By Anne Geggis
Every dog may have its day, but canines shouldn’t be having theirs on Ocean Ridge’s beach.
That was among the priorities that town commissioners raised during their annual goal-setting session April 22, in addition to adding a crosswalk and maintaining momentum in replacing the town’s aging water lines.
Commissioner David Hutchins said outlaw dogs are the No. 1 topic he’s hearing about.
“In my world, people keep talking to me about dogs on the beach and I think that this would be something that I would like to work with the chief on — we have to come to some kind of solution,” Hutchins said, referring to Police Chief Scott McClure. “We have residents that routinely violate the rules and I know occasionally they’re cited, but not often.”
Town Manager Lynne Ladner said she planned to ask the commission to authorize signs prohibiting dogs on the beach at every beach crosswalk at the commission’s May meeting to see how that works, after one citizen suggested that signage might help.
On another matter, Mayor Geoff Pugh said he’d like to build on the forward motion that was begun at the commission’s April 1 meeting when replacement of the first 3,000 linear feet of water piping was approved at a cost of $2.5 million. There’s 68,000 feet left to go, but the town should make annual progress a priority, Pugh said.
Showing momentum in that goal could net the town some grant money, he said.
“We need to stay on budget, but water has to be part of our main goal,” Pugh said.
Public safety was also a topic, with some discussion about the urgency for maintaining police staffing and making the town safer.
Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy said she hopes the town can make the streets safer from traffic, too. A crosswalk at East Anna Street across State Road A1A would help pedestrian safety, she said.
Comments