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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo to BOCC Chair from ASAB ChairUnified  Animal  Ordinance   September  18,  2013     1   To:  Barry  Jacobs,  Chair  of  the  Orange  County  Board  of  Commissioners     From:  Dr.  Susan  A.  Elmore,  Chair  of  the  Animal  Services  Advisory  Board     cc:  Earl  McKee,  Mark  Dorosin,  Alice  M.  Gordon,  Bernadette  Pelissier,  Renee  Price,   Penny  Rich,  Frank  W.  Clifton,  Jr.,  and  Michael  Talbert     Date:  September  18,  2013     Subject:  Memo  from  ASAB  Chair  Dr.  Susan  Elmore  concerning  the  unified  animal   ordinance     The  purpose  of  this  memo  is  to  provide  an  abbreviated  outline  of  Animal  Services   Advisory  Board  (ASAB)  involvement  in  drafting  the  unified  animal  control   ordinance,  scheduled  to  be  heard  at  the  October  1  Regular  Business  Meeting  of  the   BOCC.  Below  is  a  timeline  indicating  specific  meetings  and  major  results.     March  20,  2013   Meeting:  ASAB  met  with  county  staff.   Purpose  of  meeting:  To  provide  input  on  the  draft  unified  ordinance.   Results:  ASAB  suggested  minor  edits  to  the  draft  and  unanimously  agreed  with  staff   approach  of  only  making  changes  when  there  were  significant  gaps  or  inadequacies.       May  13,  2013   Meeting:  ASAB  monthly  meeting.     Purpose  of  meeting:  To  address  public  concerns  with  the  draft  unified  ordinance   specifically  relating  to  standards  for  vicious  dog  determinations.     Results:    Public  comments  were  heard.  Staff  made  a  detailed  presentation   highlighting  differences  between  the  draft  unified  animal  ordinance  and  the  existing   ordinance  explaining  the  rationale  behind  each  change.  ASAB  unanimously   approved  going  forward  with  the  unified  animal  ordinance,  with  the  understanding   that  this  was  not  a  perfect  document  but  that  once  in  place,  the  ASAB  would  look   into  a  more  thorough  review  of  specific  sections  if  concerns  were  voiced  about  the   need  for  amendment.       June  4,  2013   Meeting:  BOCC  Regular  Business  Meeting.     Purpose  of  meeting:  Among  other  things,  to  present  and  propose  the  draft  unified   animal  ordinance.   Results:  Chair  and  Co-­‐Chair  attended  and  spoke  in  support  of  the  current  version  of   the  unified  animal  ordinance.  BOCC  asked  staff  to  highlight  the  changes  made  in  the   draft  document,  the  reason  for  the  changes,  and  to  address  the  public  concerns  that   were  voiced  at  that  meeting.       Unified  Animal  Ordinance   September  18,  2013     2   July  8,  2013     Meeting:  I,  as  ASAB  Chair,  met  with  Allan  Green,  Orange  County  farmer.   Purpose  of  meeting:  To  hear  and  discuss  specific  concerns  that  Mr.  Green  (and   others)  had  with  the  draft  document.     Results:  The  main  issue  discussed  was  at-­‐large  livestock  as  nuisance  animals.  For   this  issue,  Chair  Elmore  felt  that  she  should  seek  the  input  of  the  Agricultural   Preservation  Board  (APB).  (Note:  In  2010,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Green,  the  ASAB   reviewed  the  current  policy  and  determined  that  the  ordinance  should  not  be   revised.  The  ASAB  concluded  that  the  current  provision  did  not  undermine  and  was   not  incompatible  with  farmland  protection  in  Orange  County.  It  was  also  noted  that   discretion  in  enforcement  of  this  provision  can  and  should  occur.  There  have  been   no  other  complaints  since  that  time  and  the  board  is  not  aware  of  any  that  preceded   the  one  made  by  Mr.  Green.)  Other  issues  discussed  were  watch  dogs/sentinel  dogs,   the  appeals  process,  and  public  input  to  the  unified  ordinance  process.  A  document   was  prepared  by  Mr.  Green  and  Dr.  Elmore  and  shared  via  email  with  Bonnie   Hauser,  Ed  Johnson,  Anne  Meade,  and  Robert  Epting  (lawyer  for  Mr.  Johnson  and   Ms.  Meade).       July  11,  2013   Meeting;  Phone  conversation  with  Professor  Aimee  Wall,  School  of  Government,   University  of  North  Carolina—Chapel  Hill.   Purpose  of  meeting:  To  discuss  the  unified  animal  ordinance  and  the  potential  for   the  ASAB  to  seek  her  input.     Results:  Dr.  Wall  agreed  with  the  approach  that  staff  has  taken  to  close  significant   gaps  now  and  then  tackle  other  issues  after  unification.  She  indicated  that  she  would   be  happy  to  meet  with  the  ASAB  after  the  animal  ordinances  are  unified.       August  19,  2013   Meeting:  Between  Chairs  and  staff  of  ASAB  and  Agricultural  Preservation  Board   (APB)   Purpose  of  meeting:  To  discuss  the  concerns  that  the  APB  may  have  with  the   unified  animal  ordinance  as  it  relates  to  farm  animals.     Results:  Suggestion  from  APB  was  to  change  the  ordinance  to  provide  that  acts   involving  at-­‐large  livestock  that  are  outside  of  the  farmer’s  control  are  not   considered  a  nuisance  and  to  make  it  explicit  that  there  is  discretion  as  to  whether  a   farm  animal  off  property  should  be  considered  as  a  public  nuisance.       August  21,  2013   Meeting:  ASAB  monthly  meeting.   Purpose  of  meeting:  To  review  the  updated  unified  animal  ordinance  document   and  an  additional  document  with  an  outline  and  rationale  of  the  proposed  changes.   APB  concerns  were  discussed  and  public  concerns  were  also  heard.   Results:  It  was  again  recommended  that  changes  to  the  ordinance  that  do  not   impair  operations  could  be  deferred  until  after  consolidation.  The  ASAB  voted   unanimously  to  approve  the  document  prepared  by  staff  with  two  suggestions:  (1)   Unified  Animal  Ordinance   September  18,  2013     3   provide  additional  explanation  of  the  originating  source(s)  of  different  changes  and   rationale  for  chosen  content  where  differences  among  existing  ordinances  were   reconciled  and  (2)  consider  the  possibility  of  (to  the  extent  feasible)  providing  to   the  BOCC  alternate  drafts  of  the  proposed  ordinance  with  the  three  controversial   issues  of  trespass,  watchdog,  and  livestock  left  unchanged.         As  can  be  seen  from  the  outline  above,  the  ASAB  has  been  very  involved  in  the   process  of  developing  the  unified  animal  control  ordinance  for  consideration  by  the   BOCC.      It  has  done  so  in  accordance  with  the  work  plan  that  it  submitted  to  the   BOCC  for  2013  because  of  the  strong  belief  that  there  is  a  definite  need  for  such   unification  and  that  now  is  the  time  for  it  to  be  achieved.    The  ASAB  has  remained   unanimous  in  its  support  of  this  important  effort  during  each  process  of  review.    As   this  outline  shows,  the  ASAB  has  heard  from  some  critical  stakeholders,  has   considered  the  issue  of  “no  change”  versus  “critical  changes  only”,  and  has  remained   unanimous  in  its  support  of  critical  changes  only.  The  belief  is  that  the   recommended  changes  are  needed  in  order  to  make  this  ordinance  fair  and   enforceable.