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Tooele Council corrects code language on impounded-animal fee collection
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Summary
The council approved an ordinance clarifying how impounded-animal fees are collected and how owners are notified, removing wording that could be read as adding unpaid fees to taxes or utility bills.
The Tooele City Council on March 18 approved an ordinance to clarify the city's procedure for collecting impounded-animal fees and to add explicit notice requirements for owners.
City Attorney Matt Johnson said the existing code read in a way that could be misinterpreted to allow unpaid impoundment fees to be added to an owner's tax or utility bill. "It sounds a lot like, we'll turn off your water if you don't pay this, which is not what the city does," Johnson said. The revised language replaces that phrasing, spells out how the city notifies owners (in-person or mailed to the last-known address) and establishes a 30-day period before the city pursues collection actions or forwards the matter to finance or to the attorney's office.
Councilman Gossett moved to approve Ordinance 2026-06; Councilman Hansen seconded. The council voted and the ordinance passed unanimously, 5-0.
The ordinance amends Tooele City Code §6-7-4 to clarify collection options and owner-notification timelines; staff indicated the change is housekeeping to align code language with current practice.
