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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001 02 12 Regular G Animal Control Issues COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM G Consent Informational Public Hearing Regular X February 12. 2001 Meeting / Authorization REQUEST: The Community Development Department-Code Enforcement Division requests the City Commission considers information regarding animal control issues. PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to request the City Commission considers information regarding animal control issues. APPLICABLE LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY: The City of Winter Springs adopted the Seminole County Animal Control ordinance in 1974. Seminole County maintains the Animal Control Board. This Board makes determinations of dangerous and fierce animals, sets standards for their confinement, and makes recommendations for other issues. Seminole County Animal Control Department maintains staff and equipment for the capture and confinement of animals. CONSIDERATIONS: In 1999, the Winter Springs Police Department received 306 calls for service involving animal issues. The Police Department responded to each of these calls. In the year 2000,406 calls for service were received and again, each of these calls for service was addressed. The Police Department, as a matter of policy, responds to each and every call for service. Only when an animal must be removed from the area or when an attack is reported is the Seminole County Animal Control Department also involved. On October 5, 2000, both the Police Department and Code Enforcement received a complaint, FEBRUARY 12, 2000 REGULAR AGENDA ITEM G Page 2 and responded to 1002 Gator Lane. A police officer and code officer responded to a complaint that a dog or dogs were running loose in a neighbor's yard. The property owner at 1002 Gator Lane admitted that one of the dogs under her care had wandered onto her neighbor's yard. A Warning Notice of Code Violation was issued per City Code and Florida Statutes. There is no record of any other calls for service to that address since October, 2000. The neighbor that made the complaint was concerned because Ms. Rawlins at 1002 Gator Lane is involved in a Pet Rescue operation and often has several dogs and cats at her home for brief periods of time while they await adoption. The City Code prohibits kennels in areas other than R-U( Rural Urban Dwelling Districts) and C-2 (General Commercial and Industrial Districts) zoning districts and defines a kennel as "more than two (2) adult dogs or cats, over six months of age per household" (Section 20-415). However, the animals that may be at Ms. Rawlins residence do not stay for any considerable length oftime and as such, mayor may not constitute a kennel as defined by our code. Further clarification may be necessary, if desired to limit this type of activity in residential areas. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Commission give direction for amending the code to restrict pet rescue type operations from residential areas, if desired. ATTACHMENTS: A. Section 20-415, City Code COMMISSION ACTION: ATTACHMENT A ~ 20-411 WINTER SPRINGS CODE ARTICLE V. SUPPLEMENTAL DISTRICT REGULATIONS DIVISION 1. GENERALLY Sec. 20-411. Trailers. No house trailers will be permitted in residen- tial zone 'areas except for residential zones specif- ically providing for mobile homes. Campers, camp trailers and boats and trailers will be permitted if kept in a garage, carport, rear yard or side yard not fronting on any street, providing no one occupies them. (Ord. No. 44, 9 44.74, 1-8-68) Sec. 20-412. Trailer uses. Trailers may be kept only in areas designated as trailer parks, except as designated in section 20-432. A temporary permit may be obtained from the city commission for use in commercial, rural and residential (areas). (Ord. No. 44, 9 44.75, 1-8-68) Sec. 20-413. Animals. No one shall keep the following animals in R-1, R-1A and R-1AA residential zone areas: Horses, cows, pigs, chickens, geese, goats or any other fowl or livestock, other than household pets. (Ord. No. 44, 9 44.77, 1-8-68) Sec. 20-414. Exceptions. Horses and ponies may be permitted in R-1AA areas provided at least one (1) acre of land is available for each animal. (Ord. No. 44, ~ 44.78, 1-8-68) Sec. 20-415. Kennels. More than two (2) adult dogs or cats, over six (6) months of age, per household, shall be deemed a kennel. (Ord. No. 44, 944.79, 1-8-68) Sec. '20-416. Kennel zoning. Kennels will be allowed in C-2 commercial and R- U zoned areas. (Ord. No. 44, 9 44.80, 1-8-68) 1364 Sees. 20-417-20-430. Reserved. DIVISION 2. MOTOR VEHICLES Sec. 20-431. Parking, storage or maintenance of certain vehicles prohibited in residentially zoned districts. In order to protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare, and among other pur- poses, to provide light, safety from fire, safety from other damages and to protect property own- ers from certain general nuisances associated with the unregulated parking, storage or mainte- nance of certain vehicles, the parking, storage or maintenance of certain vehicles as herein speci- fied in the areas herein specified are prohibited except as herein provided: (1) Prohibitions: a. Except as provided in section 20-434 below, no person owning, renting or leasing real property in a residential zoned district shall cause or allow to be parked on any residential prop- erty a commercial vehicle as defined in section 20-432. b. No person owning, renting, leasing or otherwise being in control of the use of any lot, parcel or piece of real property located in a residentially zoned district or living thereupon shall cause or allow any vehicles as enumerated in (1)a. above to be parked, stored or maintained upon such property. c. No recreational vehicles shall be oc- cupied as temporary living quarters while such recreational vehicle is parked or stored within a residen- tially zoned district in the city. No recreational vehicle parked or stored in the city shall have its wheels removed except for repair or mainte- nance. d. No recreational vehicle shall be parked in such a way that it shall obstruct the view of traffic or impede the vision of vehicular traffic. c ( c