Commission recommends adoption of ordinance amending restraint rules, narrows electronic-collar use to horseback exception

The Special Animal Control Commission voted 5–3 on March 9 to recommend that the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly adopt Ordinance 2025-29 as amended by a memorandum dated March 9, 2026, which narrows proposed uses of electronic collars and clarifies where competent voice control may apply on public property.

The ordinance under review would amend FNSBC Title 22 (restraint rules) and the borough fine schedule. Assemblymember Tammy Wilson, the ordinance sponsor, told the commission the substitute is "smaller now than it was" and that the primary changes are to allow competent voice control on public properties when facility rules permit and to create a narrowly tailored exception that would permit dogs wearing electronic collars to accompany horseback riders within 10 feet of the rider.

Why it matters: Commissioners raised concerns about enforcement capacity, the risk of creating inconsistent local rules where state statute might allow off-leash use, and the potential for misuse of electronic collars. Commissioners pressed whether the proposal would change default leash requirements in populated areas; sponsors said the borough’s default leash rules remain in place unless a parcel is specifically designated otherwise.

Sponsors’ outline: Assemblymember Wilson said the memorandum removes downtown-specific electronic-collar language and replaces earlier broader allowances with language letting the borough designate specific public sites where voice-control off-leash use is permitted, "provided the rules of the facility are followed." Mayor Hopkins told the commission the sponsors "pretty much got rid of" broader e‑collar allowances except for the narrow horseback-riding exception. The memorandum also deletes several fine-schedule entries tied to the earlier downtown electronic-collar language.

Questions and concerns: Commissioners repeatedly asked how the borough would designate sites, whether designations require public input, and how animal-control officers would enforce voice-control standards in the field. Commissioner Rosenberg described a recent parking‑garage incident involving a dog wearing an e‑collar to illustrate enforcement challenges and argued that any broader allowance should be accompanied by training or certification requirements — a step sponsors said would be difficult to verify administratively.

Public comment: Rae Tamarack of Fairbanks told the commission the documents posted online differed from the memo handed out at the meeting and urged the borough to clarify whether off-leash status and e‑collar use are treated as equivalent. Tamarack said e‑collars can be misused but also can be effective for recall in trained dogs.

Votes and next steps: The commission first voted (on a separate motion) to recommend that the assembly defeat the packet version of the ordinance (8–0), removing that version from consideration. After additional discussion, the commission then voted 5–3 to recommend the assembly adopt Ordinance 2025-29 as amended by the March 9 memorandum. The chair said the ordinance will be scheduled for assembly consideration; the assembly retains authority to accept, change, or reject the commission’s recommendation.

Implementation notes: Under the memorandum’s approach, borough administration (not the assembly) would likely make initial decisions about which borough- or state-owned facilities could allow voice-control off-leash use; sponsors indicated designation could be spot-by-spot and that signs could be used to add or remove allowances. The memorandum sets a 10‑foot proximity condition for the horseback-riding exception (changed from an earlier 4‑foot draft). The commission did not add a training- or certification requirement in its recommendation; members said that could be suggested when the ordinance is considered by the assembly.

The commission adjourned at 8:09 p.m. The ordinance will be placed on a borough assembly agenda for its consideration; the assembly’s meeting schedule is available through the clerk’s office.