County forms animal shelter committee after months of debate
The Anderson County Commission last week voted to create a committee of 13 members to advise Mayor Terry Frank and the commission regarding the Anderson County Animal Shelter.
The discussion among commissioners focused on technical issues such as how often the committee would meet and the length of members’ terms.
“The committee is advisory only — no direct operational control,” the resolution states.
The committee still needs members to meet, and the resolution creating it lays out how to appoint them. The nine voting members will include three commissioners chosen by the full County Commission, four county citizens appointed by the county mayor and confirmed by the commission, a veterinarian appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the commission, and a representative from an animal welfare nonprofit, appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the commission.
It will also have four non-voting members: the county mayor, director of animal care and control, county veterinarian and someone from the Anderson County law director’s office.
The measure passed 13-2.
Commissioner Joshua Anderson made the motion, and Commissioner Ebony Capshaw seconded.
Commissioners Anderson, Capshaw, Stephen Verran, Shain Vowell, Tim Isbel, Tracy Wandell, Shelly Vandagriff, Robert Smallridge, Michael Foster, Robert McKamey, Jerry White, Anthony Allen and Chad McNabb voted yes.
Voting against the committee’s formation were Commission Chairwoman Denise Palmer and Commissioner Sabra Beauchamp.
Commissioner Phil Yager was absent.
The Anderson County Animal Shelter is currently at 1480 Blockhouse Valley Road, but the county plans to move it to the Carden Farm Dog Park in Clinton.
Beauchamp told The Courier News she opposed the committee because an earlier, similar committee had failed to meet quorum for several months. The commission ended that committee in February.
“My decision was based on the concern that we would face the same challenges again,” she said. However, she said that she hoped the committee would achieve the goals its advocates set out for it.
“I believe we all share the same goal — ensuring the welfare and proper care of the animals in our community — and I sincerely hope this committee can be effective in that mission,” Beauchamp said.
Palmer similarly said she would support the new committee now that it is formed, despite voting against it.
However, she said some of her “quieter” constituents were skeptical of the committee due to the failure of people to participate in the previous one, echoing Beauchamp’s concern.
“I wanted to see more of an effort to collaborate with Mayor Frank instead of the resurrection of a failed animal shelter committee,” Palmer stated in an email to The Courier News.
She also expressed concern that the committee might try to take responsibilities that belong to Frank.
“It is the mayor’s responsibility to execute and manage, not [the] commission [or] a committee,” she said. “I have concerns with how this committee may encroach upon the separation of powers.”
In addition, she criticized the tone of the discussions about the shelter.
“There is an effort on social media to demonize and make monsters out of those who differ in opinion with those who were elected by the community to do a job,” she stated. “This MUST stop!”
However, she expressed hope for the committee to help with plans for the new shelter.
“Non-coercive collaboration will be needed to produce the best outcomes for the animals, taxpayer, and the shelter,” Palmer said.
“I am very hopeful that this new committee will offer sound advice to the mayor and commission to move Anderson County toward a shelter that we all will be proud of.”
Anderson, who made the motion and is running against Frank in next year’s Republican primary, told The Courier News he’d received complaints about issues at the shelter since 2021.
They included failure of shelter staff to answer the phone, overcrowding, inability to accept new animals, and failure to address animals’ health and wellbeing. He said he believed the committee would help with these issues.
“I don’t think this gets everyone everything they want, but it at least lays the groundwork and gets us on a path towards improving the shelter,”Anderson said.
He said the old committee ended due to lack of interest and lack of belief that participants had influence over the mayor.
He said, however, that there might be more-sustained interest this time.