Council weighs ordinance changes after cattle repeatedly roam into Snowville park

Snowville town leaders reviewed repeated incidents of livestock roaming onto public land and discussed how to enforce existing ordinances or change them to deter future problems.

Mayor James Beagley said the town treats roaming large animals as a nuisance under current rules and that allowing the situation to continue could create liability if someone is injured. "It's illegal to let your cows roam and get on other people's properties," he said, and council members agreed they need a clear enforcement path.

Council members discussed options: LuAnn Johnson said the brand inspector can corral animals, haul them to a feedlot and charge owners for feed and fines; council member Brandon Garbanati urged firm fence repair requirements. The ordinance language was reviewed: current rules compute animal units by lot size and do not clearly permit cows on lots under one acre. Council members raised the question of whether long‑standing animals are 'grandfathered' and whether fines should be substantial enough to deter repeated escapes.

The council agreed to draft a notice to the property owner informing them of the ordinance and the possibility of brand-inspector action, and to revisit ordinance language so penalties and fence standards are explicit. Any ordinance change will require drafting, legal review and a public hearing before the council adopts penalties or mandatory repairs.

Next steps: staff will prepare a written notice and bring recommended ordinance revisions and penalty levels to the next council meeting for discussion and a possible motion.