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Select board declines to renew animal control agreement and authorizes two town ACO positions
Summary
At its April 6 meeting the select board voted not to renew the intermunicipal animal control agreement (named in the transcript as the contracted town) and authorized the town administrator to create and fund two on-call animal control officer positions and take implementation steps.
TCTV reported that the select board voted at its April 6 meeting not to renew the towns intermunicipal animal control agreement with the contracted municipality referenced in the broadcast. The board authorized the town administrator to establish and fund two on-call animal control officer (ACO) positions and to take administrative steps to implement the change, including developing job descriptions, hiring, and training.
Select board members told hosts they had received resident complaints alleging delayed responses from the contracted service, including at least one incident where a call allegedly went unanswered for about two hours and animals were left outdoors for extended periods. Board members also said they had not seen the monthly activity reports required under the contract (cited in the transcript as Item N, which requires maintaining accurate records and providing monthly reports) and raised concerns about transparency in funding and reporting.
Separately, the board of health voted to appoint the current animal inspectors for fiscal year 2027. Hosts and others raised the question of how those appointments will be reconciled with the select boards decision if the town moves to provide animal control services in-house.
What the select board authorized: The boards motion directed appropriate town officials, including the select board and town administrator, to take necessary administrative actions to implement in-house animal control services. Those steps include using funds in the existing account to cover hourly compensation, training, and operational needs; ensuring compliance with Massachusetts laws and coordinating with relevant state agencies about certification and reporting requirements.
Outstanding questions: The exact name of the contracted municipality referenced in the broadcast appears inconsistently in the transcript; hosts used variants. The select board raised specific concerns about the contractors reporting and the clarity of their funding breakdown, and those issues were cited as part of the rationale for nonrenewal.
Next steps: The town administrator was authorized to proceed with implementation steps; the select board will continue reviewing the contract and reconcile the board of healths appointments with the select boards service change.
