11:10 p.m.: City won't authorize animal control board

By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer

November 13, 2008 11:11 pm

— ANDERSON — The city will not have an animal control commission that has power to pass policies regarding animal care, despite consideration in recent months of making the existing advisory board more authoritative.
The Anderson City Council on Thursday approved an animal control ordinance that had been tabled for several months due to unanswered questions posed by council members. The adopted legislation did not include the creation of an authoritative animal control board, leaving it up in the air whether the seven-member advisory board would continue to advise the Board of Public Safety on animal control issues.
Public safety Chairman Dick Wiley said he asked the board to remain intact for advisory purposes but had not received an answer.
“There’s a lot of knowledge in these people,” Wiley said.
The Animal Control Commission was recreated in April by Mayor Kris Ockomon after being disbanded in 2005. In its short life, the commission considered and clarified ordinances relating to animal care in the city and worked to update them to match surrounding cities.
Issues involving animal control will be considered by the Board of Public Safety.
The ordinance also set adoption fees at $100 for dogs and $85 for cats, a price Wiley said was equal to that of Indianapolis’ animal control.
Councilman David Eicks voiced concerns that the fees were too high and would keep residents from adopting from Anderson Animal Care and Control.
“I’m very, very concerned we’re going to price ourselves out,” he said, citing brochures that had announced the higher fees before Thursday’s ordinance was approved. “If you’re a citizen of Anderson, this ordinance has already been passed as far as these adoption fees.”
Eicks said the facility could avoid raising adoption fees by hiring a veterinarian to perform spay and neuter procedures in-house.
The ordinance also set a licensing fee of $20 before an unlicensed impounded animal would be returned to its owner and fees of $50 for the first offense, $100 for second offense and $250 for third and subsequent offenses for owners reclaiming impounded animals.
The ordinance strengthened regulations on unrestrained and vicious animals and required that vicious animals must be spayed or neutered before being released from Animal Care and Control.
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In other City Council business:
— The council approved the city’s 2009 budget.
— The council approved a six-month moratorium on billboards.
— The council approved economic revitalization areas for the Marina I L.P. and Irving Materials Inc. and NorthStar Aerospace.
— The council designated economic revitalization areas for two homes on Fairview Street and set public hearings for them.
— The council authorized transfer of funds between several accounts for cash flow purposes until the city gets its tax draw, expected in February.
— The council amended the city’s personnel policy to allow non-union personnel to contribute sick and vacation days to a time bank.