Oconee County Commissioners Pass Over Volunteers At Animal Shelter In Appointments To Animal Control Advisory Board

Oconee County commissioners tonight turned down the applications for appointment to the Animal Control Advisory Board of two women who have played leadership roles among volunteers at the Animal Shelter.

The commissioners instead reappointed Janet Calpin to a two-year term on the Advisory Board. Calpin has been a critic of the Animal Control Department’s adoption program run by the volunteers.

The commissioners also appointed Philip D. Freshley, an environmental scientist, to the Advisory Board.

Freshley said in his application he was moving to semi-retirement and “will have time available." Freshley said he had been encouraged to apply for the opening by former Advisory Board member Mary Mahaffey, another critic of the Animal Control Department.

In other action tonight, the Board approved three rezone requests, two in or near the quickly developing Oconee Connector and Virgil Langford Road intersection, and selected a firm to provide architectural and planning services for renovation and security upgrades to the Courthouse.

The actual work to be done at the Courthouse is a secret, as is the cost of the contract approved.

For more on the story, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Philip Freshley.