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Bartlett removes animal-control provisions from charter, advances local ordinance rewrite
Summary
The board ratified a state chapter removing animal-control language from the charter so the city can update animal-control rules locally, and it advanced a separate ordinance (first reading) to revise animal-control ordinances with a public hearing set for Nov. 25.
The Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously to ratify a state law that removes animal-control provisions from the city charter, a step that city staff said was necessary to allow local amendments to animal-control rules.
City Attorney Ed McKinney said the legislature adopted the provision (private Chapter 27) and certified it through the governor and secretary of state. “All this will do will be to remove the animal control ordinance [language] from the charter,” McKinney said, adding that removal allows the city to propose a new animal-control ordinance without seeking the legislature’s approval.
Later in the meeting, staff presented Ordinance 25-07 — a first reading to amend Bartlett’s animal-control ordinances (Title 10, Chapters 1 and 2). Angela Klein, the animal shelter supervisor, described the changes as housekeeping updates and said they were developed after reviewing practices across the Mid-South. Public works Director Matt Crenshaw and several aldermen thanked Klein for the work and said the rewrite should make future adjustments quicker because they will be local ordinance changes rather than charter amendments.
Aldermen discussed operational concerns such as limits on numbers of animals, foster/harboring language and possible grandfathering for existing situations. Klein indicated a grandfather clause could be considered; aldermen asked for clarity on limits for cats and dogs before a final vote. The board set a public hearing for the ordinance on Nov. 25 and moved the measure forward.
What’s next: The city will hold a public hearing on Nov. 25 as part of the multi-reading process; the ordinance will return to the board for subsequent readings and final adoption after public comment.
