Looking at new animal ordinance
OROVILLE – The company that provides reservation services for Oroville’s Osoyoos Lake Veterans Memorial Park is increasing rates and that will be passed along in the form of higher camping fees.
“Camis will be raising their reservation fees. Staff recommends increases to the camping fees,” said City Clerk JoAnn Denney at the city council’s last meeting where she presented a draft resolution to update park fees.
In addition, Denney asked to discuss the boat launch fees. Currently the annual permit fee for those living within the 98844 zip code is $25 and for those outside the zip code it is $40. She suggested the fee be set at $25 annual, no matter where the permit purchaser lived.
The council agreed with the increases for the camping fees and at the Riverside Retreat at Veterans Memorial, as well as the one rate for everyone for the boat launches at the city’s Veterans Memorial and Deep Bay parks.
Rod Noel, head of the city’s parks department, said the city has also received several requests for wi-fi and cable television to be installed at the city’s Riverside Retreat. The retreat is two rental properties the city owns that used to house staff when Veterans Memorial was a state park. The city transformed them into vacation rentals – wi-fi and cable will be installed for next summer
The council was also presented with a draft animal ordinance. Councilman Ed Naillon asked that a couple issues be clarified, especially concerning the temporary use of animals such as goats for vegetation management.
“An ordinance this broad is likely to create some misunderstanding… like where it talks about animals for vegetation control as temporary. Animals ‘such as goats,’ I don’t know what that means, a horse is an animal,” said Naillon.
Chris Branch, who presented the draft ordinance, said animal ordinances can be controversial, especially concerning things like chickens.
“I didn’t find the ordinance overly restrictive in any way,” said Naillon. “Just the definition of animal as it relates to the definition of temporary.
“Otherwise you’ll end up with people telling you ‘I’ve got these cows here because I’ve got a real grass problem.”
Naillon asked that the ordinance clarify temporary use and what type were allowed before it be approved.
In addition, he questioned issues relating to the feeding of wild animals. Branch said that could be addressed as a separate issue.
Branch also gave an update on the franchise agreement for the Eastlake Sewer System which serves people living along Eastlake Road and was constructed by the county using a Public Trust Fund low interest loan. He told the council that he had contacted the county regarding the fact that although the city operates the sewer line and it and wastewater is treated at the city’s treatment plant, the city does not own the sewer line. Therefore, he told the county, the franchise agreement would not apply to the city. He said the county agreed that the creation of an interlocal agreement regarding the sewer line would be more appropriate.
