11/10/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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A. Revision in Animal Control Policies Tri-Agency Task Force materials were previously distributed to Council members and Manager distributed a report dated October 23 from Dave Jordan, Eugene staff representative to the Task Force along with captain Pat Larion. The e report outlined the various problems in the animal control policies and options which could be exercised. City Attorney also distributed a draft of the proposed ordinance. Manager explained Council should focus on short-term actions to meet a crisis situation. The County has stated they are not certain they can continue animal control in unincorporated areas as their 1975-76 budget now goes into effect. They have therefore asked that emergency measures be considered. Timing is critical in that, because of the crisis, dog licenses are not being sold because one of the recommendations is that license fees be increased in order to avoid using general funds to subsidize dog control. It is suggested that certain changes be reviewed, actions prescribed, ordinances prepared, and a public hearing set for November 10. General fund subsidy for animal control in Eugene has grown from $3,896 in 1971 to about $53,000 in 1975. Increasing costs of approximately $10,000 each year are due to rising county personnel costs and increased Lane Humane Society contract costs. The task force recommends to Council that: 1. There should be uniformity of enforcement policies; 2. There should be uniformity in fines, penalties, and fees; 3. The dog license fee should be increased from $5.00 to $9.50 with about a half-price break for owners of dogs which are spayed or neutered. In addition, the task force recommends that a free dog license be provided for guide dogs of the blind, and that licensing cost be reduced for the elderly and handicapped. Captain Pat Larion of the Police Department explained that the purpose of the e proposed ordinance is to standardize dog control enforcement in Eugene, Springfield and Lane County and to establish one single adjudication process for dog enforcement. Eugene is currently treating dog control offenses as criminal violations while Lane County operates under the infractions system. Policy decisions should be made regarding license fees and whether or not the elderly, handicapped, and persons having their dogs spayed or neutered should be granted a reduction in fee. The $9.50 1 icense fee proposal was based on what the task force felt was necessary to make the dog control program as self-sustaining as possible, according to Captain Larion. Mr. Hamel served on the task force and commented that he does not see a new program as being self-sustaining immediately. Educating dog owners on advantages of having their animals spayed or neutered will be necessary as well as convincing dog owners to purchase licenses. He has talked with people who have expressed opposition to increased license fees but who have agreed that a higher violation fine would be in order. violations of the ordinance do affect other property owners and are the fault of the dog owner. Mr. Bradley also ~erved on the task force and stated that the most important decision for Council to make related to the dog license fees. He noted that he and Mr. Hamel had voted against increasing the fee to $9.50. A policy question arises, however, on whether to have consistency in the fees, and raising the fee to $9.50 would provide more consistency. Another policy issue would be whether to take a regional approach in addressing the problem, in which case greater weight would need to be given the recommendations of the task force. The task forcQ felt strongly about asking the County and the County Sheriff to continue the program until the end of the fiscal year to e allow the respective bodies to go through necessary budgetary procedures. The County would, .in that case, have to negotiate with the Humane Society as that contract expires in January. 11/10/75 - 12 sa '7