Casper Council Signs $8.5M for Shelter and Water Plant Upgrades
City officials approved contracts to replace the aging Metro Animal Shelter and install a new UV disinfection system at the wastewater treatment plant.
By Emmanuel Obasi ·
The Casper City Council advanced two major municipal projects on Tuesday by authorizing contracts totaling approximately $8.5 million. The spending covers the construction of a new animal shelter and equipment replacements at the Sam H. Hobbs Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Council members approved an agreement with Sampson Construction Company to build the New Metro Animal Shelter. The base construction cost is set at $7,610,610. This figure includes two alternate scope items for an attached garage and exterior sunshades. The council also allocated $203,523.40 for an owner-controlled contingency account, bringing the total financial commitment to $7,814,133.40.
The new 9,694-square-foot facility, designed by Amundsen Associates, will replace the current shelter. Metro Animal Services Director Jodi Decker described the existing building as aged and undersized. Decker noted that the old structure was designed like a traditional pound rather than a modern shelter, making it ill-suited for long-term animal stays. Construction is scheduled to begin after a Nov. 5 groundbreaking ceremony, with substantial completion targeted for late 2027.
Funding for the shelter comes from multiple sources. A memo from Public Services Director Krista Johnston details the allocation, which includes $6,445,038.40 in remaining revenues from the 2024 Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax. The budget also draws $768,280 in unallocated tax proceeds, $535,017.60 from unappropriated Metro funds, and $84,763 transferred from One Cent #17 project funds.
The council also approved a $647,500 procurement agreement with Glasco UV, a New Jersey-based company. The contract covers the installation of a new open-channel low-pressure high-intensity ultraviolet disinfection system at the wastewater plant. The equipment includes horizontal amalgam UV lamps, quartz sleeves with automatic wiping systems, power distribution centers, and an integrated control panel.
City documents explain that the UV system inactivates pathogens and controls bacteria counts in wastewater before it is discharged into the North Platte River. The system operates after initial biological and chemical treatment processes. Although Trojan Technologies submitted a lower initial machinery bid of $590,000, staff and consultant HDR Engineering Inc. recommended Glasco UV. Johnston reported that a 10-year analysis of long-term operational costs favored Glasco, with a present-worth evaluation total of $330,457.48 compared to Trojan’s $490,780.72.
