Lack of animal control in Beaches upsets residents

Friday, July 11, 2008

Animal Control Supervisor Craig Dichter said that, because the new ordinance passed in March by the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners specifically excluded the Beaches, his officers can’t respond to calls there until the two town councils vote to accept the ordinance and the county commissioners approve their inclusion in the new law.

He hopes this process will be completed in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, dangerous situations involving animals can be referred to the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, but Beaches residents will need to call their town halls for help with run-of-the-mill animal problems.

‘‘Inside the town limits, they need to call their town hall,” he said. ‘‘If it’s an extreme emergency, the sheriff’s department will respond and it will go from there, but for the regular ‘dog running at large,’ ‘cat running loose,’ all of that has to go to the towns.”

Chesapeake Beach Mayor Gerald Donovan said he is frustrated by the situation, calling it ‘‘absolutely stupid.” Residents have complained to Town Hall.

‘‘We don’t call [animal control] very often, but I can’t imagine why our people are being denied,” Donovan said. ‘‘I guess you’d have to ask the county commissioners why. I don’t know. I’m getting complaints now, [citizens] are being told [animal control] can’t come into this part of Calvert County, which I find to be utterly ridiculous, absolutely stupid, that citizens of Chesapeake Beach aren’t entitled to animal control because of some Calvert County bureaucracy. It’s crazy, and you can quote me.”

The situation is complicated by the town’s decision not to adopt the complete county ordinance, considering the 42-page document too elaborate. Instead, a simpler version will be presented to the Chesapeake Beach Town Council on Tuesday, July 15, for consideration, according to Donovan and Town Attorney Eric Blitz.

‘‘Theirs is 40 pages long. We’ll pass something very simple and to-the-point that takes care of the situation,” Donovan said.

Following normal procedures, passing an amended ordinance would take at least a month in order to give citizens a chance to comment, Blitz said. But Donovan has vowed to pass the law as an emergency measure if necessary.

But even if the town acts quickly, there is no guarantee that the county will go along. In order for animal control to return to Chesapeake Beach, the county commissioners must vote to include the town in the Animal Control Ordinance under the conditions proposed by the town council, Blitz said.

Returning Animal Control to North Beach may be easier, as in May the North Beach Town Council unanimously passed a resolution accepting the county ordinance as written. In any event, the town has not had any problems during the hiatus in service, said North Beach Mayor Michael Bojokles.

‘‘We’re doing just fine, thank you very much,” he said.

Bojokles’ understanding is that, having sent a letter to the county commissioners asking to be included in the ordinance, no more needs to be done by the town. Town Attorney John Shay did not return calls seeking comment.

County Attorney Emanuel Demedis confirmed that North Beach has taken the necessary steps; he said the county is waiting on a decision by Chesapeake Beach before scheduling a public hearing on including both towns in the ordinance.

‘‘I think they want to do them both at the same time,” Demedis said.

Commissioner Linda Kelley (R), a fierce proponent of the county’s animal ordinance, did not return a call seeking comment.