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Politics & Government

Yearly Registration and Hefty Fines for Animal Owners

Trustees approved a more stringent animal control ordinance, and firefighters took their oaths Monday.

Trustees unanimously approved an updated animal control ordinance at their monthly meeting Monday. The measure will provide the following:

  • Annual registration ($25 for animals older than six months, but animals registered before July 1 will be grandfathered in under their lifetime licenses)
  • A presence on the Adopt-A-Pet website
  • Shannon McMillian, the newly hired animal control officer with 12 years of kennel experience, will respond to strays and coordinate with volunteers
  • Increased fines for violations ($500 for abandoning an animal, $150 to release an animal kept by police)
  • Zero tolerance for violations
  • Increasing fees for multiple offenses

Trustee John Thill also led an amendment to the ordinance that increased fines for the "egregious evil" of animal fighting to a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $25,000.

"We heard a request from the community and we responded," said Trustee Shel Marcus. "It shows that if you have concerns, that they are legitimate, and we are here to listen to you seriously and work to resolve them."

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Firefighters take their oaths

A cohort of firefighters, their friends and family packed the Richard T. Flickinger Municipal Center during Monday's meeting to witness their comrades raise their right hands and "solemnly swear to support the Constitution" and the laws of Morton Grove.

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Three vacancies were created when District Chief Joe Paczosa retired in January after more than 30 years of service.

"It is truly a proud and unique pleasure I have tonight to introduce you to three very fine individuals that we hope can help lead the Morton Grove Fire Department in the coming decades," said Fire Chief Tom Friel. Applicants for all three positions underwent rigorous physical, written and oral tests before they were hired.

  • Scott Exo – rising district fire chief. Exo came to the department in 1992 as a firefighter and paramedic, and he became a lieutenant in 2008. In addition to his duties with the fire department, he serves as the secretary of the firefighters' pension board and is an instructor for the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy.
  • Mike Mitchell – rising fire lieutenant. "He's basically been a leader without the position, as far as I'm concerned," said Mike Simkins, chairperson of the fire and police commission. "I know one of his greatest achievements was hitting a triple to lead his 1996 softball team to the village finals tournament," Simkins added, eliciting laughs from the room.
  • Steve Martin – new firefighter and paramedic. Martin is a fully trained paramedic and part of the St. Francis system. He graduated from Oakton Community College with a major in fire science.

In other news

Another ordinance defined the rights of police officers to enter private property and enforce traffic regulations. Some trustees and residents had concerns that this would encroach on property owners' Constitutional rights as laid out by the Fourth Amendment. 

"This is just to clarify a long-standing ordinance and existing practice, unless otherwise prohibited by law," explained Village Attorney Teresa Hoffman-Liston. "What that means is that the Fourth Amendment is still alive and well in Morton Grove. Anyone that thinks to the contrary—they're wrong."

Hoffman-Liston said there are already times when officers can enter private property: with permission, with a warrant, in emergency circumstances, and in pursuit of a felon. This ordinance would specifically apply to what's informally known as the "mailman role"—sidewalks, driveways and porches, where mailmen regularly operate.

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