Alto hires new animal control officer
City will consider animal ordinance patterned after Nacogdoches
BY LELAND ACKER

Alto has a new animal control officer. Utilities Supervisor Charlie Luse was named animal control officer during Monday's meeting of the Alto City Council. Mr. Luse, who has worked for the city since Oct. 2006, will maintain his duties as the utilities supervisor, making animal control part of the Alto Public Works Department.

Mr. Luse said the city needs a better adoption process and that people needed to take more responsibility for their dogs. He asked for the authority to write citations for violations to Alto's pet ordinances.

"Appointing me as animal control officer means I can write a citation," Mr. Luse said. "Any guy from my department can pick up (strays)."

The council voted 4-1 to name Mr. Luse as animal control officer, with Earl Clark being the lone dissenting vote.

"You don't need to handle animal control, you've got your hands full," Mr. Clark said.

Mr. Luse passed up a raise in pay for his added duties, pending a 90-day evaluation. However, the council did vote to raise the pay of his assistant, Brandon Tyer, by one dollar per hour. Mr. Tyer will also have the new title of foreman, which gives him supervisory authority in Mr. Luse's absence.

The council heard a report from councilmember Annie Walker concerning pet ordinances in the cities of Huntington and Nacogdoches. Mrs. Walker recommended the city adopt an ordinance similar to the Nacogdoches pet ordinances, which require dogs to be registered with the city.

Mrs. Walker also recommended sending adoptable pets which the city animal shelter can not find homes for to the Klein Animal Shelter in Jacksonville, at a cost of $35 per pet.

The Council voted to send excess adoptable pets to Jacksonville. The council then asked Mr. Luse to get an estimate on the cost of expanding the current animal shelter in Alto by 15 kennel spaces.

A public hearing for the pet ordinance has been set for 6 p.m., Monday, March 12 at City Hall in Alto.

In other action, the council instructed Mr. Luse to get an estimate on the cost of razing the old city hall building, to get estimates on street repairs and heard a report from Municipal Judge R.C. Christiansen about the new collection company the city has hired to collect outstanding traffic tickets.

The lawfirm of McCreary, Veselka, Bragg and Allen will soon be contacting those who owe the city outstanding traffic citations via telephone.

The second step is a certified letter, said Judge Christiansen. If the agency does not collect the funds then legal action is taken.

The next regular meeting of the Alto City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 12 at City Hall.

Pet ordinance hearing is 6 p.m.

March 12