There has been a lot of talk about the expansion of the Bishop Animal Shelter in Manatee County. I understand the passion, but it’s seemingly focused on getting personal “wins” rather than focusing on what’s actually best for the dogs.
I have been on-site five times since the dogs finally moved from the poor conditions in Palmetto. I was there on the day of the move. I’ve been there working with staff and speaking to volunteers about improvements. I’ve taken a state senator from Maryland, who focuses on animal welfare, out there for an unbiased opinion.
What we’ve built, and the expanded capacity we’ve created, is a substantial upgrade from the previous conditions. Anyone who says otherwise is not advocating for the dogs. They are advocating to win a personal victory in spite of the dogs.
Over the weekend, I took The Observer out on site to show them what we’ve done, and what we will continue to do, at Bishop. You can find their full write-up in this week’s paper and linked here.
Regarding what’s being said on Facebook and in public comment, I was asked by the reporter whether I agree with any of the points being made. I said yes … on one and a half points.
First, I agree completely that we’re underfunding and understaffing MCAW. I truly believe the dogs are in a good place, and our staff & volunteers are doing an amazing job, but their continued happiness and well-being would be better served with more socialization, more outdoor time, and more attention. Two additional walks per day will go further to improving their stay at Bishop than any block wall ever will, and at a fraction of the cost. This point is well taken and should be considered in the upcoming budget sessions.
The second point I discussed with The Observer, and I’ve discussed internally, is about the permanent building.
I agree with the sentiment; but I fundamentally disagree with the location.
Manatee County just spent millions in taxpayer dollars on the expansion of Bishop. It created capacity for 120 dogs beyond what we already had inside Bishop and what we added out at the jail.
Permanent buildings are NOT cheap.
People who claim lower costs ($300-400 psf) are solely using hard, construction costs (and artificially low ones at that). They are ignoring the utilities, site work, stormwater, permitting, interior build-outs, demo costs of existing structures, and many other costs that go into construction, especially in a residential area. A perfect example is the 5,000 sf adoption center we’re building at the same location for a cost of over $5 million (over $1,000 psf).
Citrus County is moving forward with a new animal shelter. Their preliminary budget has inflated from an initial $12 million to a current $20.7 million for 24,500 sf, or $845 psf. It became so expensive that it recently barely passed on a 3-2 vote. This new facility will house 110 dogs. So they’re spending $188k per dog. As a selling point to the taxpayers, they are moving forward after getting “millions” in public and nonprofit donations.
Orange County is also moving forward with the largest shelter in Florida. They are spending $49 million in hard construction costs for 123,400 sf ($400 psf) for 265 dogs. The total all-in budget approved was $95 million ($770 psf). This is $358k per dog all-in, or $185k per dog for just the construction costs.
If Manatee County were to replicate the current kennel capacity of 120 dogs, at the per-dog costs for Citrus and Orange, we’d be around $22 million. When we priced out a 15,000 sf structure two years ago, the preliminary bids came in at $17 million for less capacity. So it’s safe to assume a full build-out equal to, or less than, the capacity we’ve built with the kennels would come in around $15-20 million.
Needless to say, the cost to the taxpayers to build a permanent structure on the Bishop site will be substantial. And the proposal being presented is that we build it, not to expand capacity, not to expand our reach in the County, but to nominally, incrementally improve the current shelter. All while scrapping millions in taxpayer funds “wasted” on kennels, utilities, site work, etc., that would be a total loss.
This would not be fiscally responsible.
However, as I mentioned to The Observer, I do believe we can use this energy and advocacy if pointed in the right direction—East. We can all achieve what we want and do it in a way that is in the best interest of both the dogs and the taxpayers.
In 2019, the then-seated Board voted to build an animal shelter in East County on the Lena Road site (or, at the time, near it). It was estimated to cost $10 million pre-inflation, seven years ago. It was to be funded with a combination of IST sales tax funds and $2 million in public contributions.
