Bay City highlights animal rescue efforts, fentanyl-awareness campaign and public safety investments

Bay City police and animal-control staff updated council on a series of public-safety initiatives, including expanded animal-rescue transports, an ordinance review to address roaming animals and incentives for spay/neuter, a fentanyl‑awareness outreach campaign funded by a state pharmaceutical settlement, and deployment of license-plate reader cameras.

Presenters said the city prioritizes rescuing and rehoming stray and abandoned animals through frequent transports to regional rescue partners, including volunteers and city staff who help move animals as far as Colorado to improve adoption prospects. Staff said an animal-control ordinance update is in progress and awaiting review by the city attorney; proposed changes mentioned outreach, education, containment, vaccinations and spay/neuter incentives.

On drug outreach, presenters described a fentanyl-awareness installation on the east side of town funded through a state pharmaceutical settlement; staff emphasized that the project had no impact on the city general fund. The police department also reported 149 drug-seizure cases and 102 drug-related arrests year to date (October to current fiscal year), and said every officer has completed mental‑health peace-officer training.

The police department said it operates four license-plate‑reader camera sites and is installing eight additional units to support crime prevention and vehicle investigations. Staff also described donated medical response bags for large events and critical scenes, and said the city is in schematic design for a new public-safety building intended to house police dispatch, emergency operations, municipal court and other services.

No ordinance was adopted during the presentation; staff said the animal-control revisions are pending city-attorney approval and will return for future action.