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Trustees debate returning to county animal control amid concerns about fees and accountability
Summary
Trustees discussed 24 recent animal-related calls, whether to reinstate county animal control, options for fees for retrieving pets, and outstanding concerns about accountability and double taxation; county commissioners reportedly offered semiannual reporting and after-hours support if reinstated on a year‑to‑year basis.
Trustee Christina Butler opened a discussion about animal-control fees after reviewing call data and current ordinances. Butler said she had "collected some information... and it looks like we had 24 calls over a 3-month period," and said she wanted to evaluate whether the Village should amend its ordinance and raise retrieval fees or return the service to county animal control.
Police Chief Eric Hansell said that while officers responded to the calls, "there were animals that were brought back but only one that was technically housed." Trustees and Treasurer Mindy Olson raised concerns about prior lack of accountability from county animal control and questioned whether the Village is obligated by state statute to provide animal-control services. Trustee Steve Retzer urged the board to "bite the bullet and go back to animal control," saying recurring municipal involvement imposes burdens on police resources.
Chief Hansell reported that he spoke with three county animal-control commissioners, who indicated they would waive a reinstatement fee, provide reports twice a year and take after-hours calls if requested by the police department, but would only agree to one-year renewals and not multi-year contracts. Attorney Roland Cross said the Village can vacate old ordinances if the board chooses to revert to county control; trustees agreed to place a formal action item on the next agenda to consider returning to county animal control and to provide any contract language to the Village attorney for review.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 005, topfinish SEG 006
