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Police chief: Village lacks facility, legal clarity to run animal control
Summary
Police Chief Eric Hansell warned trustees the village cannot provide full animal-control services without a licensed facility and legal guidance, citing a $350 registration requirement and practical gaps in housing, transport and overnight coverage; trustees asked Attorney Roland Cross for an opinion and plan outreach to neighboring towns.
Police Chief Eric Hansell told the Committee of the Whole on Oct. 22 that the village lacks the facility and legal clearance for the police department to assume animal‑control duties.
"They have to get registered with the department of ag. The license is $350," Hansell said, and the village currently has no kennels, transport cages, or a staffed facility that could be inspected for licensing. He added the department would face questions about where to house animals, how to identify pets, and how to handle injured animals needing a veterinarian.
Hansell also said the statutory holding period complicates response: "legally, they can be kept for 7 days and then they have to be put down," a limit he said would require clear procedures and training for officers. Treasurer Mindy Olson and several trustees pressed for a straightforward report of services from County animal control and agreed the next step is a legal opinion.
President Richard Samples said he had contacted Attorney Roland Cross to request guidance and expected an opinion by the coming week; trustees also discussed reaching out to nearby smaller municipalities and to County Commissioners to coordinate services or shared solutions. Trustee Christina Butler said the County must be held to account for reporting and systems, noting that the animal-control facility she toured lacked basic tools and relied on paper records.
Trustees did not adopt a formal policy at the meeting; actions noted were a request for a legal opinion from Attorney Cross and an outreach plan to neighboring communities and county officials. The discussion closed with consideration of FOIA requests to obtain records if needed.
