2. HARMONIZATION – KENNEL LICENSING FEES AND EXPIRY DATES

HARMONISATION DES RÈGLEMENTS MUNICIPAUX – DROITS ET DATES D’ÉCHÉANCE DES PERMIS D’EXPLOITATION D’UN CHENIL

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

That Council approve amendments to the appropriate by-laws to:

1. Harmonize kennel license fees to $65 for each license and the expiry date for each kennel license to April 30 of each year commencing in 2007; and,

2. Include provisions to extend the expiry dates of those licenses that have been issued for 2007 in order to facilitate the transition to the proposed expiry date.

RecommandationS du comité

Que le Conseil municipal approuve des modifications aux règlements municipaux appropriés visant :

1. à harmoniser les droits et les dates d’échéance des permis d’exploitation d’un chenil en les fixant respectivement à 65 $ par permis et au 30 avril de chaque année, à compter de 2007;

2. à inclure des dispositions reportant la date d’échéance des permis délivrés pour 2007 afin de faciliter la transition vers la date d’échéance proposée.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective Services, report dated 12 February 2007 (ACS2007-CPS-BYL-0008).

Report to/Rapport au :

Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales

and Council / et au Conseil

12 February 2007 / le 12 février 2007

Submitted by/Soumis par : Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint,

Community and Protective Services/Services communautaires et de protection

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Susan Jones, Director / Directrice

By-law Services/Services des règlements municipaux

(613) 580-2424 x25536, susan.jones@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2007-CPS-BYL-0008

SUBJECT:	HARMONIZATION – KENNEL LICENSING FEES AND EXPIRY DATES
OBJET :	HARMONISATION DES RÈGLEMENTS MUNICIPAUX – DROITS et dates d’échéance des PERMIS D’EXPLOITATION D’un chenil

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend that Council approve amendments to the appropriate by-laws to:

1. harmonize kennel license fees to $65 for each license and the expiry date for each kennel license to April 30 of each year commencing in 2007; and,

2. include provisions to extend the expiry dates of those licenses that have been issued for 2007 in order to facilitate the transition to the proposed expiry date.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales recommande au Conseil municipal d’approuver des modifications aux règlements municipaux appropriés visant :

1. à harmoniser les droits et les dates d’échéance des permis d’exploitation d’un chenil en les fixant respectivement à 65 $ par permis et au 30 avril de chaque année, à compter de 2007;

2. à inclure des dispositions reportant la date d’échéance des permis délivrés pour

2007 afin de faciliter la transition vers la date d’échéance proposée.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The City inherited kennel related regulations from nine of the eleven former municipalities. The nine different kennel by-laws, currently still in effect within the former municipality in which they were enacted, have widely varying license fees, expiry dates and other associated regulations, which represent a significant administrative burden.

A kennel license fee of $65, which considers the range of fees, and the distribution and number of licensed kennels, is proposed. The proposed April 30^th expiry date coincides with the expiry date of pet registration tags, which will facilitate administration of both programs, in that kennel animals are also issued individual registrations for identification and recovery purposes. Both processes will therefore be more client-friendly. Other associated regulations will be harmonized at a later date.

There are no significant financial implications associated with the recommendations. There was general concurrence with the proposals from current kennel licensees who responded to the request for comment.

RÉSUMÉ

Depuis la fusion, la Ville d’Ottawa doit gérer les règlements municipaux sur les chenils adoptés dans neuf des onze anciennes municipalités. Les neuf règlements sont toujours en vigueur sur le territoire correspondant à chacune des anciennes municipalités en question et diffèrent les uns des autres au chapitre des droits, des dates d’échéance et de certaines réglementations connexes, ce qui représente un lourd fardeau administratif pour la Ville.

