TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Correction to Code of Ordinances: Dogs on Leash within Parks, Greenways and Open Space
DATE: October 23, 2000
The attached ordinance would replace a sentence in the Town Code that was inadvertently removed during an ordinance change in May 1999.
On May 10, 1999, the Town Council adopted an ordinance that prohibited dogs within the fences of playing fields at Town parks. The wording of the ordinance change mistakenly dropped the following sentence from the Town Code: “Dogs brought within Town parks, greenways, and open space must be restrained at all times by a leash that is no longer than six feet in length”.
Prior to the inadvertent change to the ordinance in May 1999, Chapter 12 of the Town Code required that all dogs be restrained by a 6-foot or shorter leash. This restriction applied to Town parks, greenways and open space.
This regulation differs from and is more specific than the Town Animal Control Ordinance (Chapter 4 of the Town Code) that requires dogs to be under control when they are off the property of their custodians.
The attached proposed ordinance, if enacted, would replace the sentence that was deleted in error in May 1999.
That the Council adopt the attached ordinance replacing the requirement that all dogs within Town parks, greenways, and open space be restrained by a 6-foot or shorter leash.
AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING DOGS BROUGHT WITHIN TOWN PARKS, GREENWAYS, AND OPEN SPACE BE RESTRAINED BY A 6 FOOT OR SHORTER LEASH (2000-10-23/O-3)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:
Section 1. Section 12-3, paragraph (k) of the Town Code is hereby revised by adding a new subparagraph 3 to read as follows:
“(3) Dogs brought within parks, open space, and greenways must be restrained at all times by a leash that is no longer than six feet in length.”
Section 2. This Ordinance shall be effective November 1, 2000.
This the 23rd day of October, 2000.