Spring Valley passes ordinances on free-roaming dogs, abandoned vehicles

Spring Valley is looking to crack down on strays of the four-legged and four-wheeled variety, as its City Council passed ordinances prohibiting free-roaming dogs and abandoned vehicles at its regular meeting Monday.

The ordinance concerning dogs requires any dog in the city not on its owner’s property must be on a leash and under control of a person physically capable to control it.

Abandoned vehicles are prohibited on any highway or public or private property in view of the general public, unless the property is zoned and used for repair and/or storage of abandoned vehicles. An abandoned vehicle is defined as “any vehicle that is unlicensed, without proper registration or license plates, or with registration that has expired.”

Also approved Monday was a resolution to authorize a memorandum of understanding between the city and St. Margaret’s Health, establishing each party’s responsibilities in the event an alternate emergency operations center needs to be established.

In other business Monday:

• A change order was passed authorizing the addition of $31,386 to the cost of ongoing sewer repairs due to circumstances that were deemed to be beyond anyone’s control.
• The final plan of the Guenther Subdivision was approved, with an accompanying variance request.
• An amended schedule was approved for fees, charges and costs to be paid as part of Spring Valley’s membership in the Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch.

The council’s next regular meeting is Monday, Dec. 6.