Emotions ran high at a West Tisbury special town meeting Tuesday night where voters continued the ongoing debate over town rules relating to dog ownership. First, voters rejected a proposal to strengthen the town leash law, and then split on the question of whether to pay for enforcement of a new rule that will restrict dogs at Lambert’s Cove Beach in the summer months.

A total of 184 voters turned out for the special session that lasted just over two hours. Moderator F. Patrick Gregory presided over the meeting.

The first half of the meeting was spent discussing a proposal to strengthen the town leash law by requiring dogs to be leashed on town property at all times. The article would have amended a 1975 bylaw that requires dogs to be under voice control by their owners. The amended bylaw would have required dogs to be leashed at all times when off their owner’s property. A schedule of fines for violators was included.

Some voters said the amendment is poorly worded and needs more work.

“I understand using the law to protect people from dogs who are violent or from owners who are unwilling to pick up dog waste, etcetera, but I don’t understand the notion of everybody around town suddenly being subject to fines if a dog is off a leash at all,” said Henry Geller.

“It’s a sloppily written law and dog owners and the town government ought to get together and work on something that addresses how dogs live in this town and what the town is like,” said Susanna Sturgis.

But Joan Jenkinson, the longtime town animal control officer, urged voters to pass the amended bylaw so she “could do her job. . . It makes good sense to keep dogs safe and the community safe, and I can attend to problems when they happen,” she said, adding: “I’m not going to go around wearing a Barney Fife uniform busting you guys or your dogs. That’s not the way I do my job . . . but there are a lot more backyard farms with livestock nowadays and people growing their own food and they have to be protected too.”

Nancy Dole agreed.

“Joan is concerned about all animals in town, that’s the point of a leash law, it gives her the ability to deal with animals causing problems,” she said. “It’s not draconian. It’s probably a good idea.”

Jim Aven, representing the volunteer group, Friends of Lambert’s Cove Beach, had another view.

“I appreciate that the leash laws have merit to saving dogs’ lives and livestock . . . but our group rejects this leash law,” he said, reading from a prepared statement. “The law is too invasive and restrictive — this is the wrong leash law at the wrong time.”

In the end the article was killed by indefinite postponement.

Voters acted on four other articles relating to a bylaw amendment adopted at the annual town meeting in April that will allow people to walk their dogs on Lambert’s Cove Beach in the morning hours from June 15 to Sept. 15. On Tuesday voters were asked to approve a $9,100 parking attendant position for the evening hours, when dogs will not be allowed on the beach. That request was approved but voters balked at spending $6,500 for a summer assistant animal control officer whose job would be to patrol the beach in the morning hours.

Gary Montrowl said he wanted to hold the friends’ volunteer group to its promise from earlier this year to pay for a monitor position.

“I’m going to tell you I feel there’s been a great deal of dishonesty in this discussion,” he said. “When the issue was raised during the winter we were given great assurances as voters of West Tisbury that the funding would be provided by the Friends of Lambert’s Cove Beach. However, in good faith, I think you are now hiding behind that in order not to incur the additional costs which are going to be borne by West Tisbury. Had the voters known that, they would have voted differently . . . this is a tyranny of the dog community.”

Selectman Richard Knabel spoke to the entire dog issue in town and said the beach was not the only area of concern. “This is an evolutionary process and we’re trying to get it right,” Mr. Knabel said. “Since last fall the board of selectmen has had to deal with six incidents of dogs and livestock . . . it’s an ongoing problem and if we want to maintain the agrarian heritage here, farmers have to know it’s safe for them,” he said, adding: “We thought of this summer to try this process and evaluate it at the end of the summer and see where we go from there.”

Voters also approved a new bylaw that gives the parks and recreation department the authority to enforce the department’s rules and regulations. The bylaw establishes a fine schedule — $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense and $250 for the third offense — and authorizes department employees, police and the animal control officer to enforce the rules at town parks such as Lambert’s Cove Beach, Seth’s Pond and the tennis courts.

Parks committee chairman Cheryl Lowe said the department is working out a plan with the friends group to section off a part of the beach for dogs to run free. “We need to be able to enforce whatever we decide,” she said.

Board administrator Peggy Stone said the bylaw also allows the department to enforce the rule pertaining to the beach sticker program, litter on the beach and leashed dogs on the path..

In other, far less contentious business, voters readily agreed to spend up to $46,000 to contribute to the town’s share for paving the parking lot between the library and Howes House. The parking lot project is part of the new library building planned for construction this coming fall, and satisfies a restriction that limits the amount of paving allowed. The property was given to the town by Gladys Jones in 1976, with the condition that the property not be extensively blacktopped. Selectman and board chairman Cynthia Mitchell said the Jones family supports the proposed plan.

Finance committee chairman Sharon Estrella said the committee could not agree on whether to support the project.

“During the first addition to the library, the [building] committee was well aware they couldn’t pave and I don’t know how this community didn’t understand that,” Mrs. Estrella said. “It’s there in black and white. That blows me away. The other thing is . . . Howes House was there first. Anything beyond that, if the library wants to spend they should pay for it. It should not come from taxpayers; it should not come from this warrant article.”

Mal Jones, who is the son of the late Mrs. Jones, said the plan was too expensive and he urged the town to simply pave the lot.

“My mother would not have done this. Her concern was selling it or changing use, the rest should just be suggestions and since the library committee came up with asphalt originally, I think that it should be the way to go. And it certainly saves a lot of money,” Mr. Jones said.

Library trustee Dan Waters said a new parking lot will benefit Howes House too.

“Clearly something needs to be done to make it safer for the elderly and library patrons,” he said. “The library is asking for small contributions to make the entire parking lot safe and uniform for its users.”

Voters also agreed to transfer $12,000 to pay for a new summer basketball program at the West Tisbury school and $8,300 for the town’s share of Tri-Town Ambulance Service staff training.