We still own the Lena Road property, and we’re already putting utilities and a service road in. Rather than pushing to waste what’s been done at Bishop, displace the dogs when the kennels need to be removed to make room for new construction, and spend significant tax dollars for limited gain, let’s work to truly expand and improve Manatee County Animal Welfare for the benefit of the dogs and the community.
Let’s focus on the safety and comfort improvements at Bishop, which are actively being done through recommendations of volunteers and the public, and then let’s set our sights on finding the budgetary funds necessary for the permanent facility the community desires…not as a replacement, but as an expansion.
We now have the drive. We now have the public buy-in. We now have a new citizen-led animal services advisory board to assist in the decision-making process.
We can start focusing on our mutual agreements about the future, not our unproductive disagreements about the past.
We can start reserving funds in the budget from the IST as promised in 2019. We can start requesting appropriations from state and federal representatives. We can start seeking grants. We can start working on public contributions, like in Citrus County and as previously proposed in Manatee County.
Rather than putting all funding at one location, and risking capacity issues as the county grows (and having to come back for even more taxpayer funds in the future), let’s thoughtfully use this opportunity to expand our future capacity and our future operations to set us up for long-term success today.
Rather than focus solely on a convenient location near the current population, let’s use our resources for securing exposure where the population growth is strongest.
Rather than considering Bishop the final step for our dogs, let’s consider it the first step, a significantly positive step, for a countywide initiative.
It’s not an easy lift because it’s not an insignificant sum.
However, if we want to improve the lives of our dogs, and that should be everyone’s primary goal, let’s focus on truly making Manatee County Animal Welfare something we can all be proud of. Proud of countywide—out west at Bishop Animal Shelter and out east at the long-promised East County Shelter.
George Kruse is an at-large commissioner on the Manatee County Commission. He was elected 2020 and is in the middle of serving his second term. This column was originally posted on his SubStack. Click here to sign up.
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mjorders
Mr. Kruse, please don’t mistake the public’s disappointment and even anger for “passion.” The BOCC and Mr. Bishop seem to be the only ones trying to focus on “personal wins” as you attempt to gaslight your constituents into thinking THIS debacle is what is best for the dogs. That you’ve been onsite for photo ops is sweet but only more gaslighting. When will you take 2 hours out of your day to shadow one of the exceptional volunteers? Anyone comparing the current state of Bishop to Palmetto can clearly see the dogs were better off at Palmetto. Dogs never should have been moved before the facility at Bishop was safe and secure. That sir would have been in the best interest of the dogs. Instead, as with the trailers versus a functional kennel building, I guess we’re all supposed to believe that Charlie Bishop knows what’s best for the dogs?
You make statements but leave so many unanswered questions. You say the trailers are “hurricane/storm rated.” Rated to what level?
This shelter should be a place of safety for dogs, staff and volunteers during any storm including hurricanes. Instead, staff and volunteers are not allowed to go from trailer to trailer until at least a half hour after a simple storm has passed. Rainy season has yet to begin. If the kennels were under one roof, like most every other municipal shelter in the country, staff and volunteers could safely interact with the dogs in bad weather. In FL, bad weather even includes sunny days when it’s too hot to have dogs outside. As it stands, the volunteers are not allowed access to the dogs from the interior of the trailers for safety reasons. A functional shelter would allow for safe volunteer access to the dogs in any weather. That would be in the best interest of the dogs.
You speak of taking a state senator from Maryland out to Bishop for an unbiased opinion. Please name the senator and ask them to share, in full, their un-biased opinion with the public.
It’s widely known that one gets what they pay for. We’re also finding out that we get what we voted for. A measly $2M was spent on these trailers. They are neither safe nor functional which would have been in the best interest of the dogs. The county is now tossing good tax dollars after bad trying to temporarily band-aid something that will never be truly safe and functional. Now you want to speak of fiscal responsibility? Instead, you’re trying to pivot the conversation from this failed facility to a new one on Lena Road. Why was Bishop never meant to be permanent? Exactly what does that mean and why was the money even spent in the first place here? BOCC’s fiscal irresponsibility has been clearly demonstrated at Bishop. Why should the taxpayers trust BOCC will be fiscally responsible out east?
