Published: October 22, 2009 01:02 am

CITY OF LOCKPORT: Council extends SPCA service for another year

By a vote of 5-1, the Common Council voted Wednesday to use Niagara County SPCA’s dog sheltering service for one more year.

In doing so, it decided not to take up an offer by the new, not-for-profit Eastern Niagara Animal Welfare Alliance to take over for SPCA, at a slightly lower fee while providing “enhanced” animal rescue services for stray cats as well as dogs.

Council President John Lombardi III cast the lone “no” vote on extending SPCA’s contract, after asking Mayor Michael Tucker to reassign sponsorship of the resolution to another alderman. He said he couldn’t choose SPCA over the group on whose board of directors he used to serve.

“I understand (the ENAWA) mission and what they’re trying to accomplish. I think change is an option,” he said.

Other aldermen said changing shelter providers is not an option, at the moment, because ENAWA does not operate a freestanding shelter of its own. ENAWA offered to house seized dogs and surrendered cats at Transit Valley Animal Hospital in East Amherst.

“I’m impressed with the group and their goals, but they’re not set up. As a city, we need a shelter ... and they don’t have the facilities,” 2nd Ward Alderman Amanda Alexander said. “Maybe in the future they will and we can consider working with them.”

SPCA will provide stray dog sheltering, adoption and/or euthanasia services next year for its 2009 contract rate, $26,281.

It also will accept stray cats surrendered by city residents and judge whether the cats are adoptable or must be destroyed.

Separately, ENAWA Director Bobbie Mael said Wednesday that the alliance is pursuing grants from various sources including Maddie’s Fund and the locally based Grigg-Lewis Foundation to establish a “no-kill” animal shelter in Lockport.

Its Grigg-Lewis grant application includes a letter of endorsement from Daniel Stapleton, Niagara County public health director, who said ENAWA’s work to make low-cost spay/neuter and rabies vaccination programs more widely available to the public aids the goal of reducing animal overpopulation humanely.

The health department “has become aware of the need for enhanced (animal rescue) services not offered in Niagara County due to the present-day limitations and policies of our current SPCA,” Stapleton wrote. “We have information that indicates that over 1,100 Niagara County residents currently utilize the Erie County SPCA on an annual basis due to their no-kill policy. Clearly there is a need for this service in Niagara County, which the department supports, based upon the fact that these animals are provided with veterinary services to include rabies vaccination.”

In other business, city council members unanimously approved adoption of a new, local sign ordinance.

According to City Attorney John Ottaviano, the substantial differences between it and the previous sign law, adopted last year, are:

• For the first time, the building inspection department will have primary responsibility for approving proposed signs. If the sign conforms with size and placement specifications in the law, the department must issue a sign permit within 15 days of application.

• The planning board will have review power over non-conforming signs on the basis of size or placement only. The 2008 sign law attempted to enforce color restrictions on signs in the central business district; that is now done away with. Non-conforming signs still will require legal waivers (variances) from the zoning board of appeals, which will receive recommendations from the planning board.

Contact reporter Joyce Miles at 439-9222, ext. 6245.