Appointed Committees

ANIMAL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE October 18, 2017 Page 1 Committee Members Present: Shannon Straight, Sara Bloom, Randy McDonald, Marshal Platz, Richard Sabol, Rob White Members Absent None Chairman Straight called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm. Approval of Minutes Captain White moved the committee approve the minutes of the October 4, 2017 committee meeting. Motion seconded by Mr. Sabol and carried unanimously. Discussion on the Ban on Snakes After the last Committee meeting, the members requested information on the number of snakes sold at local pet stores. Mr. Platz stated, PetCo estimated they sold one snake per month, Pet Parade sold nine in 2016 and Pet World sold 2 in 2016. He added that North Dakota is ranked #48 in the country for reptile related sales. Mr. McDonald voiced his concerns about the impact on the animal shelter and said a reptile specific shelter would be preferred. Mr. Platz said he has compiled a list of contacts willing to take in unwanted snakes and said, through the use of social media, he was recently able to mediate the rescue of a nile monitor within minutes. He explained that the costs associated with housing a snake are minor but include an aquarium, heat lamp, and they cost very little to feed. The group discussed the overhead costs of a shelter including, liability insurance, building costs, cleaning materials and securing volunteers. Alderman Straight explained to the committee, a pet store that sold nine snakes in one year also sold 550 dogs. There will probably not be a huge uptick in the sale of snakes. His main concern is for the safety of Animal Control, Emergency Personnel and the animals. Upon questioning, Captain White said their current protocol when encountering an animal is to call Animal Control so additional training for officers would not be required. Mr. Platz said, he is not trying to endanger anybody but believes there is no reason why he should not be able to have a pet that is not threatening, does not carry disease, is not a nuisance and is kept in the privacy of his own home. Alderman Straight stated, he wants to ensure there is a process where government can work in conjunction with citizens to find solutions. He knows, they are not going to please everybody but he said, after hearing the conversations during their meetings, he is no longer concerned for the safety of EMS staff. Mr. Platz moved the Committee recommend the City Council amend the ordinance regarding prohibited animals to prohibit all venomous and non-venomous injurious snakes as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Motion seconded by Mr. McDonald. ANIMAL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE October 18, 2017 Page 2 Captain White asked if any snakes allowed by the change would grow to a large size, to which Mr. Platz said, a boa constrictor is not included on the prohibited list and could grow to ten feet long. He explained, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not include them as non-venomous injurious animal because of their docile demeanor. Alderman Straight read from the Fargo ordinance and asked if the motion could be amended to also include any constricting or inherently dangerous member of the reptile or amphibian families including rattlesnakes, boa constrictors and pit vipers on the list of prohibited species. Mr. Platz and Mr. McDonald agreed to amend their motion. Whereupon a vote was taken on the above motion by Mr. Platz, seconded by Mr. McDonald and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Straight, White, Bloom, Platz, McDonald; nays: Sabol Backyard Hens Alderman Straight described the documents that were provided to the Committee prior to the meeting. There was an article called “The Dark Side of the Coop,” which depicted the downside of owning hens from the perspective of an animal shelter, a case study from the City of Fargo on how they implemented their ordinance permitting backyard hens, and a document providing the policies from several cities who allow hens. Jayme Vettel, a supporter of backyard hens, gave a presentation she prepared. She described the benefits of raising chickens, which breeds work best for different purposes, and explained the structure of coops. She also gave information on how to care for chickens, what to feed them and how to protect them from the elements, as well as cleanliness and tips for hygiene. She described a tagging technique that could be adopted in Minot, which would encourage owners to register their hens and provide color coded bandettes to be worn by the hens for easy identification. Ms. Vettel said, owners would be responsible for their hens after they have outlived their egg production and would be able to rehome the animal, find a butcher, or keep them as a pet. Mr. McDonald said, the animal shelter is not equipped to house chickens and asked what to do if an owner abandons a hen who can no longer produce eggs. Ms. Vettel said, the chicken can be butchered and anyone who has experience dressing a pheasant could also dress a chicken. Ms. Bloom added, there are families who take in retired hens or farms they could go to. Captain White said, it could be similar to an animal taken to the pound to get put down. The group discussed the coop construction and whether hens would be a nuisance to neighbors. Captain White suggested a permitting process where Animal Control would ensure the coop meets the requirements set by the ordinance. He also said there should be a process that requires a notification be sent to the neighboring properties and give them the opportunity to speak their opinion on whether the permit for hens is approved. Jeff Hoverson and his family said, they raise chickens outside city limits. They explained, there are more benefits to chickens than just laying eggs including, recycling household scraps, eating yard bugs and teaching chores to their children. They countered concerns about wild predators by saying, they have had chickens for 15 years without any issues from cats, weasels, foxes or hawks. ANIMAL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE October 18, 2017 Page 3 Mr. Sabol stated his opinion that if someone wants chickens, they should live out of town. He questioned whether having backyard hens could devalue a neighboring property. Alderman Straight concluded the conversation by saying, he would like to see a well-crafted ordinance before making a recommendation on the issue. The reading materials provided give several examples of ordinances which can be altered to find what works best for Minot if that is the direction the Committee wants to take. Other Business Alderman Straight said, the backyard hen discussion will continue on the next agenda. He listed some other concerns suggested by citizens including a nest for a peregrine falcon for research purposes on North Hill, ordinance revisions to eliminate redundancies, and a conversation on the pit bull ban. He said he plans on crafting a public meeting in the next month, to be held in the evening to gather more input from the public on the ban on pit bulls. Information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Adjournment The next Committee meeting will take place November 2nd at 3:30 pm in the Council Chambers. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:59 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Kelly Matalka City Clerk