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DRAFT Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, October 21, 2013 <br /> Page 4 <br /> With additional audience members arriving, Mayor Roe reiterated his announcement regarding <br /> the rescheduling of the organized trash collection item to the November 18, 2013 meeting to al- <br /> low staff to prepare additional background information; and offered another opportunity for pub- <br /> lic comment, with no one coming forward. <br /> 8. General Ordinances for Adoption <br /> a. Consider an Ordinance Amending Title Five, Chapter 501 of the City Code <br /> Specific to Rabies Vaccinations <br /> Police Chief Rick Mathwig briefly summarized this requested ordinance amend- <br /> ment, basically a procedural change, as detailed in the Request for Council Action <br /> (RCA) dated October 21, 2013. Chief Mathwig advised that this recommendation <br /> was based on best practices used by area veterinarians, putting the monitoring <br /> process back in their hands; and also allowing City Police Reserve Officers to <br /> handle animal control. Chief Mathwig highlighted those recommended amend- <br /> ments on lines 102, 105, 121, and 178 of Attachment A, and a typographical cor- <br /> rection on line 259 of the draft. <br /> Councilmember Willmus expressed his concerns in striking language on line 121 <br /> removing the provision for submission by a lifetime license holder to the City <br /> every two years proof of animal rabies vaccinations, and proposing to only pro- <br /> vide that the owner maintain that proof. Councilmember Willmus questioned if <br /> this led to people purchasing lifetime licenses without pursuing annual vaccina- <br /> tions and the City's lack of ability to determine that. Given the amount of wildlife <br /> frequenting suburbia today, Councilmember Willmus opined that it was important <br /> to make sure animals were up-to-date with vaccinations, and reiterated his con- <br /> cerns in striking that specific language. <br /> Chief Mathwig advised that the recommendation language was based on changes <br /> in the veterinarian industry, with over-vaccination recently determined to be not <br /> healthy for dogs. Based on his experience in the City of Roseville, Chief <br /> Mathwig noted that, if a dog is licensed in the City, a vast majority of the time it <br /> was also vaccinated and updated as recommended by veterinarians. Chief <br /> Mathwig advised that the majority of issues were with animals that were not li- <br /> censed. <br /> Councilmember Willmus expressed concern with the type of activity engaged in <br /> by a dog, and whether they were indoor or outdoor pets, with frequency of vac- <br /> cinations determined by their outdoor exposure to rabies and potential for harm. <br /> Councilmember Willmus opined that it was advantageous to keep that submission <br /> of proof requirement for lifetime licenses intact, or to somehow have City staff <br /> verify that documentation. <br />