North Branford's Town Council will have its Finance Committee take on further review of whether North Branford will help fund a share of capital costs for Branford's $4.595 million Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter facility expansion and renovation project that's underway.

The current cost share proposal under consideration by North Branford involves amended language proposed by Branford in July 2021 altering the capital cost share provision of the municipal services sharing agreement between the two towns for use of Branford's shelter services. The agreement began in 2005 and is based on population.

The amended language offers a capital expense cost share savings to North Branford by allowing for payment of one-third of capital project expenses based on net costs after all fundraising. Currently the Cosgrove Shelter project is receiving robust fundraising support from the ongoing cosgrovesavinglives campaign.

In the current language of the agreement, North Branford is to pay one-third of gross capital expense costs. Without the amended language, North Branford's costs for shelter expansion/renovation project, as estimated in July 2021, would be approximately $1,816,444 spread out over 15 years. With the amended language, assuming the fundraising campaign raised $895,000, North Branford's cost would be approximately $1,425,600; a savings of approximately $390,844.

As of March 2, funds raised through cosgrovesavinglives stood at over $1,548,000.

One sticking point which continues to be raised by members of the council when discussing the proposed amendment language in the agreement is that, while the facility and staff provide exemplary animal control and shelter services, the building is owned and operated by the Town of Branford; and North Branford's significant monetary contribution to the project's capital expenses will not create an ownership interest for North Branford in that parcel of property.

Other options the council has discussed which North Branford may want to consider include entering a municipal sharing services agreement with another area town or possibly investing in developing a North Branford animal control facility.

Forwarded to Finance Committee

At the March 1 North Branford Town Council meeting, Mayor Jeffrey Macmillen said a recent meeting with Town of Branford leadership to further discuss the proposed amendment resulted in the determination that North Branford should continue reviewing the proposal, and wait until the bulk of fundraising efforts are concluded in order to determine what final costs would be facing North Branford. He said a positive sign was the significant amount of money being raised by the shelter's fundraising campaign, which is continuing.

Macmillen then proposed moving the item off the Town Council agenda and forwarding it to the Finance Committee for further review and evaluation. The council supported forwarding the item to the Finance Committee, with the expectation that council will receive the committee's recommendation in order take up the matter again in late July or August, when the shelter renovations are expected to be completed and the majority of campaign fundraising efforts concluded.

Meanwhile, North Branford continues to pay one-third of operating expenses to the Town of Branford in order to receive municipal animal control services. In 2020, North Branford paid $131,000 to Branford for shelter operating expenses.

Since June 2021, the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter has been operating at a temporary site on Cherry Street in Branford while the expansion project is underway at the shelter's Branford location, 749 East Main St.