Recent budget cuts, a projected influx of nearly 200,000 new residents (and their animals) in the next 15 years, and an antiquated governing code make it an ideal time for the Seattle Animal Shelter to ask for help from citizens. The Director of Seattle’s Animal Shelter has the authority to:
Appoint ad hoc advisory committees to advise the Mayor, City Council, and the Director on matters pertaining to animal control, animal welfare, and other functions related to Seattle Animal Control. SMC 9.25.30(A)(21).
We think many positive outcomes could flow from such a group, but planning must be thorough.
The Municipal Research and Services Center has a helpful page on the topic. Some points to consider are:
Most advisory groups are formed from citizens living within the boundary of the statute’s jurisdiction. SMC 9.25.030 is not explicit on this requirement, but the Director’s charging documents should be.
Will the Advisory Council have specific questions to answer or ideas to explore?
How will members be appointed? Citizen interests related to animal welfare are many and complex, and the Council should represent a broad range of experience and skills.
Given that the meetings may not be public, how will progress be measured? Will periodic reports be required?
Seattle has not adopted Rules of Procedure for Advisory Boards to follow (See materials from Olympia, below). Members may want to adopt rules for the duration of the work.
To date, there have been no citizen advisory groups for the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS). The Seattle Animal Control Commission was disbanded almost twenty years ago. As a result, there is little transparency or engagement with the public and there is a dearth of input from the citizens it serves, not to mention the often tense relationships between management, staff, and volunteers (admittedly, this is common in many animal welfare groups).
Having said that, the City has many other boards and commissions for other departments and programs. What makes SAS any different?
Resources: