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City of Pittsfield, MA
Berkshire County
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Code
New Laws (4) Index
[Ord. No. 325, § 1, 12-13-1978[1]]
There is hereby established an Animal Control Commission (hereinafter referred to as “commission”).
[1]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance, approved 12-13-1973, amended Ch. 2 by adding Art. XXVIII, §§ 2-147–2-149, which the editor has redesignated as Art. XXIX, §§ 2-153–3-154, to avoid duplication of existing section numbers.
[Ord. No. 325, § 1, 12-13-1978; Ord. No. 426, § 1, 6-9-1982; Ord. No. 796, § 1, 9-27-1995; Ord. No. 845, § I, 10-27-1998; Ord. No. 852, § I, 2-9-1999; Ord. No. 1131, § I, 4-14-2015]
The Animal Control Commission shall consist of seven members, one of whom shall be a registered veterinarian and authorized to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; another shall be a member of the Pittsfield City Council; and another member shall be a member of the Pittsfield Police Department. In accordance with Article 2, Section 2-10, Article 3, Section 3-3 and Article 6 of Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2013, the Mayor shall appoint all of the members to the Animal Control Commission subject to City Council approval. The members who are city officials shall serve as long as they serve in their official capacities, and the remaining members shall serve a term of two years. In the event of a vacancy, the Mayor shall appoint a successor as soon as practicable, subject to city council approval, and said successor shall fulfill the unexpired term of the member whose seat was vacated. The members of the Animal Control Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. Members of the Commission are hereby classified as special municipal employees for the purposes of Chapter 268A of the Massachusetts General Laws. In accordance with Article 10, Section 10-6(a), the members of the Animal Control Commission shall elect their own Chairman, Vice Chair and Secretary.
[Ord. No. 325, § 1, 12-13-1978]
The Commission shall meet at least once each month.
The Commission shall serve in an advisory capacity to the dog officer; shall coordinate to the fullest extent possible the work of all public and private agencies concerned with animal care, protection and control; shall effect an ongoing dialogue and exchange of views between and among such agencies; may conduct either independently or in conjunction with any appropriate person or agency, public or private, such educational programs relating to animal control as it shall deem necessary or desirable; shall collect and publish statistics relating to the animal population of the City; shall determine the City’s needs in connection with animal control; shall prepare and may from time to time amend a long-range plan to meet such needs; shall prepare estimates of the cost of executing such plan and the several component measures thereof shall recommend to the appropriate boards and officers of the City such actions as may be necessary for the implementation of such plan; and shall monitor the carrying out of such actions.