PAROWAN – An ordinance change was brought before the city council for consideration last Thursday that would prohibit livestock owners in city limits from killing a dog themselves if it is attacking their animals.

The ordinance would require them to contact law enforcement and they would be able to request that the dog is killed.

Justin Wayment, attorney for the city, said Parowan has a city ordinance that prohibits shooting of guns or any projectile within city limits. The way the current city ordinance about dogs attacking persons or animals is worded sounds as though shooting dogs in city limits, if they are attacking livestock, is OK. The change would make clear that it is not legal to shoot dogs in city limits, so the two ordinances are not in conflict, he said.

The new portion of the ordinance would read “Dogs may be killed. A person may petition that any dog which commits any of the acts specified in section I herein (attacking, chasing or worrying people, livestock, domestic birds, or protected hoofed wildlife) be put to death by notifying police who shall advise the owner of such demand. If the owner fails to adhere to such request, the police may issue a citation for dog at large and the Court shall determine whether the animal’s life shall be terminated …”

The current ordinance reads “Dogs may be killed. Any person may kill a dog while it is committing any of the acts specified in number 1 above or while such dog is being pursued thereafter.”

Resident Rose Page requested that the proposed change be put on the city website so others who were not present at the meeting, especially farmers, could see it before it passed.

“We are an animal community,” she said.

The proposed ordinance has been posted on the city website.

Councilor Steve Decker said he thinks the proposed ordinance change is a “knee-jerk reaction” to one person (in-town resident and livestock owner Garn Page) making a poor decision to shoot dogs that were on his property.

Decker also pointed out that the city ordinance stating that there can be no shooting within city limits is more restrictive than the state law, which prohibits shooting within a certain distance of a building without the owner’s permission. He said there are currently continuous violations of the city ordinance that some people may not even realize are violations, such as shooting in Dry Creek.

The city council was asked to review and consider the proposed change to the animal ordinance. It is expected to vote at the next meeting, March 11.

There was also discussion about orange cones that had been placed to get an idea of the street layout if the current design of the Main Street revitalization project was completed. Councilor Dennis Gaede said he had received a state permit to have the cones put up, and said he had received a lot of negative comments about the planned curbs that jut out and narrow the streets at intersections.

There were also residents at the meeting who expressed frustration with the design.

Elaine Paulson said she drives a school bus and finds it impossible to turn without going into other lanes. The design look nice and works well on paper, she said, but would cause extreme difficulty for large trucks, motor homes and buses.

Rose Page said she thought it was great that the cones had been put up because it was not something she could visualize by just seeing it on paper.

Resident Pauline Applegate said she believes if the design goes forward the city will constantly be repairing curbs.

“Let’s be beautiful, but let’s be practical,” she said.

Mayor Don Landes said the orange cones were very intrusive, and he wasn’t sure that people who were upset were looking at the whole picture and forming and informed opinion. He said he was concerned by the things that were being said though, and wanted to talk to people in communities with similar designs.

He also said he was frustrated that the discussion was taking place at this point, after 1 1/2 years of work, three public hearings, and $80,000 spent on the engineering firm. Though he said he was glad to have the interest and passion of the residents, the problem would not be surfacing now if that interest and passion had existed earlier.

“We need to pay attention,” he said.

Additionally, at last Thursday’s meeting, Landes announced that he had received a letter of resignation from city manager Joe Melling and that they needed to advertise and find a replacement before Melling’s resignation date of May 15.

There has been discussion about the need to find a new city manager since Landes’ election, as Melling was retired when he started working for Parowan and his service was never intended to be long-term.

Landes at first appointed two council members to do initial interviews, but after more discussion it was decided that the entire council would interview applicants.

“I want you to know how much I do appreciate what you do for the city,” Landes told Melling.

Decker said Melling’s knowledge and influence in the state have been invaluable to Parowan.

The next Parowan City Council meeting will be March 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the library.