(PUBLISHED IN THE ST. FRANCIS HERALD AND BIRD CITY TIMES ON APRIL 6, 2023)

SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 645

            On Mach 27, 2023, the governing body of the City of St. Francis, Kansas passed an ordinance entitled:

AN ORDINANCE MODIFYING THE IMPOUNDMENT, FEES, NOTICE, AND RECORD PROCEDURE OF THE CITY OF ST. FRANCIS, KANSAS BY AMENDING SECTION 2-116 OF ARTICLE 1 OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE 2015 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF ST. FRANCIS.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ST. FRANCIS, KANSAS, that Section 2-116 of Article 1 of Chapter 2 of the 2015 Code of the City of St. Francis, is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-116                           IMPOUNDMENT; FEES; NOTICE; RECORD- (a)   The animal control officer or law enforcement officer shall impound any animal or fowl found at large in the city or constituting a nuisance or otherwise in violation of this chapter in a suitable pound or enclosure provided or contracted for by the city. The impounding officer shall make diligent inquiry as to the owner of the animal or fowl and shall notify the owner thereof of such impoundment as soon as reasonably possible.

(b)        The city shall collect the fee of the facility contracted for impoundment as an impoundment fee for every day that the animal or fowl is impounded. A schedule of the impoundment fee for the contracted facility shall be available at City Hall. The impoundment fee shall be paid prior to the release of any impounded animal or fowl and shall be in addition to any fines and costs which result from charges filed against the animal or fowl’s owner or responsible party. Upon payment of the impoundment fee, the city shall provide the owner of the animal or fowl a receipt which shall be presented to the impoundment facility to collect the animal or fowl.

(c)        The animal control officer or police officer shall, upon taking any such animal or fowl into custody and impounding the same, make a record thereof, with a description of the animal or fowl and the date and place taken into custody. In the event that any animal or fowl goes unclaimed for a period of seven (7) days, after having been impounded, the Police Chief is authorized to order the disposal or adoption of said animal or fowl as provided in this code. Animals shall be disposed of in a manner acceptable to modern veterinary standards and in conjunction with a licensed veterinarian. Animals or fowl not considered ill, rabid or vicious, may be adopted after the seven (7) day impoundment period by any person who gives a notice of interest in the animal or fowl to the police chief. Prior to adoption the person seeking ownership of the animal or fowl must comply with the provisions of Section 2-201 of the 1994 Code of the City of St. Francis, Kansas and pay the impoundment fee accumulated by the animal while held by the city. The chief of police may deny adoption to any person who has previously been convicted of any violation of this section or any law pertaining to the welfare and safety of animals.

(d)        The animal control officer or police chief shall each month submit a report to the governing body showing the number of animals and/or fowl impounded and disposed of, and the fees collected pursuant to this article and shall pay those fees to the contracted facility.

(Code 1994; Ord. 490, passed 9-2-1997; Code 2003; Code 2015; Ord. 645)

This amendment to the 2015 Code of the City of St. Francis, Kansas shall be effective upon its publication in the St. Francis Herald and Bird City Times.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the governing body, this 27^th day of March, 2023.

/s/SCOTT SCHULTZ, Mayor

City of St. Francis, Kansas

ATTEST:

/s/LEANN LEE, City Clerk

City of St. Francis, Kansas