by David Ball
Staff Writer
An ordinance that would allow dogs to accompany diners in certain parts of some restaurants was greeted with mixed reactions from two City Council committees on Monday.
In the morning, the Rules Committee voted down the ordinance 6-0. In the afternoon, the Finance Committee passed it 4-0. The Land Use and Zoning Committee will take up the ordinance today.
Bill sponsor Art Shad, who chairs the Finance Committee, said he understands the issues surrounding the ordinance but would still like to see it reach the entire City Council.
“I could really argue both sides of it,” said Shad. “It needs to play itself out. I’d like to see it pass and see how many restaurants take advantage of the permit, and maybe revisit it in a year.”
The ordinance is predicated on a three-year pilot program established by the State Legislature in 2006 and 2007 that allows local governments to create a permitting procedure for restaurants to allow “patron dogs” in outdoor dining areas.
Shad said he had heard from many restaurant owners in Riverside and San Marco that recently received health department citations for having dogs on the premises.
“This was an attempt to legalize what is a pretty common practice in Riverside and San Marco,” Shad told the Finance Committee. “Apparently enforcement of it was pretty complex and overly cumbersome.”
According to the Planning and Development Department, a designated dog-friendly area would have to obtain permit approval by the City Council and would need to meet the following standards:
• Outdoor seating diagram drawn to scale identifying points of entry and exit and delineation of the boundary for the dog-friendly area including all fences and pathways.
• Dog-friendly area shall clearly identify hours of operation.
• Employee procedures prohibiting contact with dogs while serving food or beverages.
• Tables for customers equipped with hand sanitizers.
• Dogs prohibited from contact with serving dishes, utensils and tableware.
• Dogs kept on a leash at all times.
• Dogs not allowed on chairs or tables and such surfaces shall be sanitized between seating of patrons.
• Dog waste shall be promptly cleaned up and a kit with necessary materials shall be kept near the designated outdoor area.
• Signage regarding permitting, rules and public notification must be clearly posted at all times.
The Municipal Code Compliance Division of the Environmental and Compliance Department would be responsible for monitoring enforcement of the ordinance and responding to citizen complaints.
Shad said a $250 permit application fee, not taxpayer money, would pay to administer restaurant permitting and enforcement. However, he said that fee is another issue that could diminish the ordinance’s use.
“That makes it expensive for many restaurants. They don’t want to pay $250,” he said.
Also on Monday, the Finance Committee approved an economic development agreement between the City, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and Fidelity National Information Services to support the expansion of Fidelity’s headquarters at 601 Riverside Ave.
The City will provide $231,000 under the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) tax refund program to add to a Brownfield Redevelopment Bonus and State match of $924,000 for the creation of 210 jobs at an average salary of $55,000.
Finance Committee members Denise Lee and Stephen Joost were absent, but Council member Warren Jones joined the committee in order to reach a quorum to vote on the agreement.