VERO BEACH — City Council approved a lease agreement between the City of Vero Beach and the Friends of the Vero Beach Dog Exercise Area, in a vote 4-1 with Councilwoman Pilar Turner dissenting.
Turner said she was in favor of the dog exercise area, but wished to see a better plan laid out.
“I still would suggest that we have the dog group sit down with [Planning and Zoning Committee] and have a total plot plan for the area. Let’s try to do a little planning here before we commit to 10 years or 20 years or whatever else,” Turner said.
She added she still thought the plan for parking access was still poorly defined.
The lease is set to last for 10 years with the option to renew, half the length of the original 20-year lease initially proposed.
Additionally, for the first five years, the City will be unable to reclaim property “for convenience” and after the first five years, will be required to give 30 months notice before terminating the lease.
The Friends of the Vero Beach Dog Exercise Area will rent the space for a total of $250 for the term and will be solely responsible for the operation, management and maintenance of the area.
According to the lease, the park will remain open to the public free of charge, and is only permissible for use between dawn and dusk. All dog owners will be required to supervise their own dogs, keep their dogs under control of either a leash or by voice command, and have their dogs up to date with vaccination and licensing requirements.
Additionally, the City agreed to lower the liability insurance requirement from $2 million to $1 million, provided the City is still listed as an “additional insured” on the policy.
Terms go into effect immediately.
Staff reporter Lisa Zahner contributed to this article.
