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Cats still allowed to roam free
Published January 7, 2009
LAKE JACKSON — Licensed cats can remain free roaming, for now.
Lake Jackson City Council approved amendments to the city’s animal ordinance at its regular meeting Monday. No amendments were made to have cats kept on leashes and indoors, despite arguments made by two Lake Jackson residents.
Amendments to the ordinance include eliminating the animal control commission, allowing livestock to be kept in the city for two weeks if approved by the city manager, requiring people to receive permission from City Council before bringing a wild animal into city limits and prohibiting the sale of animals on roadsides and in commercial parking lots.
Though some residents believe laws should be stricter on cats, council members said the new city ordinance can address the problems those residents brought up.
“If you know of a nuisance animal, whether a cat or whatever, you should be able to call the humane officers and they should be able to respond,” Councilman Gerald Roznovsky said. “The ordinance enables them, if it’s a nuisance, to remove the animal.”
Linda Duval and Tom Taroni came forward to ask for several changes to the ordinance, but council felt their proposed amendments aren’t needed.
“Every situation that I have heard can be resolved by this ordinance as it stands today,” Roznovsky said Monday.
“We have an ordinance here that will do away with feral animals,” he said.
In response to Taroni’s request to have a workshop to discuss the ordinance, Mayor Bob Sipple said that is a possibility.
“There’s two sides to every story, so I think the suggestion made by Tom about a workshop is probably something we should consider,” Sipple said. “We can pass this ordinance because it gives us the ability to do some things that we need to do now.”
The animal control commission was eliminated because the panel no longer is functioning and is not necessary, City Manager Bill Yenne said. As a result, permission to bring wild animals into city limits will come from City Council instead of the commission, he said.
People now must request permission from Yenne to have livestock in city limits for two weeks. Livestock usually are brought into the city for nativity scenes and petting zoos, Yenne said. This will give the city some control over what is brought in to the city, he said.
The biggest change to the animal control ordinance was council’s decision to no longer allow animals to be sold on roadways or in public parking lots.
This amendment was made at the request of Christian Ramsey, executive director of Southern Brazoria County Animal Shelter.
“The biggest issue it that people who sell in parking lots and roadsides promote puppy mills and backyard breeders,” Ramsey said.
When people purchase animals in commercial parking lots, it often is an impulse buy and they don’t think about the money, time or training involved in taking care of a pet, he said. These animals often end up at the animal shelter when the new owners realize they cannot take care of the pet.
In other business Monday, City Council:
APPROVED: A pole skirting variance for a business park at 208 Oak Drive S. Ron Clark of Clark Development proposed a sign post that was decorative and the city allowed him to not have pole skirting, such as brick, Yenne said.
The pole skirting ordinance was amended in a previous meeting after the business owner brought his situation before the board, he Yenne said. No one spoke at the public hearing for the variance.
APPROVED: Rezoning 102 Birch from residential to professional offices as recommended by the planning and zoning board. The change was requested by Janis Wells, who plans to set up a physical therapy practice at the house, Yenne said.
Katlynn Lanham covers Lake Jackson for The Facts. Contact her at (979) 237-0150.
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