Starkville aldermen will hold their first public hearing on a permanent ban against pets in cemeteries during their 5:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall Tuesday.
The board previously issued a moratorium that temporarily banned all domesticated animals from public cemeteries earlier this month after a growing number of reports claimed residents are allowing their dogs to defecate in those areas without disposing of their pets’ waste.
Starkville’s 2008 animal control ordinance already states no residents shall allow their pets to defecate on any property other than that of the owner and makes it the owner’s responsibility to clean up after the animal if they do so. People with disabilities relying on service dogs are exempt from the rule.
The proposed change adds a straight-forward clause: “No domesticated animal shall be allowed on the property of any cemetery owned and/or maintained by” the city.
As written, the animal control ordinance already tasks Starkville Police Department “and any other lawfully designed official or representative of the city” with enforcement, which includes the issuance of municipal court summons and citations.
The board’s move to enact a stringent ban comes from a recommendation made by the Starkville Cemetery Association. In October, SCA President Charlotte Coker sent a letter to aldermen asking them to only allow service animals required for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and suggested the city install high quality signs proclaiming the overall ban at University Drive’s Oddfellows and Brush Arbor cemeteries, as well as the Highway 182 Oddfellows location.
Aldermen attempted an outright ban on Nov. 3 but backed down after board attorney Chris Latimer said the move action would go against city policy to first hold two public hearings before amending an ordinance.
The board voted 6-1 that night to institute the moratorium. Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker opposed the action and said he voted against the matter because he would rather encourage pet owners to clean up after their animals, rather than implementing the ban.
Lafayette bid outpaces financial cap
Aldermen will also consider accepting a quote for Lafayette Street sidewalk improvements, but the lowest bid for the work is almost $6,000 more than the cap set by the city in October.
The board previously began a bidding process for sidewalk and alley improvements not to exceed $10,000 after Tabor Management lobbied aldermen for the work.
The city, however, received three bids, ranging from JCV Construction’s $15,900 proposal to one from Phillips Contracting Company for $49,575.
Both Tabor Management and developer Steve Langston are preparing two separate, mixed-use properties on Lafayette Street. Tabor’s website lists Gallery 106, its development, as two three-bedroom, three-bathroom luxury loft condominiums averaging about 2,300 square feet. The price tag for a unit starts at $474,900.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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