Highland Supervisors amend animal ordinance

Monterey, Va. –

The Highland County Board of Supervisors has adopted procedures for operation of the county’s Animal Control Pound. County Attorney Melissa Dowd describes an amendment to the ordinance that was considered first.

“The dog ordinance had to be amended because it had been written prior to and in consideration of the SPCA agreement that the county was under for a number of years,” said Ms. Dowd. “And so it has been amended to incorporate the changes that the Board recommended at its last meeting in the middle of August, which is, that if an animal is confined at the pound and claimed by its rightful owner, the owner shall be charged the actual expenses incurred in keeping the animal impounded up to two dollars per day of impoundment. And it sets an adoption fee of two dollars per day of impoundment, to be charged to any individual who wants to adopt an animal from the pound. However, it caps any fees associated with adoption or the holding of an animal in the Highland County facility at twenty-five dollars,” she said.

After approving the amendment, the procedures for operating the pound were adopted by unanimous vote without any public comment. Sheriff Tim Duff then presented his monthly update to the Board.

“I went in and talked to the kids about the anti-bullying program initiated by the Attorney General,” said Sheriff Duff. “(It) was very well received by the kids, as well as by the faculty. Thursday and Friday of this week I will be going to do the high school boys and girls. Something we started the last semester this year – school policy and the state code and how they interact. The seventeenth of September, the Winchester PD is putting on a dispatchers’ school/symposium for active shooters. I think right now we have four of our dispatchers that want to go. The cost is minimal, (and) I’ve got the money in the budget. For fifty bucks and the cost of a meal we are sending our dispatchers,” said the Sheriff.

Sheriff Duff goes on to describe his plan to meet with community organizations.

“I’ve offered to the various churches and civic groups, my willingness to come to their meetings and discuss the hot topics for the county,” said Sheriff Duff. “We’ve done one so far and as of today I’ve got three more scheduled. So the churches and the civic groups, they want to know what’s going on in the office and they want to know what is going on law enforcement-wise throughout the county,” said the Sheriff.

The Sheriff also discussed an upcoming meeting with officials from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank about Highland County sheriff and fire department communications system issues.

“As far as NARO (sic), I’ve contacted the site director,” said Sheriff Duff. “I’ve been very specific about what my concerns were. She’s supposed to get back to me tomorrow. I told her I need to know what frequencies I can put out on, what bands. What can I do without interfering with her.’ And she’s bringing somebody with her to give us a clear cut here’s what the problem is.’ So no more subjective rumor. And as soon as I get her here, I will make sure you all know about it,” he said.

The next regular meeting of the Highland County Board of Supervisors will be Tuesday, October 2 at 7:30 PM in the Modular Conference Center in Monterey.