Dateline: May 23, 2002

Animal law returns as topic at city meeting 

The meeting of the Clarendon Board of Aldermen became heated last week as the city again faced criticism of its new animal ordinance.

“I won’t pay one red cent to keep a horse on my property,” said resident Carl Larsen, who claimed the ordinance violates his property rights.

Ordinance 340 requires landowners to obtain a $20 land license and a $10 per head permit in order to keep livestock in the city limits. The law also prescribes space requirements and other rules for keeping livestock in the city.

Alderman Michael Tibbets thanked Larsen for addressing the board and said he had erred in voting for the measure last month.

“I made a mistake voting for this ordinance,” Tibbets said. “It wasn’t the first mistake I have made, and it likely won’t be the last if I’m fortunate enough to keep living.”

Tibbets raised questions about the provision of the ordinance which specifies that violators may have their stock seized and said he thinks it violates state caps on what the city is allowed to confiscate.

Alderman Tommy Hill moved to repeal the ordinance, but that motion was deemed out of order since an ordinance cannot be repealed without a new ordinance to take its place.

“It would be just like the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment,” Tibbetts explained.

Other aldermen bristled at the idea of repealing the ordinance.

“What are we going to do without this?” Mayor Pro-tem Mark White asked. “We’re going to be in the same situation we were before with animals in the city limits.”

Alderman Bob Watson echoed White’s statement saying the council had spent a great deal of time on the new law and that it should stand. Watson moved, seconded by Alderman Janice Knorpp to table the ordinance until the May 28 meeting.

In other city business, Mayor Tex Selvidge administered the oath of office to newly elected Aldermen Tommy Hill, Janice Knorpp, and Mark White and presided over the selection of a new mayor pro-tem. Nominations for Watson and Tibbets both failed to receive support before White was nominated and was unanimously elected.

White took charge of the meeting, allowing the mayor to return home to continue his recovery from a recent surgery.

The board discussed the city’s ranking of engineering proposals for a street improvement plan. The board agreed that not enough time was taken in reviewing the proposals at the previous city meeting. Board consultant Colby Waters said that the ranking was done under state procurement guidelines and therefore the city must move forward with its selection or risk violating those rules.

David Pitts reported on the city’s emergency sirens and radios. He asked the board to consider getting a generator for City Hall to power the facility in case of an emergency.

The board also discussed the basement of City Hall and its use as a public shelter. The basement needs to be cleaned out, and new lighting needs to be installed.

An agreement providing for regulating subdivisions by the county within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality was discussed. The board approved a motion to let the county handle the matter.

The board approved Ordinance 341 which codifies all the ordinances passed by the city since 1901. The action has the effect of organizing the ordinances for easier reference and easier enforcement. It also eliminates some obsolete provisions and laws.