The Foley City Council voted unanimously to pass a non-breed specific ordinance regulating the keeping of dogs, cats and other domesticated animals within the city limits of Foley in a council meeting held Monday evening.

The City Council kicked off their agenda by listening to the concerns of a handful of business owners near Bon Secour. Legal counsel accompanied the business owners. The four business owners present were misinformed about where exactly their businesses were located in reference to the City of Foley, most importantly whether sales taxes were owed to the City of Foley or not. These business owners are within the police jurisdiction of Foley, but not the city limits.

These businesses may be within the police jurisdiction, but the services that they receive from the city are limited. The city’s police jurisdiction was extended as a result of the increased population found by the 2000 census. These owners were under the impression that sales taxes were not owed to the City of Foley until they were recently informed that thousands of dollars of back taxes were owed.

The business owners present asked for clarification of where their businesses stood, what services they were entitled to, and asked since they were not aware that taxes were owed to the City of Foley, that back-taxes be waived given sales taxes were not collected to cover it.

Business owners who spoke had no problem paying taxes to the City of Foley, but said they just wished they had known they should be collecting sales taxes the entire time. One business owner claimed that when he first brought up his concern to city officials he got a response from the mayor of “if you don’t like it, sue us.”

A solution to this issue that was presented before the city council has not yet been reached, but city officials are working on coming up with a solution, and hopefully being able to waive the back-taxes these businesses currently owe, along with identifying other businesses that may encounter the same issue in the near future. The City of Foley no longer issues liquor licenses and many business permits and inspections are handled by Baldwin County, so the city is not always informed when a new business opens within the police jurisdiction. The revenue department has recently asked to be notified of any new businesses that apply for licenses that are located near Foley to avoid such a situation from coming up again.

The council approved this year’s “Salute to Veterans” parade, which will be part of the Heritage Harbor Days. The event will take place on Nov. 7 at 1:45 p.m. The parade route will change slightly this year to accommodate those that wish to watch the parade and participate in the events of Heritage Harbor Days.

Uptown Foley requested permission to block the use of the alleyway behind the Magnolia Court Restaurant for Thursday evenings between Oct. 14- Nov. 4 for  Foley Fall Market. Each week’s free event will feature live music from local bands, the opportunity to buy from local merchants and participate in other activities. No other city services were required for this event to take place. The council approved the proposed road closures.

The council also voted to issue permits for Peace Lutheran Church’s expansion. The property has not yet been zoned, but the additions to the property are of the same sorts that are already in existence on the property.

The city council has also agreed to move forward in the process of annexing the Fairmont Subdivision, contingent on legislative approval and an agreement pertaining to the drainage issues that could arise within the subdivision. The streets in the subdivision are relatively small, and the city has expressed concerns in handling any drainage issues that could arise. Residents of the Fairmont Subdivision will be notified of the limited city services should the area be annexed..

Appraisals of property near the Foley Beach Express were also approved by the city council. Riviera Utilities is interested in purchasing two acres from the city to build a new substation. Abbey Land has also been accepted for public maintenance.

The Council also approved the use of Max Griffin Park for the “friend day outreach program” which is being hosted by Liberty Church on Oct. 24.

October was also declared as domestic violence awareness month in Foley. Long-term member of the Foley Planning Commission, Bob Graham was also honored for his extensive service to the City of Foley.