City officials continue to express sympathy for the families involved in a dog biting incident that occurred on Friday, May 1, within Highland Park. As part of its ongoing effort to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors to Highland Park, the City’s staff has been reviewing the City’s existing animal regulations. While it is anticipated that potential options for modifying the City’s existing regulations will be thoroughly researched, if it is determined that modifications are required, any proposed amendments will be presented to the City Council for consideration within the next few months. Presently, no official action has been taken and no official action is scheduled to be taken. Specifically, this matter will not be on the May 11, 2009 agenda for the Highland Park City Council.

In keeping with the City’s commitment to transparent governance, any official action taken by the City to modify an existing ordinance will be conducted at a noticed meeting that is open to attendance by interested parties and other members of the public. Should the City Council choose to consider any proposed modifications to the City’s existing animal regulations, the City will publicize notice of any such meeting times and locations, to allow for public comment and testimony. In accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act, all of the City’s public meeting agendas are posted at least 48 hours in advance of a scheduled meeting, and are also available online at http://www.cityhpil.com.