Council postpones next vote on pet licenses

The City Council is putting off a scheduled vote this week on an ordinance that would require pet owners in the city to license dogs and cats.

The postponement is coming so that two minor changes can be incorporated into the proposed ordinance, changes which were suggested during a public hearing two weeks ago.

One of the changes will provide free pet licenses for owners who are disabled just as the ordinance does for senior citizens 65 and older. The other change would limit how much in license fees owners of more than four pets would be required to pay.

Because of the minor changes in the proposed ordinance, the council now will vote on the ordinance as if for the first time on Oct. 26, when it is scheduled to take up the matter again. Two additional votes would be required before the measure becomes law.

Two weeks ago, the council voted 5-3 to adopt the proposed ordinance with the license requirement but without the new additions.

Mayor Ron Corbett on Monday said he may ask the City Council on Tuesday to informally weigh on the pending ordinance with its changes to make sure a majority of council members still are interested establishing a pet license requirement.

Corbett voted against the measure two weeks ago.

The council will set fees at a subsequent time if it adopts a pet license requirement. The city's Animal Care and Control office is recommending a $10 annual license fee for altered dogs and cats and $35 for unaltered dogs and cats.

Diane Webber, the manager of the Animal Care and Control office, has pointed to a three-year-old esimate that suggested that pet licenses would initially raise $60,000 a year for the operation and then progressively more as more pet owners participated.

It was during budget meetings late last year that the City Council asked Webber to put together a license program to help raise money for her operation.