You ask for solutions instead of complaints. Perhaps there is still time to pivot and have the adoption/administration building still under construction modified to house kennels. That would be in the best interest of the dogs. Adoptions and administration could be set up in the trailers you are so proud of. Remaining trailers could be used for overflow.
Had BOCC focused on transparency by sharing the trailer park plans with the public ahead of time, I contend there wouldn’t have been tax dollars “wasted.” Instead, plans were drawn and the sitework was done without any animal professional or community input. Then, the trailers suddenly appeared out of nowhere. So many community members, whose tax dollars pay your salary and benefits I might add, thought the trailers were just temporary housing while a truly functional facility was being built. Talk about a bait and switch! There has been nothing transparent about any of this. There has been no accountability either. Only more bait and switch, gaslighting and politician-speak saying nothing.
As a Manatee County resident and taxpayer, I stand by my statement that if an equal quality playground was provided to residents, the commissioners would be run out of town. The public wouldn't stand for the waste and this should be no different. I'm not attempting to equate dogs and children with my statement. This should be viewed as something of concern for everyone in Manatee County. I DO expect fiscal responsibility and accountability from elected officials charged with making the financial decisions in the best interest of the taxpayers and community members they are supposed to serve. What was dumped at the new Bishop Trailer Park & Tent City is NOT functional or safe and probably never will be.
Sunday, May 17 Report this
GLEN GADFLY GIBELLINA
We asked for a modest Chevy
You delivered a Yugo
Change is coming
Sunday, May 17 Report this
David Daniels
Public contributions? Seriously? Did you ask for public contributions to buy a new money pit Admin building? Did you ask for public contributions for the seafood shack property? And actually, we already raised $2 million in public contributions after the BoCC voted unanimously to build the Lena Rd Shelter you now say we need. But you casually shrugged off that $2 million in your comments on June 16, 2021 where you successfully pushed to remove the project from the CIP. Pam Freni and Shelter Manatee was forced to refund every dollar, one check at a time. It was mess that caused Pam to quit in disgust. You think people are going to donate again - after you, KVO, Baugh and Satcher pulled the rug out from a community that was promised a new shelter? I'm afraid that bridge has been burned. People remember when they were lied to. These cheap prefab kennels were a waste of taxpayer money. No halfway decent shelter would have them. Volunteers are not even allowed to enter the trailers. Hell, volunteers are not even allowed to step in and pick up ****. They have to call staff, as if staff are just standing by. Volunteers hate that they can't see the inside kennels. Volunteers hate that they can't pick up **** or fill a spilled water bucket. No other shelter uses kennel trailers. Once again, Manatee county is a joke. Yet, there is no accountability - just like there was no accountability for the scapegoating of 11 volunteers in 2023. Just like there was no accountability for taking the 2022 Univ of Fl evaluation report over the phone to avoid a public record, Yes, a new shelter is expensive. But the county has gone 60 + years without investing in one. It is long overdue that we have a shelter to be proud of.
Sunday, May 17 Report this
David Daniels
I didn't realize the p-word word for dog feces that rhymes with loop has to be **** censored out. Just wanted it to be known that I didn't write the s-word.
Sunday, May 17 Report this
Dianna
It is frustrating that after citizens worked tirelessly to get a new shelter it was scrapped because of pettiness. This is why we do not have a new shelter. The public was NOT promised trailers. If it wasn't for the public coming forward with comments on the animal shelter and bringing up other issues in the county- the public would be none the wiser. Citizen issues and comments are being marginalized. When exactly are the needs of our community going to be met? We need to vote in change and remove the County Administrator. We deserve better.
Monday, May 18 Report this