Village chief urges ordinance changes on stray cats and fireworks; council asks legal counsel to draft proposals

Chief Winfield presented two public-safety proposals to the Waverly Village Council: to amend the village's animals-at-large ordinance to explicitly include cats, and to consider restrictions on discharging fireworks inside village limits.

"What I presented to council is, one, it's to amend the village ordinance animals at large to include cats in there," Chief Winfield told council, saying the village has received complaints about cats causing property damage and residents feeding strays. He said the change would allow the village to apply the same fines and enforcement already used for dogs.

Winfield also raised safety concerns about fireworks. "We feel that it's probably not safe because if you look at the requirements... distance, you can't really let them off safely anywhere in the village," he said, arguing that state distance requirements leave no safe place to set off larger fireworks within the corporate limits.

Council members asked whether a local ordinance would be enforceable alongside the Ohio Revised Code and whether it would materially change enforcement. Winfield said a local ban or clarified ordinance would at least reduce the risk of property damage and give the village an enforceable standard to cite.

A council member asked legal counsel to draft ordinances implementing the chief's proposals; councilors noted any ordinance would still require the council's formal three readings before adoption. No final vote adopting the proposed ordinances was recorded at this meeting.

The discussion included several examples of nuisance behavior (residents reporting cats sleeping on cars and scratching paint) and references to other municipalities that have adopted cat-control provisions. Council members and the chief discussed enforcement practicalities and next steps, with the chief offering to return to a future meeting or to participate in a committee meeting to develop language.

Next steps: legal counsel was asked to draft ordinances for council review and the items will return for formal readings and any necessary committee consideration.