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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 9, 2005 Dogs run loose in Phoenix park By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune PHOENIX — Roaming canines and their misplaced droppings are causing frustration and some unpleasant mishaps in the city’s heavily used park on Colver Road, the City Council learned Monday. Though city code requires dogs to be leashed at all times and their human companions to promptly remove any waste left behind, residents and city officials say park users are not complying. Parks commission members were asked to review the issue this summer after the city received a letter from a concerned resident, followed by multiple phone calls, said City Recorder Betty Smith. Council members said they would consider possible solutions at their Nov. 21 meeting, including a three- to six-month ban on dogs in the park or steep fines for anyone caught with a canine off leash or without a baggie to pick up waste. Parks commissioner Pauly Hinesly told council members Monday that the problem was "the same dogs, almost all the time." Advertisement "These kids go over to the park to play and they’re stepping in dog stuff," said Hinesly. "Signs are posted and there’s a bag dispenser. The sign says to take a bag and clean up after your dogs. I have stopped by there several times on my way past and there are some that are not doing it." Public Works Director Jim Ware pointed out that even the convenience of a bag dispenser within the park had not encouraged compliance. Police Chief Bob Kershaw, who said enforcement would be an issue whether dogs were banned or not, suggested a steeper fine for code violations. Kershaw said increasing the basic $100 fine to $500 would "get their attention." Kershaw warned that the city would receive just as many complaints from those receiving fines as those upset with wayward canines. "But I’d rather have them complain than the little kids stepping in it," reasoned Council Member Terry Helfrich. Helfrich, who jogs through the park daily with his border collie, Tater, said it was unfair to punish all dog owners because of a few not following the rules. Helfrich pointed out that the near-acre park on Colver Road was heavily used and "a very nice park" that should remain available. "I agree with Chief Kershaw � to raise the price of the ticket," Helfrich said. "It’s $100 now for violating a city code. We need to raise the penalty so this will be taken seriously and so maybe we can afford to increase code enforcement to deal with the problem." In other action... The Phoenix City Council on Monday appointed budget committee member Murray LaHue to replace Councilman Steve Schulman, who resigned Oct. 4 to take employment outside the area. Schulman was elected in November 2004. LaHue, a retiree, is also a member of the citizen advisory committee for the city’s urban renewal efforts. Among the four applicants for the position was David Lewin, a Planning Commission member appointed to the council in February but forced to step down in March because of a procedural error. He was not reinstated. Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s