Dog licensing fees dominated the agenda, but important decisions related to the proposed Jungo landfill occurred afterward, in the non-agendized section of the meeting.

The city council discussed the possibility of increasing fees for dog licenses,  for increasing the impound fees charged to residents whose dog(s) have been found running-at-large, and for broadening the definition of a dangerous dog.  Currently the ordinance lists specific dogs considered dangerous, but some owners of those dog breeds have raised them in an appropriate way and the dog did not turn out to be dangerous – while other dogs whose breeds are not listed are very dangerous.  That particular matter has not been resolved, but it is likely the ordinance will simply eliminate references to a particular breed.  On a suggestion from Chief Bob Davidson, the council will consider the possibility of waiving the fee increase for those 65 years or older, but the council opted to reduce the fee by 50 percent as is done with landfill fees.  Davidson provided the council with fees currently being charged in other counties.  The fees charged in Winnemucca are less than the rural average.  According to the fee schedule supplied by Davidson, the license fee for a dog that has been spayed/neutered is $5, in Elko, $6 in Lovelock, $1 in Lyon County, and $4 in Winnemucca.  Those fees jump radically for dogs that haven't been spayed/neutered:  it's $10 in Elko, $25(F)/$20(M) in Lovelock, $25 in Lyon County, and $10 in Winnemucca.  Overall, the rural average for a dog license is $4.20 for those that have been altered, and $14 for those that have not.

Herzog suggested the city put information about the Jungo Rd. landfill on the city’s website, which would represent “the facts as we know them.”  She also suggested including the meeting minutes from when the ordinance was changed (to date the only vote taken in the matter by either the city council or the county commission was to change the ordinance allowing out-of-county waste).  The process for including information on the website has already begun.

Ed:  The discussion on the Jungo Rd. landfill participation by council members occurred after the council’s agendized meeting.  The group did not vote on the issue, but rather agreed amongst themselves to allow the county to take the lead without the further participation of the city council members unless their participation was requested by the county commission.