Vicious dog ordinance OK’d by Carson City supervisors

The Board of Supervisors on Thursday heard several ordinances that have been discussed for the last several meetings.

The board passed an amendment to the Carson City’s dog ordinance concerning dangerous and vicious dogs that extends rules to harm to other animals and not just humans.

The ordinance was voted on 3-2 at the last supervisors meeting but the vote was withdrawn when it was discovered the draft ordinance available to the public was an earlier version.

The ordinance passed with Supervisors John Barrette and Brad Bonkowski again voting no because of concerns the changes might result in the euthanization of a dog that had only threatened but not harmed anyone.

Kiska Icard, chief executive officer, Nevada Humane Society, which operates the Carson City animal shelter, said she understood the concern, but experts including law enforcement and animal control would be involved to ensure that didn’t happen.

“We would never recommend euthanization unless the dog was a danger to the community,” said Icard.

The board also passed changes to the city liquor code that will, among other things, allow for review of liquor licenses by a hearings officer.

The city’s new encroachment ordinance had a first reading.

The ordinance lays out the requirements for obtaining a permit to encroach on a city right of way.

It’s primarily for downtown retail businesses that want to put displays in the now wider sidewalks or restaurants on McFadden Plaza that want to serve patrons outside.

The ordinance requires iron fencing to create the outdoor dining space and the supervisors discussed grandfathering in vinyl fencing now used by Bella Fiore, but decided against it.

The supervisors also heard on first reading a code change that wouldn’t require developers building single-family homes in a multifamily zone to add open space, as required for apartments, because single-family dwellings have private open space.

Most of the time in the morning, before the afternoon’s lengthy budget presentation, was spent on whether to move a public health educator position dedicated to the safe routes program for biking and walking to schools from Health & Human Services to Public Works and adding some duties for managing the latter department’s public relations.

The position is currently funded by a grant which requires the worker to dedicate all her time to the safe routes program so Public Works suggested using some funds from the water fund and sewer fund to pay 10 percent of the salary.

Initially, Supervisor Lori Bagwell questioned using money from the two funds, which are funded by rates, but in the end the transfer was approved by the board.

The meeting started with two proclamations: one declaring Carson City a Purple Heart City and honoring several war veterans in attendance and a second proclaiming the month of May 2017 as the inaugural Shine Blue Lights Tribute and Remembrance For Sheriff’s Deputies and All Other Peace Officers Serving Carson City.

Campagni Auto Group is donating free blue light bulbs, available at its Toyota or Ford dealerships, to be used in porch and other outdoor lights to honor fallen police officers, including Carson City Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Howell, who was killed Aug. 15, 2015, and Las Vegas Police Detective Chad Parque, who died Jan. 7 when a wrong-way driver hit his car head-on.