Los Alamitos dogs without licenses and their owners received 30-day reprieve from City Council members approved at their Tuesday, Nov. 16 meeting.
An amnesty program, which will run throughout December, was created after spirited discussion regarding the cost and collection of fees in June. Part of the discussion was on the estimation that only 14-percent of the dogs in the city are licensed. Recent canvassing efforts by Long Beach Animal Care Services and a downward trend in the number of dogs now put that compliance at 38-percent.
Support Services Manager Cassandra Palmer said as many as 91 dogs may have late or expired dog licenses in the city, which would make the subject to the $30 late fee, which is assessed on accounts more than 60 days past due. Palmer said she is unsure if those dogs still reside in the city or exist. Last year, $870 was collected as the result of 29 imposed late fees.
Without the fee, there is no incentive for dog owners to license their dogs, which would cause the compliance rate to drop lower. With the current economic situation, the program will allow for a one-time relief. In January, Animal Care Services would reinitiate a door-to-door canvassing campaign.
Amnesty programs can yield compliance of up to 40-percent of the expired tags. More importantly, the program could lead to a determination as to how many of the estimated dogs actually exist.
A public information campaign will start soon, Palmer said. Mayor Pro Tem Ken Stephens said having the dogs registered and with a microchip allows them to be found and reunited with their owners more quickly.
In other news, City Attorney Sandra Levin announced the City would be defending itself against a lawsuit filed by the Citizens for a Fair Trash Contract saying the city’s trash contract, which was awarded to Consolidated Disposal earlier this year, should be voided.
In addition, Consolidated has agreed to pay for the defense at no cost to the city.
The council also approved the adoption of new building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes, which the state said must be approved before the end of the year.
Cities are allowed to amend some of the codes, however, and Los Alamitos voted unanimously to take out the clause requiring sprinklers in all room additions of more than 1,000 square feet and make up 33-percent or more of the actual construction, citing economic conditions.
Council member Gerri Graham-Mejia said she thought having sprinklers in rooms was a great idea, but thought putting citizens in a financial bind because of the increased fees put a bad taste in her mouth.
Mayor Marilynn Poe stated she had no problem with sprinklers in new construction but agreed with Mejia that on additions, it was a different story.
The cost of adding sprinklers to rooms can add approximately $2 per square foot to the cost, according to city staff and the Orange County Fire Authority.
