Agenda Highlights 3/14/23
The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 3-14-23 will kick off with the annual review of the Board of Directors best practices document. This list of non-binding guidance suggestions includes things like a code of conduct and ethics and the responsibilities for the Board of Directors.
Sure to be the hottest topic of the meeting, there will be a discussion about making changes to the animal ordinances. Some of the most significant changes being proposed are…
Requiring microchip identification for all cats and dogs plus a secondary form of identification like a collar tag
Requiring spaying or neutering for all cats and dogs not secured at all times within a building, enclosure, or yard
Vouchers for spaying and neutering will be made available to low income residents through the Police Chief with required proof of residency and income. They will be available on a first come first serve basis, limited to one per household per year, and will be available until money budgeted for the program runs out.
Any loose animals brought to the shelter will be spayed or neutered and microchipped and vaccinated if they are not already sterilized and chipped and vaccinated. The owner will be required to pay the fees for these procedures to be able to retrieve their animal.
Animal control will return altered animals that can be identified by their microchips directly to their homes twice a year. Any more escapes will result in a citation for an unsecure enclosure. Any unaltered or unchipped animals will be taken to the shelter.
Feeding wild or feral or stray animals or leaving pet food out unattended will be prohibited.
Citations will be issued to the owners of barking dogs that recieve 3 or more complaints within 90 days from 2 separate households regarding sustained barking in the daytime. Citations can be issued for any instances of complaints regarding sustained barking from 10pm-7am.
Dogs will not be allowed to be tethered for longer than 10 days and nights and must have access to food, water, shade, and shelter at all times while tethered.
Animals riding in open vehicles, including the beds of pickup trucks, must be inside a secured container.
The threshold to be considered a “kennel” will be lowered from 7 dogs to 4 (with the exception of temporary fosters).
The price of a Breeder’s License will increase to $1000 per year and will require meeting all of the other requirements for a business license.
A $500 annual fee will be required to keep an animal deemed “aggressive” and it must be spayed and neutered.
People taking in strays (including pregnant animals) for the purpose of re-homing them will be exempt from the newly instituted rules prohibiting selling and giving away animals. Sales of livestock (including the auctions at the fair) will also be exempt from the new prohibition on animal sales.
The Board will discuss the cybersecurity insurance policy with Brown Hiller Clark and why there was not a study session regarding the policy held before the policy expired.
