Ripon is requiring those that want to feed feral cats on city property to get written approval from a municipal animal control officer or face fines up to $200.
It is part or the wording of an ordinance adopted by a unanimous City Council vote Tuesday.
How the city is going about addressing the growing feral cat population at Stouffer Park isn’t sitting too well with some including several that vowed during public comments to pursue a voter referendum to overturn the ordinance if the council went ahead and adopted it, which they did.
In order to place a measure overriding the ordinance on a ballot in a general law city such as Ripon, it would require petitions with the valid signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters residing within the city limits.
During public comments people speaking out against the proposed ordinance accused the council of:
*abusing the federal cats by regulating who could feed them by assuming the city won’t allow anyone to do so following specific rules established by the city and would therefore be starving them.
*turning their backs on the feral cats given “they are part of the community.”
*blaming feral cats and those that feed them for litter and ...