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Chester woman upset over new neighbors

CHESTER, W.Va. — A lack of an ordinance regarding a neighbor’s dogs has left one Chester resident with more questions than answers.

Longtime Louisiana Avenue resident Wanda Smith addressed City Council last week about a situation concerning a family with two large dogs that recently moved into a neighboring home.

“They put an old fence up, a rickety old thing, they put it down next to my property for their dogs to have,” Smith said. “I thought the city had ordinances against them, and come to find out Chester had no ordinance.”

Smith, who has resided in her home for 50 years, said she has had trouble sleeping at night over the situation.

“I did check every ordinance in our book, and we don’t have an ordinance where they’re in violation of anything,” Fourth Ward Councilman Ed Beaumont said.

“I talked to a lawyer, and he told me that’s a health hazard,” Smith said. “In the summer, that’s going to draw flies. It’s going to be a mess, and how are they going to keep the grass?”

Beaumont said he had been at the house, and stated any messes that may have been there had been cleaned up.

With Beaumont and Forsythe again re-emphasizing the lack of a city ordinance in this situation, solicitor April Raines stated there was no action the city could take in this case.

Forsythe, however, said he would look further into the situation.

In other business, council approved the second reading of an ordinance regarding the charge of possessing drug abuse instruments within city limits. A final reading is necessary. The charge, a misdemeanor, prohibits anyone from making, obtaining, possessing, or using any object for the use of illicit drug consumption. Violators are subject to a fine between $100 to $500 and/or up to 30 days in jail.

The next council meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 3 at the Chester Municipal Building.

srappach@reviewonline.com

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