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Committee proposes microchipping, annual permits and fines for unpermitted colonies
Summary
Committee staff proposed requiring microchipping, annual documentation and permit registration for cat colonies, and described penalties including license revocation and fines between $250 and $500; members stressed enforcement feasibility must be vetted with police.
Staff member (S2) proposed several enforcement and identification measures for a revised animals-and-fowl ordinance: annual documentation of spay/neuter and vaccination, mandatory microchipping for colony cats, and a shift from two-year to one-year permits. S2 said microchips would allow the city to identify registered cats, though the city may need a scanner to verify chips.
"I require them to be microchipped," S2 said, and later noted an estimate that microchipping runs "50 and $70." On penalties, S2 described enforcement options including license revocation and fines: "the violation is not less than $250 and not to exceed $500," she said. Committee members repeatedly raised concerns about practical enforcement, timing and staffing, and asked that the chief and enforcement officer (Cory) provide operational feedback before the ordinance is finalized.
Members discussed grandfathering approaches for currently registered colonies so long-standing caretakers would not be penalized immediately; they also discussed that microchips plus a registry could help police track compliance over time. Staff will revise the draft to reflect enforcement input and return with clarifications about costs and operational requirements.
