Barren County fiscal court adopts amended animal-control ordinance after split vote

Barren County Fiscal Court adopted Ordinance 702, regulating animals in the county, following a daylong discussion and two votes on Tuesday.

Mitch Richardson summarized three targeted amendments the court considered, saying he added "language 'upon conviction thereof'" and removed jail time for certain offenses while allowing "the defendant's option to pay a prepayable fine to Glasgow Police Department in lieu of going to court." Richardson said the amendments also clarify the difference between "animals" and "livestock" and narrow the long-standing barking-dog provision to apply to a "neighborhood" defined as three or more residential properties observable from a violator’s front entrance.

Magistrates first voted to approve the written amendments by roll call (Jeff Botts Yes; Derek Pedigo No; Tim Durham No; Tim Coomer Yes; Marty Kinslow Yes; Ronnie Stinson Yes; Brad Gross Yes), a 5–2 result. After the amendments were incorporated into the proposed ordinance, the court held a second-reading roll-call vote on the ordinance as amended. The second-reading tally was Derek Pedigo No; Tim Durham No; Tim Coomer Yes; Marty Kinslow No; Ronnie Stinson Yes; Brad Gross Yes; Jeff Botts Yes, and the motion carried 4–3, adopting Ordinance 702.

Supporters argued the changes balanced enforcement with fairness. Richardson said the goal was "not to necessarily put something on your record" but to stop prohibited conduct. Opponents raised concerns about notifying residents and whether amended language would restart public-comment timeframes after the first reading; Richardson and others said the amendments reflect issues raised since the initial reading and that the second reading would proceed with or without the amendments.

The ordinance, as adopted, retains preexisting options for prepayable fines for first offenses, removes jail provisions referenced in the draft, and narrows nuisance definitions related to excessive barking. The court also noted that animal control remains operated through the existing interlocal arrangement (established in 1996) under Glasgow Police Department staffing, with three animal control officers handling over 2,500 calls countywide last year.

Procedural next steps: the court concluded the formal adoption at the second reading; implementation details for enforcement (including any revised citation processes) were described as consistent with state law and county practice. No effective-date language beyond the adoption vote was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Vote provenance: the transcript contains the roll-call votes for both the amendment and the final adoption.