City Revises Animal Control Ordinance On 1st Reading
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Warsaw City Council approved a revision on first reading to its animal control ordinance Monday.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the ordinance is available for residents to read at city hall. The city will review the ordinance on second reading at its next meeting.
The ordinance provides guidelines for barking dog complaints.It states a public nuisance is defined as an animal that causes frequent or long contained noises or other sounds common to its species continuously for 15 minutes, or for an aggregate of 20 minutes in a one-hour period, which disturbs the comfort or response of any person in the immediate neighborhood.
The council also has an animal care shelter section that states no person shall confine or allow an animal to remain outside without access to appropriate shelter from the elements.
It also states it is unlawful for any dog to be tethered between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The ordinance addresses wolf hybrids and coyotes not previously in the ordinance.
It requires wolf hybrids and coyotes to be spayed or neutered, and bans non-registered wolf hybrids and coyotes.
The ordinance states dangerous animals are prohibited. It states no person shall own, keep or harbor a dangerous animal within the city.
An animal is declared dangerous if there is evidence that the animal has bitten or attacked a person and/or an animal three or more unrelated times. An animal also is declared dangerous if it bites or attacks a person or another animal causing wounds or injuries.
The council also approved Jeremy Skinner, city planner, putting an ordinance together for itinerant merchants and peddlers.
Skinner's recommendations include the fee for a merchant permit be $25 per day that includes a fee to pay for a background check to be done by Warsaw Police Department.
The ordinance also states ice cream trucks are prohibited to sell within 50 feet of an intersection or any street with a speed limit over 25 or 30 miles per hour.
Other proposed requirements include issuing only a maximum number of permits per year, having drivers provide a map of the proposed routes, vendors must provide trash receptacles and must have an insurance policy.
The council also reviewed letters from Warsaw residents Gary and Sharon Lyon and Gertrude Smythe thanking the Warsaw Street Department for their assistance with clearing tree wreckage on their properties during recent storms.
The council also approved Skinner seeking bids to demolish the vacant Gatke property.
