NEW ULM - The New Ulm City Council approved Tuesday the permit fees for the new ordinance that will allow Chammy the horse to stay in New Ulm.
The associated ordinance was discussed at the last Council meeting and given an second reading on Tuesday. The ordinance allows animals that lived in the same residence in New Ulm at least six months prior to Jan. 1, 2012, to stay in town until their deaths. The ordinance almost exclusive benefits the owners of Chammy the horse, which previously faced eviction under current city codes. The complaint against Chammy came after a neighbor faced problems with excessive manure and the horse's fence.
The permit is intended to ensure that no future problem emerges with any animals allowed to stay and that the animals are kept in humane habitats. The fees associated with the permit are intended to cover the cost of city inspections to ensure that the conditions of the permit are being met.
The resolution initially proposed charging $150 for the first year and $100 for each subsequent year, with four inspections a year. However, discussion among the Council members ultimately led to setting the fee at a flat $100 for every instance of inspection, which will be four times annually.
Following the death of animals that benefit from the new ordinance, no more animals will be allowed to live in New Ulm's residential areas.
The permit pricing was passed by the Council.
(Josh Moniz can be e-mailed at jmoniz@nujournal.com)