(a) Definitions. In this Section the following words have the meanings indicated:
Animal means as defined in Section 5-101.
Committee means the Animal Services Advisory Committee.
Office means the Office of Animal Services.
(b) Established. There is an Animal Services Advisory Committee. The Executive must appoint the members of the Committee subject to confirmation by the Council.
(c) Composition and terms of members.
(1) The Committee has 11 voting members and 3 ex officio non-voting members.
(2) The Executive should appoint:
(A) 1 licensed veterinarian with pet and wildlife experience;
(B) 1 person with expertise in animal or pet behavior;
(C) 1 person with experience in recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers;
(D) 1 person designated by the Montgomery County Partners for Animal Well-Being (MCPAW) or a similar organization operating in the County if MCPAW is no longer operating in the County;
(E) 1 person designated by the Second Chance Wildlife Center or a similar organization operating in the County if Second Chance Wildlife Center is no longer operating in the County;
(F) 1 person representing a non-profit organization that provides animal fostering services in the County;
(G) 1 person representing the Montgomery County Cat Coalition or a similar organization for feral cats if the Montgomery County Cat Coalition is no longer operating in the County;
(H) 1 person representing Friends of Montgomery County Animals (FMCA) or a similar organization operating in the County;
(I) 1 person representing an animal rescue organization operating in the County; and
(J) 2 public members who live or work in the County.
(3) Ex officio non-voting members. The Executive must appoint the following ex officio members:
(A) the Director of the Office or the Director’s designee;
(B) the lead veterinarian for the Office; and
(C) the budget operations manager for the Office.
(4) The term of each member is 3 years. After an appointment to fill a vacancy before a term expires, the successor serves the rest of the unexpired term.
(d) Voting, officers, meetings, and compensation.
(1) Except the ex officio members, all members of the Committee are voting members.
(2) The Committee must elect a Chair and Vice-Chair from among its voting members.
(3) The Committee meets at the call of the Chair. The Committee must meet as often as necessary to perform its duties, but not less than 6 times each year.
(4) A member must serve without compensation. However, a member may request reimbursement for mileage and dependent care costs at rates established by the County.
(e) Duties. The Committee must work with the Office to advise the Executive and the Council on issues and recommendations for:
(1) animal care and welfare;
(2) animal rescue;
(3) animal fostering and adoption;
(4) control of the animal population;
(5) animal bite prevention;
(6) zoonotic disease transmission;
(7) educating the public on safely coexisting with wildlife;
(8) best practices for animal shelters;
(9) recruiting volunteers for the County animal shelter; and
(10) the operation of the Office.
(f) Requests for information. The Office must respond to Committee requests for information within 30 days after the Office receives the request.
(g) Annual Report. By July 1 each year, the Committee must submit to the Executive and the Council an annual report on its functions, activities, accomplishments, plans, and objectives.
(h) Advocacy. The Committee must not engage in any advocacy activity at the State or federal levels unless that activity is approved by the Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
(i) Staff. The Director of the Office must provide appropriate staff to the Committee. (2022 L.M.C., ch. 4, § 1; 2023 L.M.C., ch. 21
, § 1.)
Editor’s note—2022 L.M.C., ch. 4, §2, states: Sec. 2. Transition. Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(2), the Executive must designate the Chair and Vice-Chair until the Committee elects the Chair and Vice-Chair. The Executive must stagger the initial terms of the voting members so that the terms of approximately one-third of the members expires each year.