Staffordshire Terrier Club of America - Legislative Committee

By Nicole Fields
Published:

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 5:09 PM CDT

NEW HAVEN – Laws by which dog owners in the Town of New Haven must abide are about to get much stricter.

During Tuesday’s meeting, council members unanimously approved the first reading of a revised animal ordinance that outlines various new rules for dog owners within the municipality.

Among the changes are a new registration fee of $5, which will be required of every household where a dog over the age of eight weeks resides; the species of dogs permitted in the town – pit bulls and rottweilers will not be permitted, but those currently living in the town will be allowed to stay; and fines that range from $25 to $1,000 for any dog owner found in violation of the ordinance.

Additionally, pet owners that violate the ordinance will not have to be notified by mail that they are in violation, and law enforcement officers will be permitted to take action immediately, including seizing a dog that demonstrates vicious behavior.

Council members believe the revised ordinance is necessary after several residents voiced concern recently that vicious dogs have been running loose in the town and have tried to attack other animals.

“I support (the revised ordinance) 100 percent,” Mayor Steve Smith added.

The final reading will take place at the next meeting.

In other business, council members:

Discussed repairing and paving several streets in town. Smith said the town had received an estimate of $41,000 to pave various streets in the municipality, including Allendale Court, Lynn Drive, Oak Street and Travis Drive.

Several residents of Oak Street were in attendance and voiced their concern about the paving of the street. They all agreed that the work needs to be done, but some were not in favor of footing the more than $600 bill that would be charged to each homeowner, a practice that Smith said has been in existence for as long as he can remember. In fact, many of the homeowners said they were charged for the paving of the street more than 25 years ago when it was in bad shape then.

Council members also discussed implementing a new monthly fee for all residents, with the money generated being directed to a street repair fund.

Smith said town employees will repair the holes with hot patch in the coming weeks and that the town would proceed from there.

Tabled a temporary right-of-way agreement that would serve as a contract between the town and individual landowners within the municipality.

The agreement was designed to give town employees access to the landowner’s property to perform any necessary work.

Were told that the police department received $3,600 to be used for new equipment, including laptop computers for the police cruisers. The funding was awarded to the department for its participation in programs sponsored by the Governor’s Highway Safety program.

Adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

The next meeting will be 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4.

http://www.mydailyregister.com/articles/2008/07/23/news/news00.txt