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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Common Areas for Dogs Committee - 03/08/2022 Common Area for Dogs Committee Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Members Present: Betty Milizia (Chair), Justin Palmer (Vice Chair), Muriel More, Mike Simoneau, Lisa Yankowski, Molly Bezio-Joy (Clerk) Staff Liaison: Holly Rees (Recreation Director), Adam Cate (Deputy Director Operations/DPW) 1. Adopt Agenda: Adopted 2. Public Comments Holly shared an email from Dan Albrecht requesting that the City make the improvements to Farrell Dog Park discussed during the February 20, 2020 Dog Park Design Sub-Committee prior to construction of Wheeler Dog Park. The planned Farrell Dog Park improvements included: a waterline, drinking fountain, trees, play elements, benches, gates, shed and safety issues (i.e., bikers riding fast downhill). 3. Review and Approve Minutes from February 8, 2022 Motion was made to approve minutes as amended. 4. Wheeler Dog Park Construction Timeline Adam Cate provided update on Wheeler Dog Park construction starting with the fencing which would take eight to ten weeks, if ordered tomorrow. Middlebury Fence Co can build out cedar fencing with metal interior for $60K including as part of FY2023 budget. Adam noted that although the fence is budgeted for in FY2023, the City does not need to wait until July 1st to move forward with construction. Middlebury Fence Co will also lay wood chips at entrances as alternative to hard surfaces which would require permitting. The plan is to remove trees but keep tree stumps as a play element. The City will mow and level-out rougher terrain using Harley rake behind a tractor (or the like), then let the natural grasses grow. The Committee can reevaluate if further changes are needed down the line if navigability remains a concern. Adam will follow-up with site engineers regarding ADA accessibility of park entrance prior to placing order of fencing. Muriel expressed interest in having a landscape architect to come in to evaluate the space. Betty noted it may be more worthwhile to have a landscape architect come in once the fencing is installed. Justin expressed concerns with architect creating further delays to park construction/opening. It will be valuable to see how people and dogs utilize the space once park is opened. It was agreed to move forward, with the understanding that accessibility to entrance will be addressed. It was suggested the conversation of having landscape architect and other amenities will be reviewed later in the year. 5. Farrell Dog Park Maintenance Needs Holly brought up maintenance needs at Farrell Dog Park. Nothing can be done until the City meets with the State in an April timeframe, to discuss wetlands delineation. Redevelopment of Farrell Dog Park would be put on hold until after that occurs. Holly noted there was a fence issue that was brought to her attention which was quickly addressed. Justin noted that dogs currently have the ability to escape from underneath the fence. Justin also expressed concerns with ice when snow becomes compacted and warmer days lead to freezing nights. Justin noted there are holes created from dogs digging and lack of drainage that can become hazardous when dogs drink it or someone trips over. Justin asked for a mixture of sand and dirt along with shovels to be placed on-site for ad-hoc maintenance by its patrons to fill in the holes. Justin noted that the drainage issue could be remedied by sloping the ground, so the water naturally trickles off the site toward the parking area. Adam agreed to place sand and shovel on site, but warned that sand/dirt will freeze in winter months if not mixed with salt, which is not suitable for dogs. He also noted that sloping the site will not solve the issue with snow compacting in the winter or with ice build-up. Adding drainage would offer improvements during summer months. Holly discussed the possibility of temporarily closing the park due to poor conditions to allow for site to recover. It is the opinion of committee members that the park stay open, feeling that people will decide whether or not they want to use it. 6. Review of Information Spreadsheet and Data Collection Process Holly has started using the tracker following recent phone calls received. There has not been communication to larger public regarding the data collection process as of yet, communication has been limited to city staff. Betty agreed to put a communication together for the larger public before the next meeting. 7. Poop Bag Mapping and Proposal Update Betty pulled together a rough draft of bag dispenser and receptables stations to be placed around the city. She estimates a total of 18 bag dispensers and 16 receptables are needed (most are combined). Specific locations could be prioritized to determine their effectiveness. Betty noted there are currently 7 bag dispensers with a few having waste receptacles. By comparison Montpelier, a much smaller community has 11 stations with 5 of them at their Hubbard Park. Locations of the recommended dispensers and receptables included (but not limited to trails at Wheeler, Red Rocks, areas where bike and pedestrian paths that intersect at neighborhoods and parks (e.g., Stonehedge). It will be important that dispensers and receptables are easily accessable for regular maintenance (i.e., refill bags and empty waste). Muriel suggested making a recommendation for all new developments and subdivisions to have bag dispensers and receptables. It was mentioned that O’Brien provides them around their apartment complexes on Hinesburg Rd. 8. Messaging Community About Initiatives: Articles, Social Media, Signs at Dog Park Holly noted several different communications that could be leveraged regarding Dog related initiatives including: The City of South Burlington website, the weekly newsletter distributed every Thursday, or South Burlington City News publication that is emailed every two weeks or so typically following City Council meetings. 9. Agenda for April Meeting • Dog park rules • Signage needed a Wheeler dog park (extrovert dog area, introvert dog area, parking, etc.) • Update from Wetland team on Farrell • Update on dog waste stations 10. Future Meetings Tuesday, April 12th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, May 10th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, June 14th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, July 12th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, August 9th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, September 13th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, October 11th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, November 8th, 6 – 7:30 PM Tuesday, December 13th, 6 – 7:30 PM