IRON MOUNTAIN — Procedures for dealing with vicious dogs will be reviewed in Iron Mountain, seven years after a controversial case in which a 2-year-old pit bull-boxer-shepherd mix escaped euthanasia after a lengthy court battle.

“It just becomes sometimes unworkable,” City Attorney Gerry Pirkola told the city council Tuesday during a Zoom meeting.

The main problem, Pirkola said, is having no place to house dogs accused in attacks. The Almost Home Animal Shelter in Quinnesec declines to get involved, and it’s the same with local veterinarians, who may be willing to euthanize an animal but don’t want to harbor those under quarantine.

In 2013, the animal shelter temporarily housed Roxy, a dog that violated the vicious dog ordinance by biting a woman walking in an alley on West Ludington Street. At that time, the city’s ordinance dictated that Roxy be put down.

A six-month court appeal was settled in January 2014. The dog was allowed to be permanently sheltered out of state under the care of the Lexus Project, a non-profit group that arranges for pro bono attorneys to represent dogs that are “unjustly on death row,” and for placement of the dogs if they are set free.

The case also prompted the council to amend its vicious dog ordinance to allow for more discretion in ordering dogs to be euthanized.

But in allowing time for due process, there are difficulties in keeping dogs under quarantine and within the grasp of the law, Pirkola said.

The council referred to issue to its public safety committee, which consists of Mayor Dale Alessandrini and council members Ken Clawson and Bill Revord.

Council member Pam Maule remarked there can’t be tolerance for known vicious dogs, given the danger of serious injuries to children and others.

In other action, the council:

— Urged participation in the 2020 U.S. Census. According to recent data, Iron Mountain is at a response rate of 71.2%, which ranks near the middle for all Michigan communities. The census impacts public safety, health care, education and infrastructure, as well as other essential services. Because the census is critical in the distribution of billions in federal dollars, anyone who spends at least 50% of their time in Michigan should be counted as living in Michigan, according to state officials. More information is available at https://www.michigan.gov/census2020/ or by calling 1-800-923-8282 or 1-844-330-2020.

— Heard City Manager Jordan Stanchina report that siphons continue to run daily at H Street and Kimberly Avenue to direct accumulated water drainage to the Iron Mountain-Kingsford Wastewater Treatment Plant. About 700,000 to 1 million gallons of water a day have been removed, he said. Because the plant near the Menominee River has a limited capacity, the siphons are turned off if there’s a threat of heavy rain, but the tactic helps get water away from streets and Crystal Lake.

— Scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. Sept. 21 on the planned purchase of a 2021 Dodge Durango, aided by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant. The police vehicle will go to the city’s canine unit, replacing a squad car that will be reassigned for code enforcement. The grant will cover up to 25% of the estimated $44,199 total cost.

— Settled a claim on property damage done by a Florence Hardwoods logging truck that crashed July 27 on U.S. 2 near Hamilton Street on the city’s north side. Secura Insurance will pay $3,490 for diesel fuel cleanup costs and damage to utilities. The driver, a 41-year-old Rhinelander, Wis., man, was not injured.

— Learned that the public works department replaced 30 feet of collapsed sewer on the 1200 block of West Fleshiem Street. Believing 285 feet needed to be replaced, the city in June declined a contractor’s bid of $56,000 and instead received Norway’s help to televise the sewer to better see the scope of the problem. The smaller project now is complete.

— In light of the pandemic, amended a property purchase agreement to give Kyle and Jaclynn Fortier more time to build a home at 135 Northview Drive. The deadline to complete construction was April 22, 2021, which has now been moved to Jan. 1, 2022.