The Holiday Island City Council has begun initial talks with Good Shepherd Humane Society about a possible partnership to help with animal control in the city.
Cole Wakefield, executive director for GSHS, gave a presentation at the council’s July 18 regular meeting about how the organization could offer the city various animal services, including an early draft of a proposed animal ordinance.
“What the models I sent sort of do is just set up a basic citation structure and some basic authorizations for somebody to work with the city to enforce the codes,” Wakefield said.
“I think probably most of the complaints that the mayor gets are just dogs running at large. So, we definitely would want to have some sort of rule with that. And also there’s a dumping ordinance … all those are what we can look at deeper depending on what sort of level Holiday Island wants. But the idea behind all of this … we want to work with the community, especially since we’d be coming into a community that has not had prior regulation. People are used to doing things, certain things a certain way.
Wakefield’s proposal to Holiday Island is a community contract for GSHS to provide a parttime animal services employee who would work 20 hours a week.
“That person would have a vehicle and maybe a city-provided desk,” Wakefield said. “The primary job would be patrolling the city and building those relationships and providing animal service. We would have an impound contract where we would guarantee, I think we’re looking at three kennel spaces at all times for dogs from Holiday Island that need a place to go. That impound would include vaccinations and, in some cases, sterilization, the whole package that it takes to run an impound.”
All animals who come though the GSHS impound, located between Eureka Springs and Berryville, would also be microchipped, Wakefield said.
“We could really enhance our services in the community,” he said.
The “ballpark figure” for a contract such as Wakefield’s proposal would cost the city between $30,000 to $40,000 a year, he said.
“That would get you a turnkey service operation that is community- focused with some enforcement power,” Wakefield said. “Really, the idea is that almost, in most places, 75 percent of your issues with animals can be resolved right there in the field, either by returning that animal and making those contacts and really building that community and that pet-friendly community.
Ideally, the agreement would call for the employee to live in Holiday Island and get to know the community, Wakefield said.
“We would want someone being engaged with the community and this really be a community service,” he said. “Holiday Island has a very unique chance or challenge of being a new city to start out with and an animal services person here aren’t here to write you a ticket. You might have repeat offenders who don’t comply and then we have to get into that, but primarily they’d be here to figure out what’s going on and help this community be good pet owners.
“We don’t want to just come in, round up everybody’s dogs that are loose, take them to the shelter and say good luck. We definitely want to have that grace period and that understanding and we really want to get people an enforcement person or a service individual that would be dedicated towards working with the community to primarily return these dogs back to their homes, bring the ones in that need to come in and then provide additional services.”
Additional services could include vaccine and microchip events held periodically throughout the year among other educational services the proposed employee could help facilitate, Wakefield said.
“I think this is a real good start for us,” Holiday Island Mayor Dan Kees said. “We have some homework to do.”
Kees said a workshop could be scheduled in the near future to further discuss the proposal.
“This is something that we would want to do and we know that this type of animal services work is truly a quality-of-life enhancement for a community,” Wakefield said. “We don’t want to be setting up an enforcement agency, but more of a quality-of-life
CODE ENFORCEMENT SOFTWARE
The council approved purchasing iWorQ code enforcement management cloud-based software at the request of Aaron Hoyt, who has been the city’s code enforcement officer for the past year.
Hoyt told council members that the software comes with an annual fee of $2,000 and will include a “negotiable” initial set-up fee of $1,300.
The new software would handle all of the behind-the-scenes documentation and paperwork needed to property maintain the information needed for code enforcement as the city prepares to start issuing citations where needed, Hoyt said.
“I’ve been in code enforcement for about 12 months now and during that time we’ve just got the ability to issue citations that were actually going to be valid and that would follow through with the district court,” Hoyt told council members. “So within the last months, last few weeks, I’ve been able to make contact with numerous violators.
“I have found that for the most part, most are willing to correct the issues once you bring them to their attention, but there are always going to be some that are … what I call heavy hitters that are sworn to destroy everything that comes into their path.”
Hoyt said current spreadsheets don’t allow him to property track repeat violators while compiling the proper documentation that would be needed to prosecute violators in court.
Some council members questioned why it has taken so long for Hoyt to issue citations on some properties with overgrown lawns or other violations.
“With some of the violators that we’re tracking right now, if we misstep even a little bit, it’s going to set us back to zero,” Hoyt said. “If we don’t come to them with our ducks completely in a row, they’re going to find something and find a way to get out of it.”
Kees defended Hoyt’s work.
“I know that some people are not happy with the speed at which we’re moving,” the mayor said. “But, it took 50 years to create these problems. It’s going to take more than three months … I think you’re totally overlooking the fact that [Hoyt] has gotten numerous problems solved without going to the extent of writing citations. Writing citations is not the first step in the process.”
Added Hoyt: “Rome was not built in a day. Neither will the code enforcement work.”
BUILDING CODE ADDITIONS
The council also approved, with an emergency clause that seemed to make it effective immediately, some changes to the city’s building code ordinance.
The changes include rules regarding installing solar panels and swimming pools.
“We didn’t think that the solar installations were of that much consequence, but the more we got into it, the more we found out that solar panels are actually pretty high voltage and there are requirements relative to fire department access of a roof,” Kees said.
The change of the ordinance includes a requirement of solar installation permit, including electrical work completed by an electrician licensed by the state of Arkansas and inspected by an electrical inspector license by the state.
“A final state inspection is required to be signed by the inspector and the electric before Carroll Electric will permit going online,” the new ordinance reads.
In regard to swimming pool installations, changes include that for above-ground pools, an electrical inspection by a licensed electrician is required.
For in-ground pools, “if a retaining wall is being incorporated, the construction plans for the retaining wall must be approved by the building inspector.”
“All electrical must be approved by a licensed electrician before covering any wire,” the new ordinance reads. “Drains for in-ground pools must be connected to the HISID sewer system in accordance with all applicable plumbing codes and regulations.”
Also for in-ground pools, all grounding must be connected by wiring methods in accordance with the National Electric Code.
The new code reads: “The following must be grounded: All electrical equipment associated with circulation system; All electrical equipment located within 5 feed of the inside wall of the pool water; All throughwall lighting assemblies and underwater luminaries; Panelboards that supply electricity to equipment associated with the pool.”
The new ordinance also lists new bonding requirements for pools.
Because of ongoing projects that could be affected, Kees said the emergency clause was requested.
The council voted to approve the ordinance changes and the emergency clause. However, a reading and vote on a second and third reading of the proposed ordinance, which is typically required before a vote on an emergency clause, didn’t take place.
