Riechel Reports.... Council (March 28 2017) to Discuss Trial Period For Dogs on Leashes in City Parks

Article Source: City of San Bruno CA

DATE: March 28, 2017

TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council

FROM: Kerry Burns, Community Services Director

SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution Establishing a Six-Month Pilot Program Allowing On-Leash

Dogs on Park Pathways in City Park and Grundy Park

BACKGROUND:

With the exception of the dog run located at Commodore Park, the City's Municipal Code Section 9.16.10-Domestic Animals currently prohibits all animals, except service animals, whether on- or off-leash from entering all City parks. The section was incorporated into the City's Municipal Code by Ordinance 1493 in 1988. The section states:

No owner or possessor of any dog, cat, fowl or any animal, whether domestic, livestock, wild or exotic shall permit such animal to enter or run at large in any park, school or recreation area or in the city and county of San Francisco watershed recreational easement, either with or without a keeper, except as permitted by Section 9.16.020 [Authorized Dog Runs] of the chapter. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a Seeing-Eye dog under the control of a blind person from entering a park, school or recreation area or the city and county of San Francisco watershed recreational easement.

At its meeting on February 28, 2017, the City Council received a staff report on the matter of dogs in City parks and a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission to revise existing restrictions by allowing dogs on-leash in all City Parks. After input from the public, a majority of the City Council expressed an interest in the following:

• A six month pilot program to allow on-leash dogs in both City Park and Grundy Park. No other City parks were identified for inclusion in the pilot program; and,
• Allow on-leash dogs in City and Grundy Parks only on park pathways, so long as they are under the handler's control at all times and on a leash no longer than six feet in length.

DISCUSSION:

Information about the pilot program will be made available on the City's website, included in the next edition of the FOCUS newsletter, and included in the upcoming Community Services Department E-Newsletter on March 31, 2017. Staff recommends that implementation of this six-month pilot program also include installation of temporary signs at all entrances to both City and Grundy Parks. These signs will explain the rules of the pilot program as described above. The signs will also provide City staff contact information in the event a park user wishes to provide input on the pilot program. Additionally, waste bag kiosks will be installed strategically at the entrances of both parks to ensure the supplies are available within the parks for dog owners to responsibly pick-up after their dogs, much like the bags currently available at the City's dog run at Commodore Park. More trash receptacles are not necessary as both parks have numerous disposal points throughout the parks. The signs and kiosks will be ordered and installed immediately pending a decision by the City Council to establish the pilot program and will be installed by Friday, April 14, 2017. The six month pilot program will run from mid-April through mid-October, 2017. Staff will return to the City Council in November 2017 with the results of the pilot program.

During the six-month pilot program, the Police Department will continue to enforce the ordinance regulating dogs on-leash but not on park pathways and off-leash dogs in City Park and in Grundy Park on a complaint-basis. In all other parks where dogs are prohibited, the Police Department will continue its current enforcement as follows: when a complaint is registered by a park visitor or City staff, a police officer will respond to the park based on available resources. If the police officer observes the dog off-leash in the park, the police officer will first advise the owner of the ordinance and seek compliance. The officer may issue a citation if the owner fails to comply.

With regard to the Police Department's current enforcement efforts, from March 9-23, 2017, the Police Department conducted passing checks for violations of the City ordinance regulating dogs at both Grundy and City Park. These checks were performed four times daily in the morning, lunch-time, afternoon and early evening. A combined 118 passing checks were performed at City and Grundy Parks. These checks produced the following results:

City Park

• On 36 visits, the police officers reported no dogs in the park;
• Police officers gave 34 warnings to people with dogs on-leash:
• Police officers gave 8 warnings to people with dogs off-leash; and,
• No citations were issued.
• On 45 visits, the police officers reported no dogs in the park;
• Police officers gave 14 warnings to people with dogs on-leash;
• Police officers gave 7 warnings to people with dogs off-leash; and,
• No citations were issued.

Grundy Park

During the pilot program, staff will collect information on Police Department enforcement activities and input from the community through social media and provided directly to City staff on their favorable or unfavorable experience with the pilot program. Parks Maintenance staff will monitor additional maintenance and cleaning activities related to dogs at City Park and Grundy Park. At the conclusion of the six-month pilot project, staff will report back to the City Council and provide input on whether or not the pilot project has been a success or failure based on the information collected.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The materials cost associated with the purchase and installation of the signs and waste bag kiosks is estimated at $1,500. Funding for this expense is available in the Community Services Department - Parks Maintenance Operating Budget.

ALTERNATIVES:

• Do not implement the pilot program.
• Modify the scope of the pilot program.

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution implementing a six-month pilot program allowing on-leash dogs on park pathways in City Park and Grundy Park.

FULL Council Agenda Packet WITH Staff Reports can be viewed and downloaded from:

https://sanbruno.ca.gov/gov/elected_officials/city_council_minutes_n_agendas.htm

This document should be available late Friday before the Tuesday Council Meeting

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Robert Riechel

E=Mail: SanBrunoPatch.Robert@Yahoo.com

WEB: http://SanBrunoPatch.com

My Posts: http://patch.com/users/robert-riechel

Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

Source Credit: San Bruno CA City Council

Web Site: https://sanbruno.ca.gov

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