The Jefferson city council at its June 8 meeting had what mayor Matt Gordon called “a discussion to get the conversation rolling again” about feral cats.
Gordon, city council member Darren Jackson, and city attorney David Morain have met with members of the People for Animal Welfare Society (P.A.W.S.) about how to deal the problem. “We’ve been working pretty hard to figure this out,” Gordon said.
Council members had received for review a draft of amendments to the city’s animal protection and control ordinance. The ordinance mirrors an ordinance enacted in Panora several years ago, an ordinance which has worked to decrease the number of feral cats. “This isn’t an ordinance that’s about keeping cats. This is an ordinance to reduce the (feral) cat population, but in a humane way,” Morain said.
The ordinance doesn’t ban feeding colonies of feral cats. It requires those who feed colonies to identify themselves as “caretakers” and to register with the city. Caretakers are responsible not only for feeding cats, but for their medical needs also. Caretakers must also put the cats through a trap-neuter-return (TRN) program.
The ordinance calls for the city to implement TNR. Feral cats would be caught using live traps, surgically altered, have an ear notched to indicate they’ve been altered, microchipped, and vaccinated against rabies.
According to Jackson, the TNR program would rely on PAWS’ expertise and volunteer hours to work.
PAWS volunteer Ann Wenthold spoke on behalf of PAWS. She said that late in 2020 PAWS organized TNR in a few colonies. This spring there were few or no kittens born in those colonies. Wenthold said PAWS volunteer Shannon Hagen, who works closely with PAWS’ cat program, and Linn Price of Animal Protection and Education charity of Paton, both looked at the draft ordinance and suggested changes before it was submitted to the council. Those changes were made, Wenthold said.
“I hope we can move forward with this because it’s a much-needed thing in the community and there’s proof out there that it works,” Wenthold said.
Unregistered colonies would be treated as a nuisance and be subject to enforcement like other nuisances.
Council member Harry Ahrenholtz asked about the cost of TNR, and reminded the council “to take a hard look” and the impact it would have on the budget. Jackson responded that there’s already a line item in the budget for animal control, although it’s not specifically for TNR. He said there are only a “handful” of colonies in town now, and that per Price, grant opportunities sometimes open up once an ordinance is approved.
The ordinance was on the agenda as discussion only. Mayor Gordon invited residents with concerns or comments to contact him or Jackson.
In other business but also related to cats and dogs, the council approved an amended agreement with Atura Architecture to redraw plans for the animal shelter and put the project out for bids.
Bids came in at more than $1 million earlier this year. Since then, the shelter has been downsized to 6,000 square feet. There will still be room to house 30 cats, but the number of dog runs has been reduced from eight to six. The design will allow a wall to be moved in the future for expansion. Council member Dave Sloan, who has worked closely on the project, said bids are anticipated to be about $744,000. “I think we can get there this time,” Sloan said about the cost of the shelter and the available funds.
The city will pay Atura Architecture $14,600 per the amended agreement. The timeline calls for bid documents to be issued Aug. 12, bids to be opened Sept. 9, and a construction contract approved Sept. 14. Construction would begin in October at the earliest, with substantial completion in October 2022.
The council approved the second readings of ordinances to increase water rates by 3 percent for one year and wastewater rates by 5.5 percent each year for five years. Council members reported hearing comments from residents about the wastewater rate increase, but that in most cases, once they understood the increase was needed to pay for state-mandated upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, they were okay with the increase. Gordon clarified that after five years residents can expect to see wastewater rates increase 3 percent per year, not 5.5 percent.
The council approved the third reading of an ordinance changing much of the neighborhood north of the downtown district from residential single family to residential multifamily. The change will allow more units similar to those built by Rowland Construction on N. Olive St without spot zoning.
The council set June 22 as that date for public hearings on the proposed sale of city-owned property at 705 W. Adams S, 607 W. Lincoln Way, and 703 N. Chestnut St. There are interested buyers for each property. The first two sites are vacant lots; the third has dilapidated buildings on it.
