Greenville council repeals parks animals code, bans pets at Baldwin Lake Beach and athletic fields

The Greenville City Council on Nov. 7 voted to repeal a parks code section governing animals and approved a companion resolution directing the city to prohibit animals at Baldwin Lake Beach and at all city-owned athletic fields.

Council adopted Ordinance No. 23-07 to repeal Section 28-32 of Article II, Chapter 28 of the city code, removing that provision from the city’s “Public Conduct in Parks” rules. Council then approved Resolution No. 23-11, which finds it in the public interest to prohibit animals at Baldwin Lake Beach and at any and all city-owned athletic fields, whether fenced or not, and authorizes the City Manager to post signage communicating the prohibition.

Mayor Scoby and all seven councilmembers voted in favor of the ordinance and resolution. Councilmember Lehman introduced the motions and Councilmember Cunliffe seconded; both measures were adopted 7–0.

Why it matters: The repeal and the resolution together change how the city handles animals in certain public recreation spaces and create an enforceable, posted standard for beach and athletic-field use.

What the council approved: Ordinance No. 23-07 repeals the specified code section in its entirety and reserves the section number for future use; per the ordinance text it will be published in a newspaper of general circulation and take effect 15 days after publication. Resolution No. 23-11 directs the City Manager to post “No Pets Allowed” (or similar) signage at the named locations and rescinds prior resolutions to the extent they conflict.

The council’s action followed a public hearing on the code change; resident Denise Debri said she appreciated the ordinance amendment during the hearing.

Next steps: The City Manager is responsible for posting signage and taking other actions reasonably necessary to carry out the resolution. The ordinance will take effect after the required publication period.