Dog Owners Leave Happy, Red Light Cameras Declined and Ranken is Explained

Marathon Board of Aldermen meeting winds up dog and red light camera issues, while Ranken Technical College remains up in the air.

A marathon meeting that went past 11:30 p.m. left dog owners happy, red light cameras operating until 2013 and aldermen, staff and the mayor doing a lot of explaining on Ranken Technical College. Doggy Smile            Aldermen voted 5-1 to approve new animal control regulations that eliminate breed specific legislation. The legislation allows dog owners to use electric fences in their back yards to control their pets. Afterwards, happy pit bull and other dog owners gathered outside and traded stories. “I’m allowed to tell people I own a pit bull again,” said Nicole Genz, as she walked out of city hall. She said her family owned the 5-year-old pit bull, Reesy, for five years, but didn’t know about the city’s policy to leash and muzzle pit …

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Week in Review: Sam's Club Digs In, Aldermen OK Electric Fences, Tax Renewal on Horizon

We know you're busy, so here's a roundup of some of the recent stories featured right here on Wentzville Patch.

Too busy last week to stay up to date on all the news happening in and around Wentzville? Not to worry. Patch has your back. In case you missed them, here were some of the top headlines from the last few days:

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Aldermen Put Electric Fences Back in Play for Dog Control

The electric devices could be used in back yards, but dogs would still have to be tethered or leashed in front yards. The board votes on the final measure at its next meeting.

The Wentzville Board of Aldermen amended a proposed animal control ordinance Wednesday to allow electric fences to contain dogs in back yards. The previous bill would have required a physical fence to contain dogs, and those with electric fences still would have needed to keep their dogs leashed or tethered. The amendment passed by a 5-1 vote. The bill’s second and final reading will be at the board's March 14 meeting. If approved, the legislation would repeal the city's current restrictions on pit bulls and put in its place a breed-neutral policy that puts the burden of securing vicious or aggressive dogs on the owners.  Other amendments to the animal control bill include: (For more on the legislation, see Pit Bull Ordinance Repeal Nears …

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Pit Bull Ordinance Repeal Nears Official Introduction

New policy could become law as early as next week.

Wentzville's Board of Aldermen appear confident enough in the new animal control policy that it plans to officially read it into record for the first time at its next scheduled meeting on Feb. 29. The legislation, which is still in draft form, will repeal the city's current restrictions on pit bulls and put in its place a breed-neutral policy that puts the onus of harsh or vicious dogs on the owners rather the pets.  The draft has been in the hands of Police Chief Lisa Harrison since January and has been presented to the board several times in the last two months. Harrison has essentially come up with a completely overhauled policy. On Wednesday, the board further fine-tuned the policy, this time coming to terms with what to do about pets …

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Pit Bull Ordinance Repeal Delayed Again

Ordinance should be on the Feb. 22 meeting agenda.

The controversial legislation that could repeal the city's current pit bull restrictions is not ready for board review. That means city officials and concerned residents will likely have to wait until the Wentzville Board of Aldermen's meeting Feb. 22 before they can see for themselves what the new policy may look like. Officials had hoped to have the legislation on the board's agenda this week. But newly hired police Chief Lisa Harrison said the ordinance, which has been in the draft process since mid-November, has been completely revamped and is not ready for board action. Harrison said she first got her hands on the legislation just before the board's last meeting on Jan. 25, where she received further guidance on what board members …

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Aldermen, Residents Talk About Pit Bull Ordinance

Police chief to make changes before presenting the board with the legislation Feb. 8.

Wentzville aldermen want harsher fines and possibly even jail time for owners of dogs that repeatedly bite other dogs or humans. More than 60 concerned residents waited nearly three hours until the Wentzville Board of Alderman began discussing its new animal control ordinance, which will likely seek to put the onus of harsh or vicious dogs on the owners rather the pets. The city has long had certain restrictions on pit bulls. Now, officials and concerned residents are pushing to repeal those restrictions and replace them with a new policy that would enact harsher penalties on owners of any dog that displays vicious characteristics.  The city's police department has been preparing the legislation, which was slated to be read into record for…

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cathy

7:43 am on Friday, January 27, 2012

In reply to Michael E. Carter.....you said with regard to the "presumed" temperment of these dogs. Yet, it sounds as if in your opinion it's a fact, not presumed. That is one of the problems with todays society. You are judging the breed and not the dog. I have worked with and been around thousands of dogs in my 55 years and I have learned that you can rarely determine whether a dog is going to …   more ›

Pit Bull Ordinance Put on Hold, More Discussion Expected

Legislation would increase penalties on pit bull owners.

The Wentzville Board of Alderman will have to wait at least another two weeks before it can introduce legislation that would increase penalties for owning pit bulls within city limits. City officials were slated to introduce the proposal at Wednesday's regularly schedule meeting. Instead, interim City Administrator Dennis Walsh said, the proposal has been put on hold while lawyers fine tune the language. Instead, the board will review the proposal on a discussion basis only. The legislation was written by the Wentzville Police Department. Essentially, the proposal would get rid of the city's reistrictions on owning pit bulls and replace it with increased penalties.  Mayor Paul Lambi told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the current law has …

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Board of Aldermen to Hold Special Meeting

Pit bull ordinance will be discussed in work session.

The Wentzville Board of Aldermen is slated to hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Wentzville City Hall. The board will hold an executive session. Once the executive session is adjourned, the board will go into a work session. Items on the agenda for the work session include: The meeting is open to the public.

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Wentzville Woman Prepared to Fight Pit Bull Ordinance

City requires dogs that are part or full pit bulls to be leashed and muzzled at all times.