Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 4, 2013 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 7 -b <br />SUBJECT: Unified Animal Control Ordinance <br />DEPARTMENT: Animal Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1) Strikethrough- Underline Version of <br />Draft Unified Animal Control <br />Ordinance <br />2) Clean Copy of the Draft Unified <br />Animal Control Ordinance <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Bob Marotto, (919) 968 -2287 <br />Annette Moore, (919) 245 -2317 <br />1 <br />PURPOSE: To propose amending the Orange County Animal Control Ordinance to make it a <br />Unified Animal Control Ordinance. <br />BACKGROUND: Beginning July 1, 2013, Orange County Animal Services will be providing <br />Animal Control Services to all parts Orange County except for the portion of Orange County <br />within Mebane. Despite the increasing integration of animal services through Orange County <br />Animal Services, there are three different animal ordinances in force (all available online <br />at http:// orangecountync .gov /AnimalServices /info.asp). Orange County, Chapel Hill and <br />Carrboro all have their own ordinances, while Hillsborough has adopted the County's ordinance. <br />The differences in the local Ordinances have proven to be complicated and confusing, not only <br />for staff charged with responsibility for regulatory functions and the Court system, but perhaps <br />most importantly for the residents of Orange County. <br />Because animal services within the County have become more unified and integrated than they <br />have been in the past, for the past year County staff has been working on a proposed Unified <br />Animal Control Ordinance with the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. In this context, County <br />staff initiated the effort to create a unified animal ordinance by convening a work group of staff <br />from the involved jurisdictions. Staff from Chapel Hill and Carrboro have been integral to the <br />process responsible for the proposed ordinance, and upon County adoption of the ordinance, <br />the towns' staffs will present the ordinance for consideration by their respective governing <br />boards. <br />More specifically, the work group has consisted of the staff attorney for the Chapel Hill Police <br />Department with animal control responsibilities, the Carrboro Police Chief and a Carrboro Police <br />Captain, the staff attorney for County Animal Services, and the County's Animal Services <br />Director and Animal Control Manager. Hillsborough staff elected not to participate in the work <br />group but is fully aware of this project. Most recently, the Town Manager and Police Chief <br />received a copy of the draft unified ordinance and an invitation to offer comment. Also, efforts <br />