Canines can now join their human buddies in at least one of Anna Maria’s public parks.
City commissioners unanimously voted April 25 to adopt an ordinance allowing people to walk their dogs on leashes at City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., except during certain events.
The city has been working on the ordinance since last October, when the planning and zoning board requested the commission explore allowing dogs at parks.
Municipal code previously prohibited dogs and other domestic animals in all city parks.
Now, dogs still will be prohibited in all municipal parks other than City Pier Park due to their location on beaches and coastal barrier sand dunes.
However, people will be allowed to walk leashed dogs in City Pier Park except during special events on Veterans Day and Memorial Day — city-hosted events that often draw more than 1,000 people — and “any other special events so deemed by the city commission.”
The ordinance also contains a change clarifying that certain domestic animals, including “equine or bovine animals, goat, sheep, chicken or swine,” are prohibited on private property within the city.
There was no public comment.
Commissioner Jonathan Crane moved to adopt the ordinance.
Commissioner Gary McMullen seconded the motion, which passed.
Meanwhile, the city has another potential code change teed up for a final hearing.
Commissioners held a first reading for an ordinance that would grandfather preexisting sales of CBD and hemp products at their April 25 meeting.
Code currently prohibits the growing, processing, distribution and sale of any plants or products derived from the genus cannabis, which includes marijuana and hemp.
The city has been working on potential code changes since February and officials have settled on a proposed ordinance to allow certain preexisting sales to continue.
The proposed ordinance would allow businesses with a location in the city — no mobile vendors — to apply for grandfather status to continue the sale of “product that would otherwise have been prohibited” if it was “regularly sold” as of April 1.
That status would allow businesses cited for city code violations due to CBD and hemp sales, such as North Shore Cafe and Cool Beans AMI, to legally continue those sales.
Businesses that receive grandfather status would not be allowed to increase the volume of such sales.
The city commission will meet next at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found on the city’s website, cityofannamaria.com.