FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The City Council is expected to decide Thursday whether to adopt a resolution to support the Baldwin County Commission in construction of a new and larger county animal control facility.

At the Feb. 25 council meeting, Michael Thompson, county administrator, and Charlotte Plumb, environmental supervisor with the Alabama Department of Public Health at the current animal control facility in Summerdale, described the project, which would include a new pet licensing fee to be paid to the county.

“The way the pet licensing fee would work is that part would go to build the new facility and part for operating costs,” Thompson said Monday. “We’re trying to develop a comprehensive program that doesn’t meet the needs of just the unincorporated parts of the county but also the municipalities. It will be more cost-effective than each city going its own way.”

Thompson said the county has made presentations to all cities except for Robertsdale and Gulf Shores, and plans are to meet with those cities this month.

“Once we get that done, I will bring that back in the next (commission) session. I feel pretty comfortable, I think, that all the councils indicated a desire to participate.”

Thompson was not sure if any cities had yet adopted resolutions in support of the program.

The new facility would be located near the Magnolia Springs landfill, he said.

In documents provided to the council in February, the estimated construction costs of the new shelter were listed as $6,720,000. The county would raise that amount through selling bonds. The cost to the county to build the new shelter would be approximately $285,000 per year, which is what the licensing fees paid by the municipalities would go toward. The budget also included a $50,000 annual contribution by the state health department.

“Last year the shelter took in about 6,200 animals and 4,300 were euthanized,” Plumb said Monday. “We met with the mayors of the county (in October 2006) and talked about the shelter being too small. A work group was established, which came up with recommendations.”

She said the current facility has 62 dog cages and 57 cat cages.

The Haven, Fairhope’s no-kill animal shelter, is also on the agenda of Thursday night’s council meeting.

“We will show the community what a good partnership we have with the city, and to let them know what they’re getting through that partnership,” sad Michael Graham, The Haven’s executive director. “We have a model program and get calls from other places asking how we’ve been so successful.”

Graham said The Haven, a nonprofit organization, staffs the city’s animal shelter, with the exception of one animal control officer, who is a city employee.

“We’ve reduced euthanasia rates since I’ve been here from 40 percent in 2003 to less than 8 percent,” he said. “And about 7 1/2 percent are unhealthy animals, like those with feline leukemia.”

Alabama law requires each municipality of a certain size to have an animal control program, Thompson explained last month. Many municipalities contract with the county for portions of its local program.

“We’re supportive of the fact that the county needs a larger facility but not at the expense of the city’s local program,” said Barry Roberts, The Haven’s president. “Fairhope already enjoys a very effective animal control program by partnering with The Haven, which results in over 90 percent of the animals brought into its facility being returned home when merely lost or adopted into homes. Seeking financial support from the (city) does not appear to be cost-effective for the citizens of Fairhope. The Haven has worked with the Baldwin County animal shelter personnel in the past, and will continue to do so in the future, in a common effort to save as many animals as possible.”

(Due to the March 8-12 National League of Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., the Fairhope City Council will meet Thursday, March 6, 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers at City Hall.)