Use LOST, but also cut costs

Back in 2009, when Cedar Rapids put a five-year, local-option sales tax on the ballot, city leaders made it clear they intended to use a portion of the money to match any federal dollars provided to rebuild flooded city facilities. Voters affirmed that vision at the polls.

So we think it's appropriate for the current City Council to tap those funds to close funding gaps between the city's facility needs and what FEMA is willing to cover. And we think that applies to the overdue replacement of the city's Animal Control Facility.

A three-member council committee is recommending using LOST dollars to help pay for a new animal shelter on the Kirkwood Community College campus, filling the gap between FEMA's expected $1.1 million damage reimbursement and the cost of the facility.

FEMA insists that the shelter should be put back at its previous, flooded location, in a former sewage treatment plant at 1401 Cedar Bend Lane SW. FEMA believes the heavily damaged shelter can be rebuilt there, in the 100-year flood plain, and elevated.

This is a puzzling verdict, considering that the single road leading to the shelter routinely floods. And yet, FEMA will not take that into account and insists on rebuilding in the flood plain. This is another confounding federal decision that's derailing or delaying critical rebuilding efforts. Its priorities need readjustment. Negotiations continue.

Along with the shelter's lousy location, it was also, by all accounts, woefully inadequate for animal control and shelter functions. In 2010, at its temporary location, the shelter took in 1,169 dogs and 1,498 cats. So with or without more FEMA support, it's a good idea for the city to seek a replacement. And Kirkwood, with a veterinary medicine program that can partner with the city, is an excellent location.

The key question is, at what cost? The estimated cost of a new shelter has been pegged at $7.8 million, which has resulted in some sticker shock for more than a few local taxpayers. But City Manager Jeff Pomeranz says he does not favor spending that much and will seek a “significant reduction” in its final cost. The larger preliminary estimate was made when the city was still hoping to partner with Linn County in a regional control facility. That idea has been shelved.

We agree that the cost of the shelter should be sliced as much as possible. With many ongoing projects and many unmet needs out there, including flood protection, every project must be tempered by financial realities.

Cedar Rapids can build a more frugal replacement shelter now in such a way that allows for expansion later. Such a phased project would fit the city's fiscal situation and keep alive the hopes for regional cooperation.

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