Hartley council looks to lift pit bull ban

BY NICK PEDLEY

Changes are on the way affecting which dogs can live inside Hartley city limits and which ones can't.

Megan Hoger, who is in the process of purchasing a house in Hartley, approached the council Monday about removing an ordinance banning pit bulls from city limits. Hoger and her boyfriend, Jason Vaske, own a pitbull, but they were unaware Hartley rules deemed the breed vicious when they made an offer on their future home.

"She is a very loving and gentle animal, and she's never had any behavioral problems in the past," Hoger said.

The council had no issues with lifting the ban. According to City Administrator Erica Haack, ordinances banning specific breeds have been losers in the courts.

"The trend is moving away from these specific breed bans and the case law is leading that trend," she said after the meeting.

Council members felt there was no point in keeping it on the books and expressed support for Hoger and Vaske's dog to move to Hartley.

"Any dog can be vicious," said Council Member Ron Hengeveld. "But if they do bite, they're going to be gone."

Haack said the ordinance will likely be amended during a special meeting later this month.

• Tweak the tower?

Council Member Jerry Olson wants to see a retro look when he gazes at the Hartley skyline.

Olson said during Monday's meeting he would like to see the water tower's appearance return to the design that predated the current paint scheme. He believed it was hard to see from afar and noted the other design was much more visible.

"When you come into the community, you cannot tell what town it is, period," he said. "I'd like to see it change so it's more visible so when you're 6-8 miles out in the country, you can see it."

The water tower is due for cleaning and exterior refurbishment under the city's contract with Suez. Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz said that completely repainting the structure's design will be more expensive, but he will reach out for a quote.

"I don't think it would probably take them too long to design a new scheme, and we can push painting it off another year," he said.

The issue will be discussed at upcoming meetings.

"It's something that we can address in the coming weeks, but it's food for thought right now," said Mayor Rodney Ahrenstorff.