May 01, 2012
The Springfield City Council on Tuesday narrowly approved a one-year, $224,186 contract with Sangamon County for animal control services. The vote came after a lengthy discussion about whether county animal control officers respond quickly enough to complaints about animal problems. They also added language that would allow the city to get out of the contract with 30-day notice.
Aldermen have learned of at least two questionable incidents in the last two weeks, including one in which a resident was told to let a vicious animal go free because animal control officers don’t work on the weekend. Brenda Hunter, who lives on Dial Court, told aldermen Tuesday she has contacted animal control numerous times about a neighbor’s large Rottweiler, which is not kept on a leash or inside a fence.
“The animal is very intimidating and the entire lack of respect on the neighbor’s part is very upsetting,” she said. Many of her calls to animal control went unreturned, she said. She asked aldermen to delay a vote on the contract. The vote to approve the contract was 6-4, with Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson, Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman, Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin voting against the deal.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 