Newton Aldermen took action Tuesday to improve the city’s response to animal calls after a resident’s dog died due to extreme heat last week.
Paige Rushing, a resident of Newton, told the board how her neighbor’s dog had died after being tied up outside for several hours. Rushing said on Aug. 14, her neighbor, working in his yard, noticed a dog tied up across the street. As temperatures climbed, she said she contacted the police to make sure the dog was OK.
“I called the police about 11:40 a.m.,” Rushing said. “I was told an officer would be sent out to check on the issue.”
No officer responded, she said. A few hours later, about 1:40 p.m., Rushing contacted the homeowner to ask if she could give the dog some water. However, the dog had died.
“I asked permission to address the dog and realized the dog was dead,” she said.
Rushing said a lack of communication between her, the police dispatcher and the officers played a part in the dog’s death. Although police were alerted at 11:40 a.m., she said the dispatcher was unable to confirm whether an officer had been sent even hours later.
“We need a more efficient or more reliable policy,” Rushing said. “I would’ve liked to have had a lot more assurance about it.”
Police Chief Howard Curry said he had looked into the issue over the past week to see what had happened. He said an officer had been dispatched but did not see anything. However, the time between Rushing’s call and the officer driving by was far too long.
“I addressed the issue with the police department and spoke with the officers, so they understand if we get a dog call, they need to be on it,” he said.
The Aug. 14 incident was an unfortunate breakdown of communication, Curry said. However, he assured the Aldermen and Rushing he was already taking steps to correct the problems.
“We need to have better communication,” he said. “The problem before that was a communication issue, and I’ve addressed that on our side.”
Mayor Murray Weems said he had looked into the issue and found the city only has one contact, Curry, for animal control issues. He said incidents like the one Rushing observed make it clear a second contact is needed.
“I talked to the dispatcher and she called Howard,” he said. “The issue was Howard was out on a tractor.”
Weems said being unable to reach the Police Chief delayed the city’s response. To ensure it doesn’t happen again, he said, Fire Chief J.C. Collins will be added as a contact for animal calls.
“I think that will help tremendously,” Weems said.
Fire Department
In other business, Collins told the board the Fire Department will need to purchase at least 12 new oxygen tanks over the next 12 months. During a recent test of the department’s air packs, he said the inspector told him about a new Federal ordinance for firefighter gear that will be going into effect this year.
“New federal guidelines say our packs are too old to be in service,” Collins said. “If he comes back next year, he can’t even test them.”
Newton Fire Department currently has about 16 air packs, all of which will be affected by the new law, Collins said. However, the city will only need to replace 12 packs to fully equip the Fire Department.
“It takes 12 to equip the trucks,” he said.
While the city is obligated to take the lowest and best price on equipment, Collins said, for air packs, the Fire Department will need the more expensive Scott air packs. The cheaper model, Drager, he said, is not compatible with the masks the Fire Department uses.
City Attorney Robert Logan said the city is allowed to make exceptions to the lowest and best rule when equipment is not compatible. While the Scott packs are more expensive, he said the purchase won’t violate any laws.
Additionally, Collins said, many of the Fire Department’s turnouts, flame retardant suits used by firefighters, are in bad shape and need to be replaced. He recommended purchasing six turnouts and two air packs in this year’s budget for $26,999.
Collins said he’d like to purchase more this year, but the Fire Department doesn’t have any more money in its equipment budget.
“That’s all the money we’ve got,” he said, adding there was about $27,080 in the equipment budget.
Next year, he said, the city will need to find a way to purchase an additional six turnouts and 10 air packs to replace the rest of the Fire Department’s outdated equipment.
In other business the Board of Aldermen:
• Agreed to let Beasley Allen Law Firm represent the city in a lawsuit against opioid manufactures. The lawsuit aims to help the city recoup some of the money spent due to fight the opioid epidemic. There will be no cost to the city;
• Approved a grant application to fund the Section 3 sewer action plan;
• Agreed to give the owner of 206 Lillian Ave. until Oct. 2 to clean the property.
• The owner asked for more time due to health and financial issues, which had delayed the cleaning efforts. If no action has been taken by Oct. 2 the city will clean the property at the owner’s expense;
• Agreed to send a courtesy letter to request the owners of 101 Belmont Street clean the property;
• Approved a public hearing Nov. 2 concerning Case Enterprises;
• Approved a $2,175 payment to Neel Shaffer for work on an airport runway;
• Adopted the 2018 tax roll equalization, which is calculated to be $42,769,936;
• Approved the 2019 tax levy of 35 mills, 32 mills for the general fund and three mills for street paving; and
• Approved allocations and subsidies for FY19 including $100 to Care Lodge, $750 to the American Red Cross, $17,650 to the Kemper-Newton Library, $2,500 to Newton Chamber of Commerce, $1,000 to Newton Booster Club, $200 to Newton Band Boosters and $1,500 to Roxy Theatre.
