By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Washington’s City Council is going to the dogs — sort of.
Louise Buffalo is scheduled to appear before the council during its meeting Monday to discuss dogs on the waterfront. The issue of dogs on the waterfront has been the subject of discussion in the Sound Off column of the Washington Daily News.
Some people have expressed opinions favoring allowing dogs on the waterfront and public events there. Others have expressed reservations about allowing dogs on the waterfront and public events there.
The city has ordinances governing the walking of pets on the waterfront, including the Stewart Parkway promenade and the boardwalk that runs from the North Carolina Estuarium to the east side of Moss Landing.
Washington’s City Code prohibits dogs or cats, including those restrained by leashes, from going onto any city-owned or leased athletic centers, parks, wetlands boardwalk or cemeteries (Oakdale and Cedar Hill), except for specified areas.
The public areas where dogs and cats may be walked follow:
• North bank of Jack’s Creek between Brown and MacNair streets;
• next to the Pamlico River on the west side of the Jack’s Creek Bridge across East Main Street (across from Armory Pointe Apartments);
• Between Maple Street and the Eastern Elementary School grounds;
• Pet owners may walk their pets on leashes along the Stewart Parkway promenade.
The code requires pet owners to remove feces deposited by their animals on public streets, highways, sidewalks, public property or on private property without that property owner’s permission.
David Gossett, representing the East Carolina Wildfowl Guild, which presents the East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival and North Carolina Decoy Carving Championships each winter, is scheduled to appear before the council to show its continued financial support of the festival through 2013.
Gossett said DockDogs Inc. has approached the guild about signing a three-year contract regarding a DockDogs competition being a part of the festival in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
“This will give our organization some future security and assist us in signing the three-year contract,” Gossett wrote in a letter to City Manager James C. Smith. “We realize that this would be a non-binding vote of confidence only and, of course, would not be applicable is some unforeseen problem occurs.”
The council’s entire agenda may be obtained by visiting the city’s Web site at www.washington-nc.com.
The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 102 E. Second St.