Garden City commissioners decided Tuesday to proceed with building a new animal shelter despite costs still being nearly $200,000 more than the original price tag of $500,000.

The city had seen a rise in the cost of the animal shelter from the price of construction and materials increasing. The city and county initially agreed to split a cost of $500,000 for the shelter, with the county paying $250,000 for the project over a period of 10 years. That agreement's still on, and the city commission has agreed to cover the difference between the $500,000 and nearly $700,000 the shelter is now estimated to cost.

Project contractor Mid-America Millwright Service Inc. gathered finalized costs for the project, with the cost being $714,769.45 to construct the actual shelter -- not counting design fees of about $30,000, dirt work and $128,104 for pet kennels. The estimate was about 26.8 percent more than the initial estimate of $563,667 that Mid-America gave early on in determining what it would take to build the shelter. Including the cost of kennels for 62 dogs and 44 cats, the shelter price was at $842,873.45.

To get the cost down to the $698,968.95 city commissioners agreed to Tuesday, City Engineer Steve Cottrell and Mid-America's Ken Green whittled the project down to the price it would take to build the shelter and get it to a functional point by the time it opens, while leaving some of the rooms unfinished and cutting in half the amount of kennels it initially will have. Cost reductions include only acquiring half of the kennels needed, which would house 31 dogs and 22 cats -- close to the capacity, Cottrell said, of the current shelter. And also leaving the education, adoption and several storage rooms unfinished.

The choice commissioners faced Tuesday, according to City Manager Matt Allen, was whether to proceed at this time with building a new animal shelter. According to a memo from Allen to the city commission, "Based on direction from the city commission at the previous meeting, city staff has worked to get this project as close to $500,000 as possible and still have a facility that could be operational. The project has been value-engineered down to an amount within the bonding authority ($700,000) you set as part of 2009 budget deliberations. If there is interest in taking the partnership beyond the previously stated $500,000 level by the county commission, staff recommends the city commission proceed with the project as outlined in the attached cost-saving strategies."

County Commissioners Monday said the $250,000 was all they were willing to allocate to the project.

"The $698,000 gets us going?" Commissioner J.R. Behan asked Cottrell and Green.

According to Cottrell, that amount will get the shelter to a point where the lobby will be finished, as well as the medical room, animal holding areas, animal washing area and other rooms needed to care and house the animals. While the shelter will start out with kennels close to the capacity of the current shelter, there will be room to grow with the new building, which will be located a block south of Fulton Street on Fleming Street.

One of the main issues that got the city looking at a new shelter was the fact there is no room to expand at the existing shelter. Commissioner Reynaldo Mesa said it would have been nice if the project had been at the $500,000 level, "but I'm good with moving forward." Mesa said he believes there are a lot of people in the community who want to see the project move forward.

"We've dealt with that place for 30 years," Mesa said of the current shelter. "And it's time."

Garden City Mayor David Crase said that when the city started looking at a new shelter, he thought the $500,000 price tag was too high. But he remembers when the original shelter opened, the county did see a decrease in the number of strays. Economic times could be better, he said, adding he also looks at social organizations and programs, thinking, "What could they do with $700,000?" But a new shelter is a need, he said, adding it will help the animals.

"But it's not just for the animals," Mesa said, adding it will benefit the entire community.

"We all wish it was less expensive," Commissioner Nancy Harness said of the project.

But, Behan said, it's not going to get less expensive if the city scraps the project altogether and starts over, which was an option the commission had considered.

Commissioners unanimously directed city staff to prepare the contract and paperwork for the now $698,968.95 project.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," Nancy Garhart, with the Finney County Humane Society, told commissioners as they finished their discussion.

Garhart said it's a project that's long overdue, adding she applauds the city with moving forward and not waiting for a perfect time to proceed. "Because there'd never be a perfect time," she said.

She said Cottrell, Green and other city staff worked hard to get the cost down. And even with the shelter not being completely finished when it opens, Garhart said, there'll be room to grow.

"That's been the problem with this facility," she said.

Garhart and others with the Humane Society have stated they'll try to help the city raise additional funding in private and public donations to finish the rest of the shelter.

Harness said the dilemma Tuesday was that it costs so much to build anything right now. And while she doesn't feel it's a reason enough to build simply because the cost won't go down, there's no incentive to wait on a project they feel is worthwhile.

She said she realizes there'll be people who will disagree with the decision to construct a new shelter at this time. Then again, she said, there are people who won't think it's enough.

"As with most things," she said.