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(A) Restrictions. No person shall operate or cause to be operated for hire any vehicle, of whatever nature, drawn by animals for the purpose of conducting tours within the city, except animal-drawn vehicles as provided in this subchapter.
(B) Passenger loading.
(1) Animal-drawn vehicles may pick up or discharge passengers at any passenger loading zone, any designated hack stand and at such other locations as are approved by the City Planner and so designated in the office of the City Planner.
(2) Animal-drawn vehicles may originate and terminate tours within the area designated for horse/carriage traffic, at such locations as are approved by the City Planner and as are designated in the office of the City Planner.
(3) The City Council may designate one or more city officials in lieu of the City Planner to perform the duties described in this subchapter.
(C) Route limitations. Animal-drawn vehicles may operate only on such streets or public ways in the city as are approved by the City Planner. Animal-drawn vehicles may operate only between such hours or at such times as may be designated by the City Planner. The approved streets or public ways and the approved hours of operation are so designated in the office of the City Planner.
(D) Drivers. All drivers of animal-drawn vehicles shall have a current automobile vehicle driver’s license, be at least 18 years of age and demonstrate competence in handling animal-drawn vehicles.
(E) Diapering apparatus required. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or other entity to utilize any animal for the purpose of pulling any vehicle on city streets unless the animal is equipped with a diapering apparatus that prevents the droppings of the animal from being deposited or otherwise left on city streets. It shall be the responsibility of the person, firm, corporation or other entity utilizing any animal for the purpose of pulling a vehicle to ascertain that the diapering apparatus is maintained in working order at all times. It shall be the responsibility of the operator to see that the diapering apparatus is in good working order at all times and that proper disposal of droppings is performed. The city shall charge a fee for the cleanup of any droppings left on public rights-of-way by the operation of the animal-drawn vehicle. The cleanup fee shall be $50 per hour with a minimum of two hours charged for each offense.
(F) Required permit to operate animal-drawn vehicle. No animal-drawn vehicle shall operate on city streets without an issued permit and without having paid a $50 permit fee. This permit must be permanently affixed to the vehicle for which it is issued in a location approved by the Chief of Police.
(G) Standards for animal-drawn vehicles. All animal-drawn vehicles shall be automatically styled passenger carriages which are aesthetically pleasant and consistent with the river boat theme and riverfront area. Wagons which obviously or patently were designed for cargo instead of passengers will not be approved. All animal-drawn vehicles shall have adequate brakes and adequate front and back lights. All animal-drawn vehicles shall also contain sufficient reflective material so as to ensure for visibility. Carriages must not exceed 12 feet in length or six feet in width. Carriages will be measured from end to end, excluding steps and shafts; and from axle tip to axle tip. Furthermore, all animal-drawn vehicles shall at all times be maintained so as to ensure the safety of the passengers and the general public. The Chief of Police is accorded the authority to promulgate such other regulations as necessary to carry out the intent of this section.
(H) Care of animals and public safety. All licensees under this chapter shall operate the animal-drawn vehicle in such manner so as not to endanger the health and safety of the animals which draw the vehicles or the public in general. The Chief of Police is accorded the authority to promulgate such other regulations as necessary to carry out the intent of this section.
(I) Permit to operate animal-drawn vehicle.
(1) An applicant for a permit shall provide the following to the City Planner or other official designated by the City Council:
(a) Adequate identification of the applicant and animal-drawn vehicle and proof of ownership;
(b) Material setting forth characteristics of the vehicle, including its dimensions, weight and passenger capacity;
(c) Color photographs not less than eight inches by ten inches of all four sides of the vehicle or sketches of a similar make and model of the vehicle;
(d) Adequate proof of liability insurance with coverage in the following amounts:
1. Not less than $100,000 in liability per individual and $300,000 per occurrence;
2. Not less than $300,000 in public liability per occurrence;
3. Not less than $50,000 for property damage per occurrence; and
4. The city shall be named as an additional insured.
(e) Satisfactory proof of health inspections of the animal(s) to be utilized in drawing the vehicle;
(f) A fee established by the City Council;
(g) After approved, but prior to issuance, compliance with any other licensing requirement(s) of the city;
(h) Evidence of satisfactory annual safety and appearance inspection of tack and equipment;
(i) Evidence of compliance with all standards of design and safety of this chapter;
(2) Inspection for compliance shall be performed by the Animal Control Officer, the City Planner, and/or such other individual or individuals as designated by the City Council. In the event of compliance, the City Planner shall certify the compliance to the City Clerk, who shall then issue a permit upon payment of the fee.
(J) Transferability. A license or permit required by this subchapter shall be issued on a specific vehicle and for a specific owner and is not transferable. The license or permit remains the property of the city and must be surrendered upon expiration or termination.
(K) Expiration. All permits issued under this subchapter shall expire at midnight on December 31 of the year for which the license or permit is issued; provided, however, upon compliance with the requirements of this subchapter, a current licensee may renew his or her license upon the payment of the required fee.
