City To Consider Cat Ordinance
 | Author:
Linda Kent, MT43 News Staff Reporter
MT43 News Correspondent |
Linda Kent
MT43 News Staff Reporter
Citing a community cat problem and little clear guidance or means to address it, City Animal Control Officer Georgia Wilde asked Townsend’s City Council April 2
“There is a very large feral and stray cat population here in town,” Wilde told the council. “I would like my role to be to mediate between the community and the resources” available to help the community manage the cat population effectively.
Wilde said that since city ordinances do not call out cats specifically, she often has no authority to address concerns. In areas where she does have clear authority – she gave the example of cats that bite – she has no way to impound the animals.
In the absence of city oversight of the cat population, some people are voluntarily trapping cats to take to area humane shelters for spaying, neutering and adoption or re-release, Wilde said. Two community members, Susan Conroy and Savannah Voight, independently told the council of their efforts to address the stray population through trap and transport. Conroy alone has transported around 130 cats in the last year.
Others, Wilde said, are “taking the cat matter into their own hands,” shooting, poisoning or capturing cats to use for training hounds.
Citing a pamphlet by Alley Cat Allies, a cat advocacy organization, Wilde said removing or killing cats does little to address the problem long-term. Trapping, spaying or neutering, and returning cats prevents intact cats from moving in to fill the void.
She said she has looked into the potential and costs for offering spay-neuter clinics, as well as working with Elkhorn Veterinary to get the word out about their pets in need fund, but would need the council’s approval to move forward with any formal efforts.
When asked about calls regarding cats, Sheriff Nick Rauser says his department doesn’t get any. He also noted that state law does provide penalties for animal cruelty of the kind Wilde described and that his officers had issued citations under those statutes.
Given the potential of any such ordinance to “become a rabbit hole”, council member JB Howick moved to table action on the topic until the April 16 meeting.
Also in the April 2 meeting:
● The council approved Townsend Rotary’s request to hold this year’s Fall Fest at Heritage Park Oct. 4-6, including street closures in the area during the days and hours of the festival, as well as the closure of Broadway during the Oct. 6 car show. The approval came with the caveat that the council will need to review whether the group can enforce a no-dog policy, with the exception of service dogs, at the event, as well as how best to address the club’s request for limitations on non-Fall Fest associated street solicitation in city limits during the event
Rotary’s Jeff Langlenais also presented the club’s request to reserve Heritage Park for Slice of Summer events on July 18 and Aug. 15. The council approved the request, including the club’s paying a flat fee for pool use during the events, with coordination of pool usage to be addressed with the to-be-hired pool manager.
● Broadwater County Sheriff Nick Rauser presented the council with his department’s quarterly report to the city. Rauser said the department responded to about 1,600 calls in the preceding three months, including a stolen vehicle that was later set on fire. He also commented that the department has seen a handful of DUIs within the city limits.
● A committee consisting of council members and community representatives will be reviewing the city’s firework’s ordinance. The review comes after community concerns about legal fireworks being set off near propane tanks and other potential fire hazards. City Public Works Director Eric Crusch commented that the current ordinance is ambiguous about how late fireworks can be ignited on those days when they are legal. Rauser directed the committee, which consists of a council member and two community members from each of the city’s three wards, to consider the concerns of a variety of stakeholders, including pet owners, fireworks enthusiasts, those with sensory issue, veterans and those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), among others.
● The pool committee wraps up interviews for the city pool manager next week, Mayor Vicki Rauser said. They hope to be able to offer the position prior to the next council meeting. In other open city positions, several applications have been received for two open maintenance positions. Interviews will be scheduled once the positions close Friday, April 5.
● The council tabled action on renewing a lease of city property for agricultural use by Joe Nelson. Nelson’s 10-year contract on the 64 acre parcel ends April 17, 2024. Nelson suggested increasing the annual amount he pays the city for use of the land, which includes irrigation infrastructure he owns, to $7,500 per year. He said this would bring his per-acre rate into alignment with similar lease rates. Councilman Howick requested that the contract be tabled to ensure time for public comment and for Mayor Rauser to work with the city attorney to update the contract’s terms.
● The council revisited the tree watering contract with Teri Blahnik, approved at the March 19 meeting. The revised contract will pay Blahnik $20 for vehicle use per watering day, up to $350 per month. The council approved the change to the contract.
