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Animal control officer to report to shelter director following comm. vote

By Jason R. Mullins

After several months of contentious debate, the Carter County Commission has approved a motion that will transfer the county’s animal control officer to the direction of the animal shelter director. Commissioners voted on the issue during Monday morning’s meeting at the county courthouse in Elizabethton.

The effort to move the animal control officer’s position, which is currently held by Chris Pierce, has been a source of controversy throughout the first part of 2012. The matter was first raised at the beginning of the year after Carter County Planning Director Chris Schuettler and Planning Department employee Jimmy Church notified the county that they would no longer be responsible for management of the shelter.

Once local officials were advised of the planning director’s decision, the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter Advisory Board began the process of accepting applications to the fill post of animal shelter director. Once the group received resumes and completed the interview process with potential candidates, the advisory board announced the hiring of April Jones.