Citizens push shelter oversight
Proposal seeks advisory board ahead of Carden Farm project
Debate continues regarding an advisory board for the Anderson County Animal Shelter.
The group Citizens for Animal Advocacy in Anderson County presented a proposal for such a board to the County Commission’s Operations Committee on Aug. 11.
County Commissioner Tracy Wandell made the motion to defer any vote on the proposal for 30 days from the meeting, but also to give the full commission a copy of the proposal. Commissioner Ebony Capshaw seconded.
“I do not believe anybody in this group is out to get any political person,” said Wandell regarding the proposed advisory board. “I think they genuinely are steadfast with the improvement of animal care for Anderson County, and I feel like it would be nice if we could just hear what they have to say.”
The proposed board would make recommendations to the county mayor, to which she would need to respond within 15 business days. Unresolved matters would then move to full commission. The board would review shelter policies, procedures, performance data and public complaints.
The advocacy group specifically said the board should “propose strategies for volunteer reengagement, transparency and community outreach.”
Under the proposal, the advisory board would include nine voting members appointed by the County Commission, including one veterinarian or animal-welfare professional with an advanced degree; one representative from a nonprofit animal-welfare organization; a member with public health, law enforcement or emergency services expertise; and four “at-large citizen advocates with demonstrated commitment to animal welfare or shelter reform.”
“We do not want on-the-spot guesswork,” said Clinton resident Tina Targonski, who presented the group’s proposal to the County Commission.
Targonski said the core of these ideas came from “best practices and successful models” from other counties, both in and outside of Tennessee.
“We’ve been asking one question, ‘Should Anderson County have an animal shelter advisory board?’” she said, regarding the group’s outreach at local expos and public events as well as phone calls and online communication.
“And the answer every single time has been ‘yes.’ Not one person has said ‘no.’”
She said that before the county moves forward on building its $6 million new shelter, planned for the Carden Farm Park area, the public needs to be involved, and that a public forum would take place after the board’s formation.
However, she described the board as a standing board, not just limited to the period of shelter construction.
“Significant tax dollars have and are being spent, and the public deserves to be kept informed and included,” she said. She also said the board would look at the current shelter, rather than just making proposals for a new one.
She described the board as “advisory not operational,” meaning it would not directly control the shelter.
Wandell called the proposal “reasonable.”
“You’ve taken a very methodical approach to the issue,” he said. “And I appreciate you’re not attacking the mayor. You’re not attacking any one commissioner.”
Michael Foster, who has successfully advocated for cutting the county’s number of boards, and earlier for disbanding the previous Animal Care Advisory Committee, which no longer exists, still said he was open to this new one. However, he said he wants more time to look at the proposal, which inspired Wandell to make his vote.
Commissioner Steven Verran said he would like a way to provide reviews and comments on the website more easily.
“Even when we had the advisory board, there was no way to keep up with the complaints other than ‘somebody heard somebody’ or something like that,” he said.
