Moore council caps in-home pet daycares at five, approves equipment purchases and code updates

Moore — The Moore City Council on Feb. 19 amended and approved an ordinance to allow in-home dog and cat daycares but limit the number of animals to five per residence and moved appeals of enforcement decisions to the Board of Adjustment. The council also approved several budgeted equipment purchases for public safety, updated city licensing rules for massage and tattoo businesses, awarded a mowing contract and authorized right-of-way acquisition services for a road-widening project.

The amendment to the home-occupation rules (Ordinance No. 1,062.25 as presented) reduces an initial draft cap of nine animals to five, sets pickup and drop-off hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and creates a 200-foot notification radius for neighbors when an appeal is heard. Brian (Community Development Director) described the changes as a way to “tighten that up a bit, to make sure that we don't have an excessive amount of animals on a piece of property,” and said enforcement would be complaint-driven.

Why it matters: the ordinance balances residents' ability to operate small pet-care businesses at home against neighbors' concerns about noise, traffic and odor. Council members debated the appropriate cap before voting to amend the number and then approve the ordinance.

Key council actions and supporting details

- Home-occupation ordinance (dog/cat daycare): Council amended the staff proposal to limit animals to five and approved the amended ordinance. The ordinance treats an in-home daycare as allowed under the home-occupation rules with additional conditions: a 5‑animal cap (including up to four personal animals plus additional animals permitted under the daycare allowance), restricted hours for drop-off/pickup (7 a.m.–7 p.m.), appeals routed to the Board of Adjustment, and a 200-foot notice radius for appeals. The council voted unanimously on the amendment and on final approval.

- Body-camera storage purchase: Approved a budgeted purchase of on-premises body-camera storage hardware in the amount of $29,932 from Davenport Group using State Contract SW1020D; the storage plan described roughly 200–250 TB of primary storage plus a mirrored backup on-site.

- Mobile radios: Approved purchase of 10 Harris XL‑185M mobile radios for $34,095.81 under Sourcewell contract 042021‑L3H.

- Patrol ballistic vests: Approved purchase of 24 patrol ballistic vests (including Level II panels, concealed carriers and soft trauma plates) for $24,112.80 from Special Ops Uniforms via State Contract SW764; staff said the purchase replaces armor past its five-year warranty.

- Massage business licensing ordinance: Council passed an amendment to the city code (referenced as part of the License and Business Regulations) to update application requirements for business and therapist licenses, remove obsolete requirements (for example, physical 2x2 photos), and eliminate separate off-site and seated-massage licenses because the state therapist license covers practitioners. Staff said the change is intended to streamline the city clerk's licensing process and does not alter state licensing or training requirements.

- Tattoo and body-piercing ordinance: Council removed a local prohibition that had barred tattoo establishments within 1,000 feet of schools, churches or playgrounds, citing court rulings that struck down that type of restriction (staff referenced prior case law on the subject). Staff also clarified application distinctions between operator and artist licenses and updated documentation requirements.

- Animal-surrender ordinance technical correction: Council approved an amended ordinance (code citation presented as Part 4, Article 4‑1D, section 4‑1‑45) that changes the trigger for the surrender requirement from a conviction only to a “plea or finding of guilt,” to capture cases where a defendant is found guilty but may receive a deferred sentence. Staff said the item corrected language omitted from the prior meeting's draft.

- Mowing contract award: The council awarded Bid No. 2025‑007 for public-right‑of‑way mowing to Green Shade Trees, Inc., the lowest responsive bidder, for $271,890. Staff said the contract covers mowing of about 50 locations and is structured as a five‑year contract reviewed annually, with additional one‑year renewal options; price adjustments are capped by the Southern CPI and increases require agreement by both parties. The contractor is required to pick up trash before mowing.

- Right-of-way acquisition services: Council approved a $106,950 agreement with Pinnacle Consulting Management Group, Inc., for right‑of‑way acquisition services related to the South Telephone Road reconstruction and widening project (from Southwest 19th Street to Southwest 34th Street). Staff said 12 parcels will require some acquisition and that the project is an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) project.

Other procedural items

- Council tabled proposed fee-schedule changes (item 9 and later item 15) after staff and council members requested more time to review one specific fee line (6‑1‑12). Item 10 was also tabled.

- Several routine consent-docket items and internal authority meetings (Moore Public Works Authority, Moore Risk Management, Moore Economic Development Authority) were approved or recessed by unanimous votes.

- Executive session: The council met in executive session to discuss pending litigation (Case No. CJ‑2025‑89 filed in Cleveland County) under 25 Oklahoma Statute 307(B)(4). After reconvening the council moved “to proceed as directed” in executive session and approved that motion by roll call.

Votes at a glance (summary of formal roll-call outcomes recorded in the meeting minutes)

- Item 3 (Home-occupation ordinance, amended to 5 animals): amendment carried (5–0); final approval carried (5–0). - Item 4 (Body-camera storage, $29,932, Davenport Group, State Contract SW1020D): approved (5–0). - Item 5 (10 Harris XL‑185M mobile radios, $34,095.81, Sourcewell 042021‑L3H): approved (5–0). - Item 6 (24 patrol ballistic vests, $24,112.80, Special Ops Uniforms, SW764): approved (5–0). - Item 7 (Massage licensing ordinance changes): approved (5–0). - Item 8 (Tattoo/body-piercing ordinance edits and removal of 1,000‑ft prohibition): approved (5–0). - Item 9 (Fee schedule change or whole item): tabled (vote recorded as yes to table; 5–0). - Item 10: tabled (5–0). - Item 11 (Animal surrender wording correction): approved (5–0). - Item 12 (Mowing contract award to Green Shade Trees, Inc., $271,890): approved (5–0). - Item 13 (Right-of-way services contract with Pinnacle, $106,950): approved (5–0). - Items 14–18 (consent dockets and internal authority items): carried/pass (roll calls recorded as unanimous where taken). - Item 20 (post-executive-session action to proceed as directed): approved (5–0).

What council members and staff emphasized

Council members questioned the appropriate animal cap for in‑home daycares and whether enforcement would be manageable; the staff presentation said enforcement is complaint-driven and that existing personal-animal limits (four per household) are part of the calculation. On equipment purchases, staff emphasized that storage is on-premises with mirrored backups and that body armor replacements were overdue because of warranty timelines. On contracts, staff explained annual review mechanisms and CPI caps for increases.

Next steps and context

The amended home-occupation ordinance and code changes take effect as ordinances normally do under Moore’s code (no special effective date was given on the record). Staff will proceed with contract signings and procurement under the referenced state and cooperative-contract numbers. The council left several fee-schedule items for later consideration and directed staff to return with additional information.

The meeting also included recognition of Fire Chief Greg Herbster for 35 years of service; council members and staff offered thanks and congratulations during the remarks portion of the agenda.