After a brief public hearing without public comment, the Sherburne County Board approved amendments to the dangerous dog ordinance Tuesday.
Jennifer Pim of the county attorney’s office said many of the changes were made to be consistent with state statute.
“We also took the opportunity to make it flow a little better, as well as to outline appeal rights for those whose animals have been declared dangerous dogs,” she said.
Under the ordinance, a dog is determined to be dangerous if, without provocation, it inflicted death, great or substantial bodily harm or permanent disfigurement to any person on public or private property; it engaged in an attack on any person; killed a domestic animal without provocation while off the owner’s property; bitten a person on more than two separate occasions without provocation; been found to be potentially dangerous, then bites, attacks or endangers the safety of a person or domestic animal; has been trained to fight with another animal.
Once a dog has been designated as dangerous, an owner has 14 days from the date of notice to request a hearing for determination as to the dangerous or potentially dangerous nature of the dog.
That hearing must be held within 14 days, with the owner liable for all costs involved related to the hearing.
The ordinance also covers registration requirements of dangerous dogs, unclaimed dogs, liability insurance, microchiping, impoundment, sterilization, property inspection, seizure and humane destruction.
Pim said the county attorney’s office collaborated with Health & Human Services and the sheriff’s office on the ordinance language.
Zoning
The board heard five zoning requests. They approved a request by Andrew and Jolene Thelen for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a riding stable and horse boarding facility on 34.24 acres on Co. Rd. 73 NW in Big Lake Twp.
They approved an amended Interim Use Permit (IUP) for recreational activity for Big Lake School Dist. 727 for athletic fields on 40 acres east of Liberty Elementary School.
They approved an IUP for Kerry and Rhonda Kraus for a home small scale auto repair business in an accessory building on 2.6 acres on 149th St. NW, in Big Lake Twp.
They approved the residential preliminary standard plat “WH Cates Pondside Estates Second Addition,” consisting of two lots on 15.83 acres on 245th Ave. in Livonia Township.
They denied a request by Leon and Julie Slattery (LJS Trucking) for an IUP to operate a medium contractor’s yard at 22665 Co. Rd. 15 in Big Lake Twp.
Zoning Administrator Nancy Riddle said the planning advisory committee unanimously recommended denial because a contractor’s yard is not compatible with the surrounding properties, which are mainly small, residential properties.
She said there was testimony from neighboring property owners at the planning hearing about noise, vibrations and a potential reduction in property values.
After board denied the request, Commissioner Felix Schmiesing suggested county economic development staff work with the property owner to locate a new site for the business.
