Clarksville, TN – The city council met in it regular session tonight with a 2.5 hour meeting. Some of the topics were three ordinances related to dog and cat management, early morning garbage truck noise, a drug law as well as other news.
Here are the results:
Oowww-Doggie
Three ordinances that related to dog and cat management within the city limits were up for a vote.
Ordinance 80 dealt with limiting the number of dogs an owner could have based on property size. The limits were seven (7) dogs and or cats on a lot less than one acre. The limit for one (1) to five (5) acres was 10. As you can imagine there was considerable discussion, both pro and con. We also had 5 public speakers that addressed the council before the official meeting started. They represented various groups and individuals. They too were pro and con. The final vote came down to a 6-6 tie. I had voted yes. Mayor McMillan broke the tie by voting “no”. So you may have as many dogs or cats as you want.
Ordinance 81 dealt with stopping the roadside sale of dogs and cats. This seemed to have more support, as there was less discussion. The vote was 10-yes & 2-no. I voted yes.
Ordinance 82 addressed stopping breeders who run puppy mills and people who breed animals without taking proper care of them. A breeder will be defined as anyone breeds animals for the purpose of compensation. People may breed animals, but will need to register and pay for a license. This will allow for inspections and ensure all city codes related to health, welfare and sanitation are met. Even if you do it only once, if you sell the puppies, you are a breeder. If you keep the puppies or give them away, then you are not required to have a license. The vote on this one was 8-yes & 4-no. I voted yes.
Early Morning Garbage Truck Noise
Ordinance 76 would require garbage pickup in residential housing areas to operate between the hours of 5:30am to 10:00am. There had been many complaints of truck noise in neighborhoods at 3:00am and 4:00am. What is interesting is that Councilman Grubbs asked all companies to work together on this. Three companies did so and basic rules were worked out. However, this did not impress the council, as it was defeated on a 5-yes & 7-no vote. I voted yes.
Drug Law
Ordinance 90 would outlaw the sale of “Synthetic Drugs” within the city limits. You may have read or seen on TV that people are eating packets of drugs called plant food, incense and other names. The state is working on this, but Clarksville has taken the lead on this life and death matter. The vote was a solid 12 yes. The council will meet Monday in a special session to vote the required second time on this ordinance so police can quickly start enforcement.
Other News
I will be contacting homeowners that live on Trelawny Drive by the drainage basin. I have set up a meeting to talk with these residents about the basin next Thursday at the Gas & Water building on Madison Street. The meeting will start at 6:30pm and run about an hour. I will have the city engineer and County Commissioner Banasiak in attendance.
