Dog Park rules could become city ordinance

By Michelle Chance

The Parks, Recreation and Libraries Committee discussed a proposed ordinance for the Copper Sky Dog Park.

Currently, guidelines posted at the dog park are only suggestions and cannot be enforced, Community Services Director Kristie Riester told the committee Wednesday.

“A lot of the dog owners follow these and appreciate these rules and adhere to them, but because they are not an official ordinance, there is no way to enforce them,” Riester said.

The committee discussed adopting current guidelines as a list of new ordinances and attaching fines to them.

The Maricopa Police Department also submitted suggestions to the ordinance proposal.

The discussion of enforcing ordinances comes after complaints by dog-park users. Although Riester said many residents spoke about their concerns at a recent city council meeting, none attended the PRL committee meeting Wednesday.

“I thought there were going to be a ton of people here,” Riester said. “I get calls regularly.”

One issue raised by the public during the city council meeting, she said, was the concern of children under the age of 12 entering the dog park, even though the park’s guidelines state they are not allowed access.

In February last year, an argument between two men at the dog park resulted in one man being injured by the other after his dog reportedly nipped at two children.

Committee Member Albert Brandenburg raised concern over how to enforce the proposed ordinances.

Riester said the committee is requesting a park ranger to patrol the dog park and to write citations. However, she said Maricopa Police Chief Steve Stahl would have to first give the park ranger that authority.

Tommy Ronca, a park ranger with the Maricopa Police Volunteer Program who attended the committee meeting, said volunteers would be happy to patrol the dog park if given the opportunity.

“When you see us with our hats and our shirts and we show a little authority, things seem to simmer down a little. We put out fires,” he said.

The committee will continue the discussion at its next monthly meeting in February. Once an ordinance draft is finalized, Riester said it will be proposed to the City Council.