ITEM TITLE:
#19-04 Amending Title 6, Chapters 6.04 and 6.08 of the Valdez Municipal Code Related to Animals. Second Reading. Adoption.
SUBMITTED BY: Sheri Pierce, MMC, City Clerk
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: None
Unencumbered Balance: None
Funding Source: None
RECOMMENDATION:
Administration recommends amendments to Title 6, Chapter 6.04 and 6.08.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The revisions to Title 6 are intended to better reflect the policy goals of the animal control code, facilitate enforcement of the provisions contained therein, and impose penalties more commensurate with the nature of the prohibited conduct.
1) The addition of animal endangerment and animal neglect code provisions are intended to offer more flexibility and allow officers to issue citations with penalties more commensurate with the actions of the animal owners.
2) Increased penalties for intentional and negligent feeding of wild animals is intended as an incentive to promote responsible storage of trash and food that may result in human bear interactions.
3) Revisions to continuous noise section improves the ability of animal control to enforce this provision and better reflects the intent of the provision.
4) Destruction of suffering animals section reflects best practices for animal control agencies and allows the animal control officer to prevent the suffering of mortally wounded animals when a veterinarian is unavailable to make a determination regarding the likelihood of the animals recovery.
Chief Hinkle has provided an attached memo supporting the proposed amendments.