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Animal Welfare Advisory Council
The Animal Welfare Advisory Council meets on the 3rd Thursday of every other month. Meetings are held at the Department of Agriculture, Deering Building, Room 319. The meetings are held from 9am – 12 Noon. Meeting, cancellations or date changes will appear in the Public Meetings Calendar at www.maine.gov/agriculture. Questions about the Animal Welfare Advisory Council (AWAC):
What is the Animal Welfare Advisory Council (AWAC)?The Animal Welfare Advisory Council was created to advise the Commissioner of Agriculture on matters that pertain to the Animal Welfare Program per M.R.S.A. Title 7 § 3906-C. What are the duties of the Animal Welfare Advisory Council?The council performs the following duties:
Does AWAC have any supervisory jurisdiction over departmental Animal Welfare personnel?AWAC has no supervisory jurisdiction over departmental personnel. All personnel matters are the responsibility of the Commissioner and his staff. How are the AWAC members appointed?The Governor appoints all AWAC members. How many AWAC members are there and whom do they represent?There are 14 members representing the following:
What are the terms of office for AWAC members?Except for initial appointees and the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee, each member serves for a term of 3 years or until the member’s successor has qualified. Except for the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee, a member may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms. What happens if there is a vacancy on AWAC?In case of a vacancy for any reason, the Governor shall appoint a member representing the same interest to fill the unexpired term. When are the AWAC meetings?AWAC shall hold regular public meetings every other month but may waive by majority vote a succeeding meeting. Can there be “special meetings”?Yes, the chair shall call special meetings of the council whenever requested in writing by 2 or more members. How is the Chair selected?The council shall elect one of its members as chair. The chair serves for a 2-year period and may not serve as chair for consecutive 2-year periods. Are the members of AWAC compensated?By statute members of the council are entitled to travel and meal expenses only. When a person is appointed to AWAC do they become state employees?AWAC members do not become state employees upon appointment by the Governor. What happens if a member of AWAC resigns his position or fails to attend meetings?If a member resigns, the Governor is asked to appoint another person to represent the same interest. If a person fails to attend meetings the Chair may request their resignation. May members of the public attend AWAC meetings?All AWAC meetings, unless AWAC is in executive session, are open to the members of the public. May members of the public get copies of all the materials that are handed out to members of AWAC?Any materials given to members of AWAC at a scheduled meeting are available to the public. If AWAC recommends to the Commissioner of Agriculture that a certain law be passed or repealed, is the Commissioner required to accept and follow that recommendation?While one of the duties of AWAC is to advise and make recommendations (see question #2) to the Commissioner, it is at the Commissioner’s discretion to accept and/or follow those recommendations. Does AWAC have the authority to hire, terminate, or discipline a local animal control officer?No. Only the employing municipalities may hire, terminate or discipline an Animal Control Officer.
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