POCATELLO — A proposal to construct a new animal shelter overcame a tough two-thirds supermajority threshold and was passing with more than room to spare with 100 percent of the precincts reporting on early Wednesaday morning.

    “This shelter is extremely important,” said supporter and six-year animal control officer Josh Heinz. “It’s vital for us, but it’s even more important to the animals. The current building is just so run-down. We needed this for way too long.”

    The proposition of the issuance of up to $2.8 million in general obligation bonds of the city is to be used for the shelter. The average property tax hike per $100,000 of home value is estimated by proponents to be approximately $9.93.

    As it was, the economy made it even more difficult for voters to support the measure which would have raised property taxes, but the initiative was carried 15,639 to 5,935 or 72 to 28 percent.

    “This is a very good night for Pocatello,”said Mayor Brian Blad, who spent part of his evening celebrating with supporters at Ruby Tuesdays.

    “On a very partisan evening, this issue cut through all of that. This community needed to replace our present shelter and, right now we are on our way.”

    Pocatello City Councilmember Eva Nye agreed. “I have been on the council for more than 12 years, and have been fighting for a new shelter ever since,” she said. “We could actually now begin construction as early as next fall. It would be a very quick turnaround.”

    In the early part of 1970, a group of dedicated volunteers built the first animal shelter in Pocatello, which worked for the needs of the community at the time.

    In 1996, the City of Pocatello Animal Shelter Advisory Board started looking into the need and feasibility of building a new animal shelter.

    After 26 years the shelter has served the community but was in need of major repairs and more room for the increased population of animals. After careful research, the board and staff decided to put $200,000 into refurbishing.

    This expansion and remodel was a Band-Aid solution, according to members of the Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter, a non-profit fundraising group, just to keep the building useful for a few more years. Now, 2012, the 42-year old building has several areas of concern that must be addressed soon if the city was to continue using it.

    The Friends took on an active role to raise the funds but soon realized that reaching the goal of $3 million would be a difficult task indeed. In the spring of 2010 the group used the money they had raised and hired the architectural firm of Myers and Andersen to start work on designs for a new shelter. In the fall of 2010 with the help of a Facilities Consultant, Dill Daggett, AIA, they presented to the city council a feasibility study on the need for a new shelter. The study calculated the needs based on size and cost to accommodate the community for another 40 or more years.

    “I am very pleased with the result,” said Mary Remer, the Animal Services Director. “The staff has worked so hard on this and have put in long hours in trying to get it passed. This is a tribute to them.

    “They work in conditions they know are wrong, but keep working day after day.”

    Since the feasibility study in 2010 Animal Services staff and advisory board members have presented to the city council in the fall of 2011 and the spring of 2012 asking the city of Pocatello to take the first steps needed to raise the money.

    Not seeing any way to fund the building in its entirety within the needed time, the city council in February 2012 gave Animal Services staff and advisory board members the direction to look into the feasibility of taking the bond election to the voters.

    “The Pocatello Animal Shelter each year houses over 4,000 animals,” Remer said. “During the year, as many as 75 animals are cared for during the winter months, and the numbers can go up to 140 each day during the summer. It is the largest shelter and adoption agency in Southeast Idaho. The facility serves all of Bannock County, and even offers animal sheltering to some areas of Power County.”

    The adoption services reach even further to include citizens from Caribou and Fremont County along with Bonneville County and surrounding states. Each day, the facility also hosts an average of 75-100 visitors.

    “I am very happy,” said shelter manager Danielle Garcia. “We are fighting a losing battle at the current location with disease control and crowding, but we do the best we can with what we have. I am so thankful to the citizens of Pocatello, who voted for this new facility. I am very excited about that prospect.”