Norris OKs ordinances on animal waste control, meeting time
Norris police will be able to cite pet walkers who don’t clean up their animals’ waste from public or private property, with a possible $50 fine, according to an ordinance approved on second and final reading Monday night by the City Council.
The council also tentatively approved a $1 a month increase in the residential trash pickup fee. A second reading is still needed.
Two changes were made to the pet ordinance as originally proposed and which passed on first reading in May.
Renters will not be required to pick up animal waste on property they are renting; the original proposal said property owners, but did not address renters.
Also, people walking dogs in the Norris Municipal Watershed will not be liable for fines for not picking up waste there. That’s a change from the original proposal, which only exempted horse waste.
The council members also approved on second and final reading an ordinance to change the start time of the City Council’s regular meetings to 6 p.m. from the current 7 p.m., but keeping the meeting date as the second Monday of each month.
While the meeting-time ordinance passed unanimously, on 5-0 vote, the animal ordinance was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Chuck Nicholson opposing.
The animal waste measure was part of proposed changes to the city’s existing dog and cat ordinances recommended by the Norris Animal Commission.
Also in the measure is a change that allows a three-week “trial period” for the adoption of cats and dogs from the Norris Animal Shelter.
During the first three weeks after the day of the adoption, the adopter would be allowed to return the animal to the shelter, but would not receive a refund of the adoption fee.
Before the change, all adoptions were considered to be final at the time of the transaction.
Also in the ordinance is a rule that prohibits someone from calling ahead to put a “hold” on an animal before coming into the city offices to complete the adoption.
Adoptions would be strictly on a first come, first served basis.
Council members were told that the animal waste pickup requirement would apply to any property except that of the pet owner, and would technically cover dogs and cats.
But because most people don’t “walk” their cats, city officials conceded that enforcement of the measure most likely would be mainly on dogs that leave waste while being walked.
The measure to change the monthly meeting time was initially proposed by Councilwoman Loretta Painter during the council’s April regular meeting.
Painter said she recommended the time change because council meetings have been lasting three hours or more in recent months, making for a very late end time.
Also Monday night, the council:
• Delayed the second and final reading of the city’s 2023-24 fiscal year budget ordinance until a special called meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, June 26.
The delay was to allow the pay of Water Superintendent Tony Wilkerson to be updated.
• Passed a resolution hiring Community Development Partners, LLC., to develop a parks and recreation master plan for the city.