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Clermont County approves volunteer policy for animal shelter, rejects kennel-management proposal; board discusses shelter operations
Summary
The Board of Commissioners approved a revised volunteer policy for the county animal shelter and rejected a single response to a kennel management RFP as nonresponsive; commissioners and staff also discussed recruitment of a shelter director and operations.
BATAVIA, Ohio — The Clermont County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 12 approved a revised volunteer policy for the Clermont County animal shelter and rejected the lone response to a request for proposals (RFP) for kennel management as nonresponsive.
County staff asked the board to remove the volunteer-policy item from the table and approve the revised policy effective immediately; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call. County staff said the draft policy was revised after meetings with current volunteers, a review of shelter policies used by other Ohio shelters and review by legal counsel.
On the kennel-management procurement, county counsel Ryan Spitzer recommended rejecting the single proposal submitted by Clermont Pets Alive as nonresponsive. Spitzer told the board the submittal lacked substantive detail under the project-understanding section and failed to include a proposed fee, both requirements of the RFP. The board voted to reject the submittal as nonresponsive; the motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner David L. Painter and county administrators clarified that the RFP issued this cycle sought a management contract while the county would retain employees on the county payroll; a management contract differs from an arrangement where an outside party assumes payroll responsibility, staff said. County administration said the intent of the current procurement was to secure a manager to operate shelter services while county employees remain employed by the county.
Deputy administrator Angie (last name not specified) gave a status update on shelter operations: staff counted roughly 30 on-site adoptable dogs on the morning of Feb. 12 and said two additional hires—a kennel supervisor and a kennel attendant—were starting soon. Painter praised Angie’s combined procurement and operational knowledge and said the county would continue pursuing a shelter director unless the board directs another RFP.
Why it matters: The volunteer-policy changes and the rejection of the sole kennel-management response shape how the county will operate the shelter—either via a management contract overseeing county employees or by hiring a director to run the facility. The board’s decisions affect day-to-day shelter operations and the timeline for identifying a long-term management approach.
What’s next: County staff said they will pursue hiring a shelter director while keeping options to reissue an RFP if the board so directs. The volunteer policy took effect upon approval on Feb. 12, 2025.
