HomeMy WebLinkAboutUpdate on leash-free designation of Cooper and Centennial Parks
Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Ron Dingman, Park and Recreation Director
Richard McLane, Lieutenant and Animal Control Supervisor
Chuck Winn, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Update on leash-free designation of Cooper and Centennial Parks
MEETING DATE: October 4, 2010
AGENDA MEETING TYPE: Consent
RECOMMENDATION: Approve report on status of Cooper and Centennial Parks.
BACKGROUND: At its March 5, 2009 meeting, the City Commission approved 2 additional
areas as off-leash areas for dogs. Those parks are Cooper Park (all times) and Centennial Park (5
am to 9 am).
The Commission requested staff to come back after one year and report on how the off-leash
designations of these 2 parks were working out and if there were any issues that have been
identified.
From a Parks perspective, there does not appear to be any adverse results from the new off-
leash designation of these parks. Staff has not noted any significant deterioration of turf or
increased dog waste. Staff has actually seen an increase in the removal of dog waste and no
significant conflicts or altercations have been reported.
From a Police and Animal Control perspective, the only issue that has been reported at
Cooper Park is that of people occasionally entering and exiting the park without putting their
dogs on leash. Some citations have been issued for this, with the majority of these being in the
form of a civil citation, rather than criminal charge. It’s interesting to note that Animal Control
has reported that Cooper Park has been nearly trouble free since the designation as an off-leash
park.
Animal Control reports that Centennial Park is generally not a problem during the authorized
morning hours or during other hours of the day. There are occasional violations but less
frequently than before the designated hours were put in place.
Other areas patrolled by Animal Control include;
· Bozeman Pond – There are the highest number of off-leash violations in this park.
Additional signage could possibly help alleviate some of these concerns, along with
increased animal control officer presence.
· East Gallatin Recreation Area – Being a mixed area of on-leash trail and a no-dog area
makes this area difficult to control. Severity of violations seems to be weather related.
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Generally, violations in the beach area are from purposeful disregard of the signage along
the entrance and beach. Violations in other areas are handled on a case by case situation,
with officers leaning toward education and warnings, rather than citations in these areas.
· Lindley Park – There is a high number of off-leash dogs, especially in the Library
Parking lot area. This is adequately signed and animal control officers patrol this area
several times per week.
· Galligator Trail – There remains a mix of leashed and off-leashed dogs, but there is an
increase in the number of leashed dogs.
· Downtown – More dog owners are leashing their dogs, even at parade functions.
Generally the majority of violations occur during Music on Main. Animal Control Officer
Lien varies her work schedule to patrol this and other special events to help address this
concern.
· Children’s Memorial (Westlake Park) – There are occasional problems when there are
BMX functions, as attendees often bring their dogs with them and fail to monitor them.
Animal Control Officers are adding this to their patrol responsibilities.
· Valley West Park – This is another busy area for Animal Control with numerous
violations.
· Kirk Park – This Park has a high occurrence of off-leash violations. The parks
department and Police department will work together to improve signage and patrols to
help alleviate this problem.
· Bogert Park – There are many dog owners playing Frisbee and fetch with their dogs,
especially during Farmer’s Market. People seem to prefer the flat terrain to that of Burke
Park. As with other areas, a continued mix of citations, warnings and education have
helped curtail violations.
One of the biggest and most effective tools from a law enforcement perspective has been the
introduction of civil citations as an alternative to criminal charges. While no one embraces
receiving a monetary sanction, providing a non-criminal means has allowed a less punitive
approach when more than a warning is necessary. In the past 12 months, the Bozeman Police
Department has issued a total of 679 citations, with 612 of these being civil. 296 of these were
for having an unrestrained dog, 155 for not having a license and 128 for failing to obtain a rabies
vaccination. These citations were issued on streets, trails and primarily non leash-free parks. In
contrast, an average of 615 citations (all criminal) was issued in 2007 and 2008. In addition to
citations issued, numerous verbal warnings were given, leashes given away and those without
dog licenses given a reasonable amount of time to purchase a license before any form of citation
was issued. The use of criminal citations has been reserved for more serious violations, repeat
offenders or situations involving the abuse of dogs.
Overall it appears that the newly designated off-leash areas for dogs have been successful in
providing additional space for people to exercise their pets and helping to reduce the amount of
off-leash violations throughout the City. It is also apparent to the Parks staff working in these
parks that pet owners are being increasingly more responsible in picking up after their dogs.
FISCAL EFFECTS: N/A
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission.
Attachments: None Report compiled on September 23, 2010
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