Il est proposé d’instaurer des droits de permis d’exploitation d’un chenil de 65 $, qui ont été fixés selon l’éventail des droits actuels, la répartition des permis et le nombre de permis délivrés. La date d’échéance du 30 avril proposée est la même que celle établie pour les médailles d’enregistrement des animaux domestiques, ce qui facilitera l’administration des deux programmes du fait que les animaux en chenil sont également enregistrés à titre individuel à des fins d’identification et de récupération. Cette mesure simplifiera la tâche aux clients de ces services. Des réglementations connexes seront harmonisées à une date ultérieure.

La recommandation formulée dans le présent rapport n’entraîne pas de répercussions financières considérables. Les détenteurs de permis d’exploitation d’un chenil qui ont répondu à la demande de rétroaction se sont dits en faveur des propositions.

BACKGROUND

The City inherited kennel by-laws and related regulations from nine of the eleven former municipalities including Cumberland, Gloucester, Goulbourn, Kanata, Nepean, Osgoode, Ottawa, Rideau and West-Carleton. The regulations were enacted in consideration of the municipal role and mandate with respect to public health and safety, nuisance or consumer protection or a combination thereof. Kennels are generally defined as establishments for the commercial breeding and/or boarding of dogs and/or cats.

The nine different kennel by-laws, currently still in effect within the respective boundaries of the former municipality in which they were enacted, have widely varying license fees, expiry dates and other associated regulations. The fees, which have not been reviewed or amended for over ten years in most cases, range from $25 to $150, with only one fee being under $50. Six of the nine by-laws also include standards that apply to the operation of a kennel. By-law and Regulatory Services Branch records indicate that there are currently 112 licensed kennels in the City.

DISCUSSION

It would be prudent to harmonize the varying fees and expiry dates, which represent a significant administrative burden. The associated regulations (e.g. standards), which will require extensive industry and public consultation, will be harmonized at a later date.

A kennel license fee of $65, which considers the range of fees, and the distribution and number of licensed kennels, is proposed. The proposed fee represents only a nominal increase for the majority of kennel licensees and a significant decrease for some. The $50 processing fee customarily applied to other business licenses under the harmonized licensing by-law will continue to not apply to kennels. This exemption from the processing fee has been the traditional practice in the case of kennels given, in part, that the application of such a fee would place an inappropriate burden on kennels, which are largely rural-based businesses with a narrow profit margin.

Revenues from license fees will be used to offset the cost of administration and enforcement.

The proposed April 30^th expiry date coincides with the expiry date of pet registration tags, which will facilitate administration of both programs, in that kennel animals are also issued, at no charge, individual registrations for identification and recovery purposes. Both processes will therefore be more client-friendly.

If the recommendations are approved, transition provisions will be established to accommodate those licensees who have already obtained their 2007 license.

CONSULTATION

An advertisement inviting comments and giving notice of the time, date and location of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) meeting at which the proposed amendment to kennel license fees and expiry dates would be discussed, appeared in the March 2^nd and March 9^th editions of the Citizen and Le Droit and the March 4^th and March 11^th editions of the Sun. In addition, by letter dated March 1^st, holders of kennel licenses were notified of the proposals and ARAC meeting particulars, and invited to comment on the proposals.

Responses were received from nine licensees, the majority of which concurred with the proposals. No responses were received from the general public.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no budget implications for the By-law and Regulatory Services Branch associated with the recommendations. If approved, the proposed harmonization of kennel license fees to $65 will result in no net change in revenue once the transition period is complete.

DISPOSITION

Legal Services, in consultation with By-law and Regulatory Services, to process the by-laws to Council for enactment.

By-law Services and Regulatory Services to provide for the necessary notification to kennel licensees.

HARMONIZATION – KENNEL LICENSING FEES AND EXPIRY DATES

HARMONISATION DES RÈGLEMENTS MUNICIPAUX – DROITS ET DATES D’ÉCHÉANCE DES PERMIS D’EXPLOITATION D’UN CHENIL

ACS2007-CPS-BYL-0008

The Committee directed that the issue rise to Council on March 28, 2007.