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Otis Select Board approves shared Animal Control Officer for FY27
Summary
The Otis Select Board voted 3-0 on April 14 to join a shared Animal Control Officer service, with Lee proposed as the host town and FY27 funding included in the town budget; board members noted training requirements and raised concerns about coverage across multiple towns.
The Otis Select Board voted 3-0 on April 14 to move forward with a shared Animal Control Officer (ACO) service, with the host town proposed as Lee and funding included in the town’s FY27 budget.
The vote followed discussion about operational and staffing concerns. Select Board member Terry Gould said he worried “if the person will actually be able to cover that many towns,” prompting a clarification from meeting staff that ACOs are now required to attend training as part of the position.
Board member Larry Southard made the motion to proceed; the motion was seconded and passed by a 3-0 vote. The Board committed the budget for FY27 to support the shared-service arrangement.
Why it matters: town officials said the shared-service model is intended to provide animal control coverage across neighboring communities while spreading costs. Board members flagged practical challenges — notably response capacity when one officer is expected to serve multiple towns — and sought assurance about training and scheduling.
What’s next: the Board authorized moving forward with the shared service and identified Lee as the proposed host town; no further formal details on intermunicipal agreements or implementation timeline were provided at the meeting.
