Council tables decision on snake sales

MARENGO — The Marengo City County tabled a decision on the sale of snakes in the city limits until it could again question the business owner who made the request.

Dylan Pritchard, owner of Corn Fed Frags at 594 Easter Ave., asked the council last month to amend city code to allow him to sell ball pythons in his shop.

Councilman Bill Kries said that about half the people who contacted him are in favor of it, and about half are against it.

There’s more fear of snakes in the wild than of ferrets going after chickens, Kries said.

Jennifer Olson, a councilwoman and the director of Iowa County Commission of Veterans Affairs, said she wants to support the business because it is veteran-owned.

But Councilman Travis Schlabach questioned why the city would allow snakes to be sold in town when they can’t be owned in town.

It’s not the place of the council to tell him what he can or cannot sell, Olson said.

City Administrator Karla Marck said that emergency medical services would have to have some type of training to handle any snakes that got out. Who’s going to pay for that training, and who’s going to be responsible for wrangling a snake? she asked.

Pritchard said in March that the ball pythons can’t live in the wild in Iowa because of the weather. Police Chief Ben Gray said last week that he understands that, but if one escapes the shop and gets into someone’s house, the police department will get the call.

Gray said he’ll refer people to animal control agencies. “It isn’t going to be the police department wrangling snakes,” Gray said.

Olson said escape is unlikely due to the precautions that Pritchard takes.

“He does bring other people into the community,” said Councilwoman Karen Wayson-Kisling.

People in Marengo can’t own the snakes, but people could come from out of town to buy the snakes in Marengo. They might stay to eat or visit other businesses, Wayson-Kisling said.

Mayor Adam Rabe said people should check the ordinances before opening businesses rather than asking the city to change to fit their needs after the fact.

It makes the city look bad if it doesn’t change the ordinance for him, Rabe said.

The exotic pet ordinance was created to prohibit people from owning large, dangerous animals like bears and tigers, said Kries.

Someone in Marengo probably already keeps snakes and the city doesn’t know about it because they don’t get out, said John Hinshaw.

Marengo police field calls about dogs but not about snakes, said Hinshaw, who admits that he doesn’t like snakes.

“It’s not that we ignore that rule,” said Gray. If police knew about illegal snakes in town, they’d enforce the law.

The council will address the issue during the April 24 meeting.