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Supervisors set public hearings to rewrite county ‘animal at large’ ordinance and appoint special prosecutor
Summary
Benton County supervisors set three public hearing dates for an extensive amendment of Ordinance 37 (animal at large), authorized publication of the hearings and appointed private attorney Victoria Cole as special prosecutor for an initial hearing on alleged ordinance violations.
Benton County supervisors voted to schedule multiple public hearings on a comprehensive rewrite of Ordinance 37, the county’s animal-at-large code, and appointed a special prosecutor to handle an imminent enforcement hearing.
County staff said the current ordinance was drafted when the county operated an animal shelter and no longer reflects present realities, including where impounded animals are held and who bears costs of care and enforcement. County counsel and staff recommended a public process with three hearings and a summary notice published in the county’s official newspapers.
County legal staff explained that updating the ordinance will require publication and three readings; they proposed public hearing dates of July 15, July 22 and July 29 with hearing start times moved to 10:00 a.m. to allow more participation. At the meeting supervisors approved the proposed hearing schedule and directed staff to publish the required notices in the county’s official newspapers.
The board also approved a separate hearing on July 1 at 1:00 p.m. in the Benton County courtroom to consider an appeal and potential enforcement action under the existing ordinance. For that matter the board voted to appoint private-practice attorney Victoria Cole as special prosecutor to represent the county; supervisors said Cole has prior experience handling similar conflicts for other counties.
County staff and supervisors discussed multiple substantive issues the rewrite must address, including: how to identify and fund animal-holding capacity now that the county no longer operates a shelter; whether costs for sheriff responses or impoundments can be assessed to owners; how to define and enforce “at-large” behavior; and how to structure civil infractions, fines and owner liabilities.
Several supervisors urged caution and comprehensive legal review, noting the county should avoid creating rights-of-action or vague standards that would be difficult to administer. The board voted to authorize the publication of hearing notices and to appoint Cole; the July 1 enforcement hearing in the county courtroom was scheduled and Cole was authorized to begin reviewing evidence and case materials if the appointment is accepted.
