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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2044ORDINANCE NO. 2044 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTERS 10.04 AND 10.24 OF THE PALM SPRINGS MUNICIPAL CODE ADDING REGULATIONS FOR BREEDING PERMITS City Attorney's Summary This Ordinance establishes a Breeding Permit limiting three dog or cat litters or offering stud services three times per household during a thirty- six (36) month period with, as much as practicable, having a twelve (12) month period between litters or the offering for stud. Penalties for violation of the breeding permit provisions and an appeal process are also established by this Ordinance. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FINDS: A. The City of Palm Springs is a charter city organized pursuant to Article XI of the California Constitution and pursuant to the authority granted the City Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution, the City of Palm Springs may adopt and enforce ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws to protect and promote the public health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. B. The City Council finds that the activities permitted under this ordinance are consistent with and implement the goals and policies of the Palm Springs General Plan. C. The City Council finds that the adoption of this ordinance is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to the following provisions of the CEQA Guidelines, 14 Cal. Code of Regulations, Chapter 3: The ordinance is exempt under Section 15061(b) (3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Chapter 10.04 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code is amended to add Section 10.04.35 to read as follows: "Section 10.04.035. Breeding Permit. "Breeding Permit" means a written authorization, issued annually by the City Manager or the City Manager's designee, giving its lawful holder permission to breed a dog or a cat, in accordance with Section 10.24.040." Ordinance No. 2044 Page 2 SECTION 2. Chapter 10.24 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code is amended to add Section 10.24.40 to read as follows: "Section 10.24.040. Dog and Cat Breeding - Breeding permit required. A. No person shall cause or allow any dog or cat owned, harbored or kept within the City to breed without first obtaining a breeding permit. The Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter shall be exempt from obtaining a breeding permit. B. Each breeding permit shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance, and may be renewed annually before its expiration date. Each applicant for a breeding permit shall pay an annual fee as set forth in a fee resolution adopted by the City Council. C. The City Manager, or his/her designee, shall administer the animal breeding permit program to allow the breeding of unaltered dogs and cats consistent with criteria and according to procedures established by the City Manager or his/her designee, and approved by the City Council. D. A breeding permit shall not be issued to an applicant if any of the following reasons exist: 1. The applicant of the breeding permit or someone in the household has been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect or dog fighting. 2. The applicant of the breeding permit provided false information or failed to provide any required information. 3. The applicant has violated any provision of Title 10 within the last thirty six (36) months. 4. The animal breeding will be for purposes not authorized by law, such as dog fighting, animal cruelty or breeding for purposes of selling of the animals in violation of the law. E. In addition to the criteria and procedures established by the City Manager, breeding permits shall contain the following terms and conditions: 1. The breeding permit shall authorize no more than three (3) dog or cat litters per domestic household in any thirty-six (36) month period, or the offering of a male dog or cat for stud three times in any thirty-six (36) month period. The dog or cat should, as much as practicable, have a twelve (12) month period between litters or the offering for stud. 2. Any holder of a breeding permit who advertises to the public the availability of any dog or cat for sale, adoption, or transfer, whether for Ordinance No. 2044 Page 3 compensation or otherwise, must prominently display the breeding permit number in any such advertisement. Further, the breeding permit holder must provide the breeding permit number to any person who purchases, adopts or receives any animal from the breeding permit holder and include the breeding permit number on any receipt of sale or transfer document. 3. Breeding permits shall be obtained in person at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter where the City Manager, or City Manager's designee, shall keep a register wherein there shall be entered the name and address of each person to whom any breeding permit is issued, the date of issuance thereof, the date or approximate date the person obtained the dog or cat, the age or approximate age of the dog or cat, and, if a first-time breeding permit, the number of past litters produced in the previous five years. 