Bids were received for the second time on the Greene County Animal Shelter project.

The City Council previously approved the plans and specifications for the estimated $740,000 3,000-square foot project. City Administrator Mike Palmer says after the Council rejected all bids earlier this year, with the lowest being just over $1 million, they reconfigured the building and reduced it by 1,000 square feet in hopes of getting the price down.

“It turned out to be $890,000. So we’re still off the mark some. The Council has 60 days to decide to accept or reject bids. So they’re going to be using that time now to kind of evaluate the cost of this building. If there’s anything more that can be done to reduce cost on it.”

Palmer explains the main reason he believes there was a $150,000 difference between the estimated cost and the lowest bid.

“Best guess is that just the cost of materials and labor are very high right now and we don’t see that going down by a whole lot. The things that we’re going to be evaluating is there something in there, some quantities that were off. Those are the kinds of things our engineer helps us with. But maybe just a reality of the times is that’s what buildings cost now.”

In terms of financing, about $600,000 has been raised through donations and pledges and the Council approved up to $400,000 in bonds.