City will revisit rules allowing man’s best friend
CAPE MAY — Man’s best friend will likely not be allowed on the new nature trails at Lafayette Street Park after Councilman Shaine Meier asked City Council to reconsider the approval.
Meier said during a meeting May 20 that since the last meeting on May 6, he has received several emails from people who are opposed to allowing dogs on the trails.
Meier previously expressed concerns, including the need for language in the ordinance to remind dog owners to pick up waste, dogs on the trail during school hours and the potential for upsetting natural wildlife.
“We’ve discussed how Cape May doesn’t enforce many of its dog rules currently,” Meier said.
Cape May City Elementary School Board of Education solicitor Christopher Barrett said the BOE shared many of Meier’s concerns about dogs and supports his suggestion for reconsidering the ordinance.
“It’s a small walkway and in the summertime [both] the people and dog populations increase,” Barrett said. “It’s not anti-dog, but a health and safety concern as well about dog waste.”
Mayor Zach Mullock said he was fine with reconsidering the matter and that if he had heard about anyone having problems before the second reading, it would have been amended prior to publication.
“We have a $2 million project that was a 90% grant that is an absolutely beautiful project that people are going to love,” Mullock said.
He added that he hopes to hear more from the BOE that they are thrilled to have the nature trails behind the school.
“It’s wonderful for the schoolchildren to be able to learn about ecology in the environment right behind their school,” Mullock said. “I don’t want to lose focus on all of those important things when we talk about dogs.”
The ordinance was adopted during the May 6 meeting and will be effective June 3.
“The next step here, if we want to revisit what’s in that ordinance and adopt it, would be to do an amendment like any other ordinance,” solicitor Chris Gillin-Schwartz said, adding that an amendment could be adopted on first reading during the meeting.
The change to the ordinance would modify section B, eliminating permission for dogs on the nature trails. Gillin-Schwartz said once the amendment was made, it would be published and a second reading would be held.
He noted that it was a unique situation because the topic had already been in the public sphere.
Councilman Steve Bodnar said he understood the position being taken but noted people may be caught off guard by why the city was making a change after just passing the ordinance allowing dogs on the trails.
“I think if there’s going to be an amendment, people should be able to comment on it as well,” Bodnar said. “It’s just some of those [people] that would be in favor it and taking their dogs out there, to understand why it’s being changed in this manner, without having had the opportunity to weigh in on it.”
Meier said he did not understand why the ordinance passed. Gillin-Schwartz said the ordinance passed allowing dogs to establish ground rules prior to the nature trails opening.
Deputy Mayor Maureen McDade said she preferred the due process of amending the ordinance at the next meeting so it did not seem like the council was trying to shortchange it.
“I was somewhat hesitant, I think too late, [with my] concern about the small proximity of space and small children walking with a dog approaching them,” she said. “I think each of us went ahead and voted yes for it at the time because I didn’t want to appear as if I don’t like dogs. I just don’t know every dog out there.”
Mullock asked Gillin-Schwartz to prepare an amendment for the next meeting, which is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. June 3.
During public comment, resident Mary Cohen suggested dogs be allowed on the trails during certain hours.
Another resident said she had brought her dog to the dog park as a puppy and he has been afraid of other dogs since that visit.
“In such a small area that you have with 6 feet, you can’t get away,” she said. “I think when kids see dogs, that’s another thing because they don’t realize the dog may not be friendly.”
Mullock said he appreciated the residents’ concerns.
“I want to be clear to everyone about the action that was taken tonight,” he said. “We direct the city manager not to allow dogs upon opening of the nature trails. We look forward to Councilman Meier working on an amendment with the solicitor to have at the next council meeting.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