4. Any breeding permit holder selling or otherwise transferring a dog or cat, whether for compensation or otherwise, shall maintain records for a period of three (3) years containing the name, address, and telephone number of the animal's new owner on a City approved form." SECTION 3. Chapter 10.24 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code is amended to add Section 10.24.45 to read as follows: "Section 10.24.045 Penalties. A. Administrative fines. 1. Any cat or dog owner whose animal has been bred no more than once in a twelve month period without a permit may correct such violation by obtaining the necessary permit required by this Chapter, no later than thirty (30) days following the date of the notice of violation(s), provided however, that the opportunity to correct shall only be available for the first violation. Subsequent violations shall not have an opportunity to cure the violation. 2. For the first violation, should the owner fail to correct the violation in the manner described above, the owner shall be deemed to have violated this Code and shall be subject to a five hundred dollar ($500) administrative penalty. 3. Any cat or dog owner whose animal has been bred more than three (3) times in a thirty-six (36) month period in violation of Section 10.24.040(E)(1), with or without a permit, or who has violated Sections 10.224.040(E)(2) or (E)(4), shall be deemed to have violated this Code and shall be subject to an immediate five hundred dollar ($500) administrative fine for the first violation, seven hundred fifty dollar ($750) for the second violation, and one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each additional violation. Ordinance No. 2044 Page 4 4. Written notice of any such penalty shall be served on the dog or cat owner by mail. The penalty shall not be waived upon the transfer or abandonment of the dog or cat by the noncompliant owner. These administrative penalties shall be imposed in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other applicable civil or criminal penalties authorized by this Code. 5. The City may waive the administrative penalty if all are animals in the litter are surrendered to animal shelter. B. Revocation of Breeding Permit. Any breeding permit issued pursuant to Section 10.24.040 may be revoked if the City Manager or the City Manager's designee has reasonable cause to believe any of the following to be true: 1. The breeding permit holder has violated any City ordinance relating to the keeping, care or use of any animal. 2. The breeding permit holder is in violation of any state health or safety law or regulation regarding animal care or control. 3. The breeding permit holder has failed to comply with any condition or requirement of the breeding permit or has failed to pay any fee imposed under this code. 4. The City has reasonable belief of code violations, and the breeding permit holder has refused to allow inspection, upon forty-eight (48) hours' written notice, of any animal covered by the breeding permit and the premises on which the animal is kept. 5. The breeding permit holder has transferred, sold or otherwise disposed of the animal for which the permit was originally issued. C. If, after inspection, the City Manager or the City Manager's designee concludes that it is probable that one or more of the above grounds for revocation has occurred, he or she shall cause written notice thereof to be transmitted by mail to the address of the breeding permit holder. The notice shall specify the grounds of possible revocation of the breeding permit and shall specify a date and time for an informal hearing to be held before a hearing officer. The date shall be not set less than six (6) days after the date the notice is mailed. After the informal hearing, the hearing officer may modify the terms of the breeding permit or revoke the breeding permit. D. The breeding permit holder may appeal the hearing officer's decision in compliance with Chapter 2.50." SECTION 4. The provisions above are adopted based upon the true and correct recited findings reflected above and incorporated by this reference herein. Ordinance No. 2044 Page 5 SECTION 5. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional. SECTION 6. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause the same, or the summary thereof, to be published and posted pursuant to the provisions of law and this Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED BY THE PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL THIS 22nd DAY OF APRIL, 2021. ('W+91� /___ CHRISTY H LSTEGE MAYOR ATTEST: ,-ANTHONY AAc CITY CLEW Ordinance No. 2044 Page 6 CERTIFICATION STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE) ss. CITY OF PALM SPRINGS) I, ANTHONY J. MEJIA, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, do hereby certify that Ordinance No. 2044 is a full, true, and correct copy, and was introduced by the City Council at a regular meeting held on the 8t" day of April, 2021, and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the 22"d day of April, 2021, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Garner, Kors, Woods, Mayor Pro Tern Middleton NOES: None ABSENT: Mayor Holstege ABSTAIN: None IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this T'. day of 2021. Z_TH�ONIY J JI , M CITY CLERK