Cecil County, MD Article II Animal Care and Control Advisory Board

[Amended 9-15-2015 by Bill No. 2015-18[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This bill provided an effective date of 1-1-2016.

§ 142-2 Appointments; terms; meetings; removal from office.

A. Membership; terms.

(1) The Animal Care and Control Advisory Board ("ACCAB") shall consist of the following individuals:

(a) An individual citizen recommended by the County Council and appointed by the County Executive to serve a two-year term, who shall have no actual or perceived conflict of interest pursuant to the ethics provisions established by Chapter 39 of the Cecil County Code;

(b) An individual citizen recommended and appointed by the County Executive to serve a two-year term, who shall have no actual or perceived conflict of interest pursuant to the ethics provisions established by Chapter 39 of the Cecil County Code;

(c) The Cecil County Sheriff or the Cecil County Sheriff's designee;

(d) The Chief Health Officer of the Cecil County Health Department, or the Chief Health Officer's designee; and

(e) The Director of the Cecil County Department of Finance or the Finance Director's designee.

(2) The County Attorney shall serve as the legal advisor to the ACCAB.

B. The ACCAB will conduct mandatory quarterly meetings in addition to other meetings as required. The presence of three members shall constitute a quorum.

C. The County Executive may remove a citizen member of the ACCAB prior to the expiration of the citizen member's term if the citizen member fails to attend 75% of the required meetings, or his/her conduct is unbecoming or prejudicial to the aims or repute of the Board and the Cecil County government.

§ 142-3 Powers and duties.

A. The ACCAB shall work with the County's Animal Care and Control Authority to review current County and state animal laws and recommend changes in County animal laws, as well as related fees and fines, to the County Executive.

B. The ACCAB will review the performance of the Animal Care and Control Authority as it relates to adherence of contract terms and report findings to the County Executive.

C. The ACCAB will annually review and make recommendations regarding any changes deemed necessary for either the renewal of the animal care and control contract, or for the issuance of a request for proposal and subsequent award of the animal care and control contract, to the County Executive.

D. The ACCAB will serve as a review board for cases involving public or interagency complaints regarding the Animal Care and Control Authority. It will also hear appeals and make decisions regarding license revocation.

E. Citations, summons or warrants are not reviewable by the ACCAB.

F. All reviews will result solely in recommendations or referrals to appropriate agencies. The ACCAB does not enforce laws.

G. All complaints concerning the Animal Care and Control Authority shall first be submitted in writing to the Animal Care and Control Authority, as well as to the ACCAB. The Animal Care and Control Authority shall notify the ACCAB, as well as the complainant, in writing, of the outcome of the complaint. In the event a complainant feels his/her complaint was not handled in an appropriate manner by the Animal Care and Control Authority, the complainant shall then appeal to the ACCAB.

H. Records will be kept of all meeting agendas, proceedings and review sessions and shall include the date, time and location of the session as well as attendees.

I. The County shall retain all records for a minimum of four years.

§ 142-4 Quarterly review of records; report to ACCAB.

The ACCAB will review the Animal Care and Control Authority's quarterly financials and animal care and control statistics that shall be provided by the County's designated Animal Care and Control Authority to the ACCAB on or before the 20th calendar day of the month immediately subsequent to the close of the quarter. The ACCAB will provide a report to the County Executive of these findings, with a detailed accounting of the Animal Care and Control Authority's funding, expenditures and unresolved complaints. The ACCAB may require that a qualified representative of the Animal Care and Control Authority appear in person at any of the meetings of the ACCAB to answer questions related to the statistics provided in the Animal Care and Control Authority's quarterly reports. Failure on the part of the Animal Care and Control Authority to provide the required documentation or to appear at a meeting of the ACCAB when attendance is requested shall immediately be reported to the County Executive and will provide grounds for contract termination.