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Council adopts clearer animal-noise ordinance after resident questions enforcement
Summary
After a public hearing, the council approved a rewritten animal-noise ordinance to clarify when persistent barking constitutes a violation; resident Janice Remus raised concerns about a presumption when animals are left unattended and asked where residents can get guidance.
City Attorney Bartoff explained that the proposed ordinance would replace section 9-2-11 of the Monroe City Code to make standards for animal noise clearer, taking into account volume, time of day, duration, prior warnings, and location. He said the rewrite is intended to reduce neighbor-to-neighbor disputes and require more than a single complaint when establishing a violation.
Resident Janice Remus said she had received about half of the recent dog-related complaints and asked how the new language would apply to her situation, expressing concern about a clause that “where an animal is left unattended outdoors, it shall be presumed the owner ... is permitting the noise.” Bartoff and the police chief explained that the ordinance still requires consideration of the full factual context, that officers typically investigate and warn residents before citations are issued, and that citations can be litigated in court. Alder 2 moved to approve the ordinance; the council read the ordinance into the record and approved it by roll-call vote.
Councilmembers and staff noted that enforcement usually begins with warnings and investigation; the police chief said officers would not automatically issue citations without follow-up. The council directed staff to provide residents with contact points (police department or administration) for questions about complaints and enforcement procedures.
