If the second reading of proposed changes to a city ordinance passes, animal adoptions at the City of Edna’s animal shelter will include sterilization and/or vaccination as part of the process.
Thursday night, the Edna City Council approved the initial reading of the proposed changes to Chapter 2, “Animal Control,” which outlines the city’s animal laws. The proposed changes would require animals to be spayed or neutered and up to date on vaccinations prior to adoption from the animal shelter. Currently, the Edna Animal Shelter only requires that animals be up to date on their shots and the City of Edna requires a microchip and $20 adoption fee.
City Manager Gary Broz said that Animal Control Officer Susan Strickland had requested the addition of spaying/ neutering to the ordinance.
“We’re trying to start building this program, trying to build Animal Control up, working with the county,” Broz said.
The City of Edna and Jackson County will be using $400,000 donated by Formosa to construct a new, larger animal shelter to serve the entire county. On Tuesday, Jackson County Commissioners agreed to hire Burns Architecture, LLC, an architectural firm, to begin designing the new facility.
Police Chief Kenneth Pyle said the revised ordinance would be very similar to what the city already has.
“There’s just a few minor spay-and-neuter changes,” Pyle said.
The current ordinance is available on the City of Edna website at https:// www.cityofedna.com/ page/animal-control and a simplified version is found on PetFinder.com at https://www.petfinder. com/member/us/tx/edna/ city-of-edna-animal-shelter- tx1817/.
In other business, the council: Approved minutes of the city council meeting held January 2, 2025; Approved a request from Edna Juneteenth Board for $2,000 in funding for their annual Juneteenth Celebration; Tabled a discussion with Little League over the proposed agreement with the city; Awarded by resolution # 2025-01 a contract for administrative services pertaining the application and implementation if awarded of the city’s 2024 Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants from the Texas Division of Emergency Management and/or Texas Water Development Board and authority the execution of a contract.
Awarded by resolution 2025-02 a contract for engineering services pertaining to the application and implementation if awarded of the city’s 2024 Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants from the Texas Division of Emergency Management and/or Texas Water Development Board and authorizing the execution of a contract.
Approved payment of current bills; and Heard reports from city staff.
