GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - The Grand Island City Council has paid a $110 cleaning bill for a city vehicle that came back from a meeting in Omaha with dog hair.
The City Council paid the bill among other claims Tuesday night, the Grand Island Independent (https://bit.ly/1hGzjwM ) reports. The bill was much higher than the routine $5.35 wash for police cars and public works trucks.
Public Works Director John Collins said staff approached him about the vehicle, saying there was a complaint about the hair and the vehicle being messy. Staff said they didn’t think it was in good enough condition to loan out, he said, and he told them to get it cleaned.
“Getting the hair out was difficult, from what I understand,” Collins said.
City Attorney Bob Sivick said he checked out the car late last month for a seminar in Omaha and he took his Jack Russell terrier, Buddy, with him, dropping the dog off at a caretaker. He said he later heard from Collins that a woman complained of getting white dog hair on her suit after riding in the car, and said he told Collins that he would pay for any dry cleaning she needed.
Sivick said he leaves vehicles he checks out in better condition than when he gets them. He has taken his dog in city vehicles for four years without hearing of complaints, he said.
“I’m not saying that he wouldn’t leave a hair on that seat, but I don’t think this is a situation where over $100 had to be used to clean this vehicle,” Sivick said.
Pets will no longer be allowed in city vehicles, Collins said. It’s important, he said, for city staff to be free of dog hair, oil or grease when meeting with officials.
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Information from: The Grand Island Independent, https://www.theindependent.com
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