IRON MOUNTAIN — Changes are planned in Iron Mountain’s vicious dog ordinance to increase penalties and strengthen language requiring owners to quarantine animals after a reported attack.

While the ordinance allows police to confiscate and quarantine animals that meet the definition of “vicious dog,” the city has no place to house the animals, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said. The Almost Home Animal Shelter in Quinnesec no longer accepts animals confiscated under the ordinance and local veterinarians are also unwilling to take on this role.

“They don’t have to do this for us,” Stanchina said.

City Attorney Gerry Pirkola will bring proposed amendments to the city council for review at the Oct. 19 meeting.

In allowing time for due process, there have been difficulties in keeping dogs under quarantine and within reach of the law, Pirkola said. The plan is to make owners responsible for a home quarantine until it’s determined if a dog must be destroyed, based on the severity of the attack.

“We’re going to try that and see if that works,” Pirkola told the council Monday. It’s a pressing problem, the attorney added, as “we have an unbelievable

number of dog bites in Iron Mountain.”

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 Roxy be euthanized.

A six-month court appeal was settled in January 2014. Roxy 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 dogs if they are set free.

The controversial case prompted the city to amend its vicious dog ordinance to allow for more discretion in ordering dogs to be put down.

In other action, the city council:

— Learned that underground utility work has been completed on the West C Street project. Paving should occur within the next two or three weeks. The tentative start for paving on the Lehman Avenue/Wickman Drive/North Kimberly Avenue project is Oct. 19. Also, catch basins are being repaired on Vulcan Street to improve drainage and complete a project conducted in 2019.

— Joined Dickinson County and a number of other local governments in adopting a resolution opposing the reappointment of Victoria Enyart to the Michigan Tax Commission. The resolution focuses on Enyart’s acceptance of the “dark store” theory of property appraisal in place of standard assessment methods. The Senate Advice and Consent Committee, however, has rejected an attempt by state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, to oppose the nomination put forward by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. According to Stanchina, Iron Mountain has lost about $15 million in taxable value over the past five years as the result of appeals filed with the tribunal.

— Approved pay increases of 67 cents per hour for all administrative positions, equating to a cost of living increase for each position of $1,410, which is retroactive to July 1. The new salary schedule is: city manager, $90,569; director of police and fire services, $81,606; public works supervisor, $68,757; chief finance officer, $62,565; clerk-treasurer, $57,508; and police department administrative assistant, $18.65 per hour. While there is uncertainty with future spending due to the pandemic, it appears this year’s budget will not suffer an unexpected reduction of revenue, Stanchina said. The budget approved in May included a 2% increase for each employee, but the projected dollar amount will instead be divided evenly over all positions. The budget year runs through June 30, 2021.

— Advised residents that hydrant flushing will begin Monday, Oct. 12, beginning on the north side, and continuing the next several days throughout the city. There may be periods where water is discolored or pressure is lost.

— Reported that a new black drop box is available in front of City Hall exclusively for absentee ballots.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.