asked for solutions from the Council, which they agreed to talk with their financial advisor. Jefferson Mayor Matt Gordon feels it’s time for the City to step in and help out financially.

“It’s not that we haven’t wanted to up to this point, but it’s been marketed largely on, that this was going to be built without any taxpayer dollars. And now it’s looking like the only way to get it done is going to be to use taxpayer dollars, which we are willing to look into, and seeing what we can do because either way we’ve got to do something.”

The next time the project is anticipated to be put back out for bids is early spring.