The below is the actual proposed ordinance to outlaw feeding feral cats in Beverly Hills.
It contains all kinds of fuzzy reasoning such that attracting insects and possum at a handful of locations causes a health hazard, and furthermore attracts coyotes who apparently will kill the cats and dogs owners let roam free at night. There is no mention whether coyotes have been seen in the Palm Drive area where Mrs. Vajarian feeds on even an irregular basis, nor any statisitics that correlate ants in an alley in B.H. with higher hospiral admissions or with plague or some other straw man disease.
The idiot, George Chavez, the city staffer that prepared this piece or garbage legislation, opines that there is no anticipated cost to the City of this ordinance despite already years of legal conflict and July 1 and July 7 trials for just one colony manager. Apparently he thinks court costs and litigation are not costs to the City, and that Ms. Varjian is the only feeder in the City.
Chavez says preventing feral cats eating will eliminate insects and rodents, diminishing a health risk. What, Mr. Chavez, is the health risk? Unless Mrs. Varjian is massively overfeeding the cats, leaving scads of uneaten food, the cats are more likely killing far more rodents than any small amounts of leftover food attract. Small rodents are one creature feral cats do eat.
Mr. Chavez raises a spector of a straw man health risk. There is no demonstrated health risk. He doesn't even know how many cats are fed, in how many areas, and thus what the real potential risk is. He hasn't done even minimal research. He has no idea what he is talking about. There are no quoted authorities, studies, mentioned experiences at other municipalities. There is no research at all, merely unsupported speculations based on fear mongering.
Does he even think about the health risk of many hungry and starving cats wandering the neighborhoods, with their dead and rotting bodies? Does he consider the pick up fees for dead animals, or the cost of litigation and prosecution of these cat feeding scufflaws?
Hopefully the ex head of Los Angeles' Animal Services, Ed Boks, will be allowed to speak at length about Los Angele's real experiences regarding feral cat feeding and colonies, and address B.H. almost medieval fear of insects, urban wildlife and cats.
This would be real research, not scare talk out of some bureaucratic sycophant.
Everyone knows the real reason for all this ninsense are a few cat-hating Beverly Hills residents who have contempt for any rights other than their property rights, are demanding that the City stop Kathryn Varjian from feeding cats in the Palm Drive area.
This is pure spite of residents like Darian Bojeoux who want to show "outsiders" who is boss and how much power they have over City staff and B.H. City Council. This is the same sick, Republican entitlement attitude I had always encountered in the more wealthy areas of Santa Monica, "Look at my beautiful property, envy me and mine, but don't get too close, AND kill any four legged mammal who dare treads on my garden."
Have Chavez and Council yet realized how small, petty and meanhearted this act's passge would make their city look? "Beverly Hills Starves Homeless Cats and creates a crimal class of cat ladies."
I wonder if people from outside Beverly Hills start coming in to feed the feed Varjian's cats. Talk about outsiders. I have already heard from two people who swear they will travel to feed Mrs. Varjian's cats. Should this act pass, I will also see what I can do to find others who will keep Mrs. Varjian's strays alive.
Talk about enforcement and litigation expense for Beverly Hills, they have no idea the kind of trouble they would be creating.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council finds that it is necessary for the preservation of the
public peace, health and safety that this Ordinance take effect immediately. This Ordinance prohibits the feeding of certain animals on public property, including, but not limited to, stray dogs, and feral and stray cats. This provision was inadvertently removed upon the adoption by reference of the Los Angeles Municipal Code Animal Control provisions. The City Council now finds that the Los Angeles Municipal Code does not adequately address the health and safety issues that arise from the feeding of certain animals. The City Council finds that this Ordinance is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety because the placement of food on public property and in publicly accessible areas attracts not only domesticated animals, but other animals, including vermin such as insects and rodents, raccoons, and coyotes. The City Council finds that this Ordinance will prevent the proliferation of rodent, and insect populations, thereby reducing the spread of disease. This Ordinance will also prevent the expansion of nondornesticated mammalian predator populations in the City by limiting their access to food. The Council therefore finds that it is necessary that this Ordinance take effect immediately and its urgency is hereby declared because without this ordinance food may continue to be placed in public areas attracting vermin and mammalian predators and thereby compromising public health and safety. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
Section 2. Section 53.06.5 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, as incorporated
by reference in Chapter 2 of Title 5 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, is amended to add the following:
"(d) No person shall feed or in any manner provide or place food for any domesticated animal which is not under the ownership or legal possession of such person, including, but not limited to, dogs and cats, on any public property, or on any property open to the public, or on any private property where the providing or placement of such food is in an area not completely enclosed by a secured wall or fence of at least six feet (6') in height.
(e) No person shall feed or in any manner provide or place food for any feral or
stray cat that is not under the ownership or legal possession of such person."
Section 3. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or
portion of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or place, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this ordinance, and each and every section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 4. The City Clerk is directed to forward a certified copy of this ordinance
to the Director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Services.
Section 5. Effective Date. This Ordinance, being an Urgency Ordinance adopted
for the immediate protection of the public safety and health, containing a declaration of the facts
NANCY KRASNE Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, California
BYRON POPE
City Clerk
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