City backs off adopting state animal cruelty law

The City of Clarendon will not be adopting a state animal cruelty statute as city ordinance after legal counsel advised against it.

The Board of Aldermen had been considering the move as a way to deal with city residents who keep dogs on chains and give the animals virtually no care or attention.

But during last Tuesday’s regular meeting, City Secretary Linda Smith said the city’s attorney told her the board could not duplicate a state law as a city ordinance with a lesser charge. He instead recommended that if the city’s animal control officer finds someone in violation of the state law, he should file a complaint with the sheriff so the tougher state penalty can be imposed.

Alderman Janice Knorpp said she thought the state law did not go far enough.

“If they are cruel to animals they should not be able to own another one,” she said.

The board agreed to have the animal control officer file complaints with the sheriff.

In other city business, the board discussed amending the zoning ordinance for the R-2 District to allow for physical therapy facilities. The board decided to include the R-1 District in this amendment and approved the first reading. A public hearing and second reading will be held December 13.

Rhonda Howell presented a bottle of tap water from her home that was brown. Alderman Bobbie Kidd said he had collected eight samples and said test results should be available in a couple of weeks. Mrs. Howell will provide future samples, which will be used as evidence in a grant application to replace water lines.

City Superintendent Jim Roberts said the engineer had conducted a one-year inspection of the work that had been done at the airport. According to the report, the trench and embankment that settled should be filled in, the area south of and adjacent to the runway should be reseeded, the area of erosion north of the south runway turnaround should be repaired and the area reseeded, and the hay bales and silt fence should be removed. He also gave a progress report on the street project.