FAYETTEVILLE -- An advisory board to help address animal issues in the county has been reactivated after residents said they are concerned about dangerous animals in the county, County Judge Marilyn Edwards said Thursday.
The Animal Concerns Advisory Board will be restarted after being inactive for at least a year, Edwards said during the Quorum Court meeting. The group will address animal issues, she said.
New board, new members
The county judge announced Thursday plans to restart the Animal Concerns Advisory Board. New members are: Mike Emery of Fayetteville, an animal advocate and former shelter employee; Mary Beth Lohr of Fayetteville, an animal advocate; Amy Smith of Farmington, formerly with the Humane Society of the Ozarks; Christina Mere of Fayetteville, formerly with the Humane Society of the Ozarks; Gloria Stewart of Elkins, farmer; LaJoyce Duncan of West Fork, a farmer; Dr. Lloyd Keck of West Fork Veterinary Clinic; Dr. Vicki Lunsford of Springdale, veterinarian; Theresa Driver of Goshen, animal-assisted play therapist.
Source: Washington County Judge’s Office
The organizational meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the county animal shelter.
The move to organize and appoint people to the board comes after a dog attacked on a bicyclist earlier this year. That attack sparked outrage among some residents and bicycling enthusiasts and led to an ordinance regulating people with dangerous, potentially dangerous or hazardous animals.
The ordinance passed in April but was amended last month to close loopholes for dogs attacking livestock.
The new ordinance includes an appeal process for animals deemed potentially dangerous, dangerous or hazardous. The new board may hear those appeals, but that hasn't been decided yet, Edwards said.
This isn't the first time a board has been created to address concerns over animals.
The board was started in 1996 after dogs attacked some children, said Karen Beeks, executive assistant for the county judge. An ordinance updated the board in 2009.
The board gives advice and recommendations to the county judge and Quorum Court, according to the ordinance. The board previously met to discuss issues related to animals until those issues were resolved, Beeks said.
Among issues previous boards tackled are whether the county needed an animal shelter, Beeks said. That board found the county needed one, she said.
At least one justice of the peace has questioned why the board hasn't been active. Edwards said Thursday she now sees a need for the board.
Justice of the Peace Lisa Ecke said she agrees with reforming the board and making sure rural residents are represented.
Ecke is a Republican who represents southeastern Springdale from north of East Joyce Boulevard, south of U.S. 412 and west of U.S. 71.
"I think the judge knows what she is doing," Ecke said. "(Membership) needs to be rural people because that is who this (dangerous animal) ordinance affects."
Edwards has appointed new members to the nine-member board. She said she sought local input and asked at least one justice of the peace for insight.
"I wanted more people that would get involved," Edwards said. "(New members) all are animal lovers in some way."
In other business, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to help Washington County pay for two bridges damaged by December flooding. Both bridges cross Dye Creek, said Renee Biby, grant administrator.
The county expects to get $940,989 this year as part of federal disaster relief, according to an ordinance passed Thursday.
The state declared Benton, Washington and 41 other counties disaster areas as of Jan. 8, according a news release from the Arkansas Governor's Office. That declaration was the first step to the county to getting federal aid, officials said previously.
The county hopes to fix the bridges by next June, but the deadline could be extended if needed, Biby said. The bridges currently are closed for safety reasons, she said.
NW News on 06/17/2016