Mayor & Commission Meetings

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE Thursday, May 16, 2023 City Hall Conference Room 301B Committee Members Present: Committee Members Absent: Commissioner Carol Myers, Chair Commissioner Ovita Thornton Commissioner John Culpepper Commissioner Jesse Houle Commissioner Allison Wright Staff: Niki Jones, Assistant Manager Kristall Barber, Animal Services Sherrie Hines, Deputy Chief Attorney Sarah George, Manager’s Office Guest Speaker: Laura Bracci, MPH – American Heart Association Commissioner Myers called the meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. A. Approval of Minutes: Commissioner Houle made a motion to approve the April 13, 2023 minutes. Commissioner Culpepper seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. B. Public Input:  Anna Kate Robinson – supported expanding indoor smoking ordinance to include vaping products  Elaine Cook, Piedmont Athens Regional - supported expanding indoor smoking ordinance to include vaping products Commission Identified Items of Interest: C. Review of Chapter 4-1 Animal Control Ordinance Assistant Manager Niki Jones updated the Committee on staff research and other work pertaining to Committee requests at the last meeting, including a community survey, data related to pet and owner statistics, a comparative analysis of comparable programs in peer communities, and the budget impacts associated with pet registration. After initial work on surveying agencies and veterinarians, staff have determined they will have to refine the survey process to obtain better responses. Data related to pet and owner statistics has been difficult to acquire beyond some anecdotal information. Staff will continue to pursue this information. The comparative analysis of pet registration programs in other jurisdictions has been challenging. The communities that were contacted have not been responsive. Staff is continuing to work on this. Given the budget analysis is linked to comparative analysis, it has been difficult to determine budget impacts associated with pet registration without the completion of the comparative analysis.  Staff is currently working on creating questions for the resident survey. Development and implementation will require additional time. Staff is planning to have a resident survey up for response for two weeks prior to the next LRC meeting. Animal Services Director Kristall Barber is also conducting one-on-one surveys with 35-40 local veterinarians and 8 veterinarian practices. She will be contacting the UGA Veterinarian Practice Clinic for her survey and will continue to survey veterinarians in the community. Assistant Manager Jones requested an extension for research on this topic and recommended that the Committee hold their review until all the information they require can be presented. He then introduced Director Barber to discuss her preliminary veterinarian data and cost information. Director Barber explained that her conversations with local veterinarians have been positive. They feel this program would be beneficial to Athens-Clarke County and surrounding counties. The county cost would be $4.20 for 1-year registration / $8.20 for 3-year registration per license. There are no additional costs for the software. There is a one time set up fee (dependent on company chosen - $100-$400), and there is no additional annual cost beyond individual license. Enforcement will be done the same way as ACC currently enforces the rabies vaccine. She explained that, while ACC does an excellent job tracking data related to animal services, outreach to other counties indicate they are challenged doing this, and information has been difficult to get. Some counties outsource their animal licensing services, and Director Barber is working with these companies to try to obtain more information. Deputy Chief Attorney Hines explained that Fulton and Dekalb Counties have very similar ordinances. Enforcement would be handled in a quasi-criminal manner and could be dismissed once registration is acquired. She encouraged the Committee to consider that linking discounts to spaying and neutering incentivizes owners to comply. This program would also help the county limit the severe problem of backyard breeding. In addition, the pet return aspect is invaluable and will enable anyone who finds lost pets to return them to their owners. This will assist Animal Services with crowding issues at the shelter. Commissioner Houle made a motion to hold further action on this item until the August Legislative Review Committee meeting. Commissioner Culpepper seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. Updating Indoor Ordinance to include Vaping Products Assistant Manager Jones explained that, in seeking to update this ordinance, the Committee is essentially considering whether or not to prohibit vaping indoors throughout the county to eliminate this health concern. He asked guest speaker Laura Bracci, from the American Heart Association, to address the Committee. Laura Bracci shared a presentation with the Committee. She described the adverse effects of secondhand smoke and aerosol, the need to protect the public (including workers in public venues like the hospitality industry), and the disparities that effect workers in those industries. Statewide, Georgia has a Smoke-Free Air Act (currently amended to include vaping tobacco products), but its exemptions leave many unprotected. The Act allows local municipalities to have stronger requirements than the State. Comprehensive smoke-free ordinances currently exist in many municipalities and counties including: Savannah, Atlanta, Augusta-Richmond County, Buena Vista, Chamblee, City of South Fulton, etc. Legislative Review Committee Meeting Minutes Page 2 051623  The 2005 Athens-Clarke County ordinance provides for comprehensive smoke-free restaurants and bars but does not provide the same protection for workplaces (i.e., private and semiprivate rooms in healthcare facilities, employee break rooms, hotels and motels, tobacco retail stores, private clubs). Strengthening the smoke-free air ordinance guarantees smoke and aerosol-free workplaces, protects patrons and visitors, supports health, and ensures all future businesses are smoke-free. Commissioner Houle made a motion to request staff draft an update of the indoor smoking ordinance that includes the recommended definition of vaping from the American Heart Association. Commissioner Wright seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Houle made a motion to revise Chapter 4-3 of the indoor smoking ordinance to include the amendments recommended by the American Heart Association and Deputy Chief Attorney Hines and send to the full Mayor and Commission for the June voting meeting. The motion failed due to lack of a second. Commissioner Wright made a motion to revise Chapter 4-3 of the indoor smoking ordinance to include the amendments recommended by the American Heart Association and Deputy Chief Attorney Hines and send to the full Mayor and Commission for the July / August agenda cycle. Commissioner Culpepper seconded. The motion passed unanimously. A quorum was confirmed for the next meeting. E. Items Assigned – Future Consideration: 1. Updating Sign Ordinance to Consider Digital Signage and Billboards: LRC discussed some thoughts in preparation for the next meeting’s work on updating the sign ordinance. Deputy Chief Attorney Hines provided feedback related to issues of freedom of speech and the ordinance updating. Assistant Manager Jones suggested LRC members review where current signage exists prior to the next meeting. 2. Review and update Neighborhood Traffic Management Program: No discussion. F. Schedule/Agenda Changes The next LRC meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. Commissioner Wright made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Culpepper seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 2:21 p.m. Legislative Review Committee Meeting Minutes Page 3 051623