Residents press town on outdoor-cat policy; Town Attorney explains enforcement options

Two residents raised questions about the town’s policy on outdoor cats during the Oct. 1 Town of Union meeting, prompting a legal clarification from the town attorney.

John Baldoni of Laguna Drive asked about a sign on Southern Pines Drive that advertises "Cat Crossing" and noted a resident allegedly operates a business breeding and selling cats. Supervisor Robert Mack said the sign is illegal and asked the Highway Superintendent to remove it; he also asked Town Attorney Alan Pope to provide the relevant code regulations.

At a subsequent public comment entry, a speaker identified as Joe Baldoni — after reading the Code Guidelines provided by the Town Attorney — asked how enforcement would work now that the code appears to prohibit operating a business from a residence. Town Attorney Alan Pope explained that the town code cannot compel residents to bring outside cats indoors; instead, enforcement proceeds by citation to the town code enforcement department, followed by prosecution in Town Court where witnesses (including the complainant) may testify and fines can be imposed. Pope added that repeated violations can lead to increasing fines, but a court cannot force a resident to stop keeping cats outdoors; a formal complaint must be filed with the code department to initiate enforcement.

The minutes record the board’s direction to remove the illegal sign and the process residents should follow to report suspected code violations. There is no record in the minutes of any formal enforcement action taken during the Oct. 1 meeting.