Havre animal ordinance changes could finally be over

After the Ordinance Committee gave up on revising the city's animal ordinances earlier this month, it appears that the yearlong debate is finally resolved and over.

At Monday night's meeting, the City Council passed a resolution to repeal the changes voted on late last year, and replace them with a final version of the changes that seem to have everyone's approval.

The final change came not from the Ordinance Committee, but was placed on the agenda by Mayor Tim Solomon, after the committee's last meeting.

In that meeting, an email from city employees with a proposed 14 changes to the latest of numerous drafts finally pushed the committee over the edge, prompting them to table the draft for "no more than six months. "

The tabling was an effort to get all opinions together to be presented as one cohesive draft for them to look at, knowing that everyone would be satisfied by it.

The mayor came to the council with such a draft after less than two weeks.

After a few tweaks and adjustments, the resolution to enact the changes passed.

The council breathed a bit easier, but clarified that nothing like this should ever happen again.

"In the future, I would like to see any ordinance that directly affects staff to have the involvement of the supervisors, " Council member Janet Trethewey said.

The resolution included a first reading. The final reading is scheduled for the next council meeting on Monday May 2.