The plans for a new DeWitt County animal shelter took a step forward at the County Board's meeting last Monday evening.

The County approved a motion to work with Morton Buildings. DeWitt County Board Member Terry Ferguson says the proposal would be to work with the company, have them build it, and then upon the completion, they would lease it back to the County. Ferguson says, this plan is more economical and fits their plans better.

[audio:animalshelter1.mp3]A Word From Ferguson[/audio]

In working with the Morton Building Company, they will be able to take care of several aspects of the project. Ferguson says they have in house architects and builders to save the County money in going out to hire an architect.

[audio:animalshelter2.mp3]A Word From Ferguson[/audio]

Ferguson says the most recent discussions with architects had not gone the way the Board had hoped in terms of cost effectiveness. He explains they then sought out cheaper alternatives, and those discussions brought back Morton to the table.

[audio:animalshelter3.mp3]A Word From Ferguson[/audio]

Morton will now be working with the Public Safety Committee to come up with some designs and projected costs. Ferguson says the Board has included $75-thousand to meet an initial lease payment should they get the building process going in the next year.