Montville ― The town is now accepting new bids from contractors interested in building its new animal control facility.

That facility would replace the current shelter at 225 Maple Ave., which has been repeatedly cited for violating state Department of Agriculture shelter guidelines.

Mayor Leonard Bunnell said the bids are due to the town’s finance office by Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. Bid applications are posted on the town’s website and include a lengthy set of project documents with specifications for how the project must be completed in order to meet state guidelines.

Due to a recently passed state law, the town must meet the guidelines by 2029 or face increased enforcement. The bid documents will also be posted on the state Administrative Services website.

“Now it’s up to the contractors throughout the state to look at it,” Bunnell said. “To look at our specs, and then give us a bid.”

Bunnell said he is “breathing a breath of relief,” that the long-awaited project is finally progressing.

This is the second time the project has been put out to bid.

When the town first sought bids last December, contractors submitted prices ranging from $2.3 million to $2.9 million. Since then, the town has discussed its options, including sending animals to another town’s facility, renovating the current shelter or building a new one.

Residents have packed Town Council meetings to support the construction of a new facility and urged the town to get the project done quickly.

But the majority of the Town Council and Bunnell ultimately agreed the most prudent approach was to apply for a state Community Investment Fund grant that would fund most of the project, something it had done unsuccessfully on several occasions.

In June, the state announced it would provide $2 million in funding. The town has budgeted $600,000 for the shelter to date, putting the total budget for the project at $2.6 million.

It won’t know if that’s enough until the new bids are received. Bunnell estimated the project might now cost as much as $3 million.

Bunnell said the town has invited prospective contractors to visit the current animal control facility on Tuesday at 10 a.m., where they will be able to “look at the site and ask questions.”

d.drainville@theday.com