Local Administrative Agencies
Escambia County Animal Services Department
Escambia County Animal Services department has two divisions entailing the Animal Shelter and Animal Control (Escambia County, n.d.). In essence, the county’s Animal Services department works in collaboration with the local community to establish a safe, healthy, and caring environment for both individuals and animals. Moreover, the department is keen on enhancing citizen safety, education toward the minimization of animal overpopulation, and responsible pet ownership. In the same line, Escambia County Commission has bestowed the department’s Animal Control division power and authority of enforcing and investigating the county’s animal control regulations as well as the statutes established by the state of Florida. Overall, the county’s Animal Services department ensures a safe environment for both animals and citizens.
Rule Enforced by Escambia County Animal Services Department
Notably, Escambia County’s Animal Services department enforces various ordinances. However, this paper will consider the statute concerning the removal of canine waste and the requisite for possessing a device for removing waste in the county. To this end, the county’s law state that it is the responsibility of every individual who is in the company of or responsible for a dog on public places and areas, which are not the property of the concerned individual to remove any feces dropped by his/her dog in any street, sidewalk, right-of-way, gutter, and sidewalk (Escambia County, n.d.). Link, https://library.municode.com/fl/escambia_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTICOOR_CH10AN. This ordinance has been set to ensure that persons owning dogs do not inconvenience others through improper disposal of dogs’ fecal matter, especially in public places. The ordinance further stipulates that persons found to violate this rule will be liable for a civil infraction and can be fined for a penalty not exceeding $500 (Escambia County, n.d.). For this reason, the ordinance supports the creation of a healthy and clean environment for both animals and residents of the state.
Eagle Lake
Permits & Building Department
Eagle Lake has an active Permits and Building Department, which is run by Patti Richardson (City of Eagle Lake, n.d.). Notably, the department’s primary function is to provide permits for constructing projects within the city. Some of the buildings requiring building permits include new homes, sheds over 200 square feet, garages, roofing, decks, and siding, among others (City of Eagle Lake, n.d.). Furthermore, the building and permits department has the power and authority to enforce building regulations. The department’s role ensures that all buildings within the city are safe for human occupation.
Ordinance Enforced by the Permits & Building Department
While the department has various statutes that provide a framework for managing buildings within the city, this paper considers the building numbering ordinance. Under this regulation, every individual or organization that owns or occupies a property within the city is required to place or order to be placed the appropriate address number of the property in question on the building and mailbox assigned by the city (Eagle Lake, n.d.). Link, https://library.municode.com/fl/eagle_lake/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH5BUBURE. The placing of the address number of the building is at the cost of the person/entity owning or occupying the property. Furthermore, the regulation requires the address number on properties within the city to be clearly visible and at least three inches in height. In addition, the color of the number address ought to be different from the building and mailbox where the details are placed. The placement of the address number ought to be done prior to or on the date that a certificate of occupancy is issued to the owner of the building (Eagle Lake, n.d.). This statute is appropriate because it ensures that all buildings within the city are easily identified. In the event of non-compliance to the order, the city forcefully orders the placement of the designated address number to the building and mailbox at the expense of the property’s occupant. The said fees are charged on the property and become an obligation.
Charter Status
It is worth noting that while various counties in Florida have chartered status, Escambia County has not been given chartered status. The lack of charter status implies that Escambia county cannot amend its governing structures (Norris, 2016). Moreover, the county’s residents cannot change the county’s charter via a referendum vote.
References
City of Eagle Lake. (n.d.). Building and zoning permits. Retrieved from https://eaglelakemn.com/residents/building-permit
City of Eagle Lake. (n.d. ). City of Eagle lake departments. Retrieved from https://www.eaglelake-fla.com/index.asp?SEC=1D7F019B-EB8D-4321-8371-E582732C3E6B
Eagle Lake. (n.d.). Chapter 5 – buildings and building regulations. Retrieved from https://library.municode.com/fl/eagle_lake/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH5BUBURE
Escambia County . (n.d.). Chapter 10 – animals. Retrieved from https://library.municode.com/fl/escambia_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTICOOR_CH10AN
Escambia County. (n.d.). Animal services. Retrieved from http://co.escambia.fl.us/our-services/animal-services
Norris, D. F. (2016). Metropolitan governance in America. New York, NY: Routledge.