Clarendon adopts fee for animal surrenders

The Clarendon City Council approved a new fee for animal control and took other actions during their meeting on December 21.

The amendment to Ordinance 491 would add a fee for surrendering animals to the city. The charge would be $50 for dogs and cats over six months old, and $20 for puppies and kittens. If the animal has not been spayed or neutered, there will be an additional charge of $27.50.

The city approved a budget amendment to allow $3,000 for improvements to the animal control building to bring it into compliance with state rules.

In other business, the council approved a letter of engagement with Foster, Lambert, and Foard for the fiscal year 2023 audit, and voted to allow City Administrator Brian Barboza to act on behalf of the city in protesting a rate increase by Southwestern Electric Power Company.

A proposal to replace the broken beacon at the Smiley Johnson Municipal Airport with a new LED fixture was also approved.

In his administrator’s report, Barboza said the new sewer lift station is operational but not quite complete, and he said an ADA inspection is set for the downtown revitalization work next week.