(Ord. 2005-29, passed 9-13-2005)
(A) Interference with enforcement prohibited. No person shall in any way interfere with any person who is known to the person to be or who identifies himself or herself to be and is, in fact, a city employee or officer enforcing the provisions of this chapter or engaged in catching or impounding any animal under the authority of this chapter.
(B) Authority to impound animals and enter onto private property.
(1) It shall be the duty of the employees and officers of the Police Department and the Animal Control Officer to take up and impound in the city animal pound, or other place as designated by the Chief of Police, any animal found at large or any dog found in the city without identification, inoculation or licensing tags contrary to any of the provisions of this chapter or statutes of the state.
(2) The employees and officers of the Police Department and the Animal Control Officer are authorized to go on private property in order to enforce this chapter or to take up any animal which is found at large or to take up any dog found without required inoculation, licensing or identification tags; however, such persons may not enter a private dwelling house for this purpose without a valid warrant or the consent of the occupant.
(C) Impoundment of animals which have bitten persons.
(1) Any animal, whether under restraint or not, which has bitten or otherwise injured any person so as to cause an abrasion of the skin shall be immediately taken by the Police Department or Animal Control Officer, impounded and kept separated from other animals for ten days. The victim of the bite shall notify the Police Department or Animal Control Officer of the bite within 24 hours. The Police Department or Animal Control Officer shall notify the owners of the animal impounded for biting the person. If, during the ten day period, the animal develops symptoms of illness, a licensed veterinarian shall diagnose its condition. If the symptoms disclose or are such as to indicate the presence of rabies, the animal shall be destroyed in such manner as to preserve intact the head, which shall be detached and immediately sent to the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture. In case the animal cannot be safely taken up and impounded, it may be killed, care being taken to preserve the head intact, which shall be detached and immediately delivered to the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture.
(2) If, at the expiration of the period of ten days, no symptoms of rabies have developed in the impounded animal, the animal may be redeemed by the owner on payment of the redemption fees and charges specified in this chapter. Also, at the end of the ten day period, if the dog is not retrieved in ten days with all costs being paid at that time, the animal shall be humanely destroyed.
(3) After having been notified that his or her animal has bitten or otherwise injured any person, the owner or keeper thereof shall not under any circumstances permit the animal to be outside of his or her premises except on a leash with a responsible adult until the procedures prescribed in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section have been completed.
(D) Redemption of impounded animals.
(1) Any owner or keeper desiring to redeem an impounded animal shall pay an impoundment fee of $30 per animal to the city and in addition, $10 a day for keeping the animal while impounded.
(2) No animal shall be redeemed until the owner shall present proof of a current rabies inoculation or shall pay for the rabies inoculation and registration. In addition, a fee of $25 shall be charged for the second or subsequent redemption of the same animal.
(3) All fees and costs shall be paid by the owner or keeper at the City Clerk’s Office. The City Clerk shall obtain from the Animal Control Officer a written statement of all fees and costs and shall issue a receipt for payment of the same.
(D) Disposition of animals not redeemed. Any dog or other animal, except animals bearing owner identification or inoculation tags, impounded pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, which has not been redeemed within seven working days shall be humanely destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the Animal Control Officer. Any dog with owner identification tags, which is impounded pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and which shall not be redeemed within seven working days shall be humanely destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the director of the city animal pound.
(E) Issuance of citations to persons in violation.
(1) City police officers and animal control officers are authorized to issue citations on a reasonable belief that any person has violated any provisions of this chapter.
(2) Citations shall be issued on forms approved by the Chief of Police.
(3) Citations shall be issued personally to the violator, left with a responsible family member of at least 13 years of age at the home of the violator or mailed to the residence of the violator.
(4) Persons issuing citations shall ensure that the original citation is filed with the Circuit Clerk within 72 hours after issuance and that a copy is forwarded to the city’s Corporation Counsel.
(Ord. 2005-29, passed 9-13-2005)
(A) No owner or possessor of any dog or other animal shall allow or permit such animal, whether on a leash or not, to be present upon the sports playing fields or within playground areas of any city park.
(B) Any person walking or in possession or control of any dog or other animal within a city park shall promptly pickup and deposit within a bag and dispose of the same within an appropriate trash container any feces deposited by such dog or other animal within that city park.
(C) Any officer of the Police Department or the Animal Control Officer, upon observing any person violating either division (A) or (B) above or receiving a sworn statement attesting to a violation of either division (A) or (B) above shall immediately seize and impound the dog or other animal and shall issue the owner or person in possession or control of such dog or animal a citation for violation of this section of the Code of Metropolis.
(D) Any person who violates the provisions of this section on more than one occasion may be banned from one or more city parks and playgrounds by the Mayor or the Director of Parks and Recreation.
(E) A violation of any portion of this section shall be subject to the penalty provisions set forth § 10.99.
(Ord. 2019-08, passed 5-13-2019) Penalty, see § 10.99
Any person violating any provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the penalties provided in § 10.99.
(Ord. 2019-08, passed 5-13-2019)