Mt. Pleasant City Council floats fine for feeding feral felines

MT. PLEASANT - Wednesday, Jan. 14 saw the first Mt. Pleasant City Council meeting of the year, and the second reading of an ordinance that, if passed, could see residents facing fines for feeding cats. In the words of the council, this law is to prevent the proliferation of strays.

“Many residents feed, and have, outdoor cats,” Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Lyle Murray said. “Feeding stray cats helps them breed and stay in that area. It also brings in wild animals like opossums and raccoons, which can cause damage to homes. The city’s goal is to stem the increasing number of stray cats and keep wild animals from coming into town.”

As it stands, the feeding of outdoor cats is already not permitted under current ordinances. According to Murray, the Community Service Officer will enforce this new law, along with his current duties.

The fine has not been determined yet but will likely be a civil penalty of $50, Murray said.

Also being considered is a sound ordinance, requiring the purchase of a decibel reader. This would regulate the emission of loud noises past a certain time of night.

The City already has noise regulations. Currently, the rule is based on distance; any sound able to be heard 100 ft away is above the legal limit. But this ordinance, in addition to further defining the loudest-allowable noise at night, will switch to a decibel rule. Should these measures be passed, a decibel counter will be purchased for the police department’s use.

A further, third hearing is required before the ordinance can be passed. This will likely take place at the next meeting of the City Council at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Call Marilyn Higgins at 319-368-8895 or email her at marilyn.higgins@southeastiowaunion.com