Questions remain over who is responsible for Hallowell’s dog park

HALLOWELL — A clear view of who assumes responsibility for maintaining the city’s dog park at Vaughn Field has yet to be determined.

The City Council discussed a few options for maintaining the park at its meeting Tuesday, including varying degrees of responsibility for the city’s Public Works Department. Councilors seemed poised to decide who would be responsible for the dog park at Vaughn Field, but that choice was tabled pending more discussion at the council’s Recreation Committee.

The committee is expected to eventually make a recommendation on that to the City Council.

The dog park was closed after a City Council action on Sept. 9, because the buildup of dog waste presented a health hazard, according to Public Works Director Chris Buck. Residents sounded off about the dog park’s importance later in September at a public meeting hosted by Dufour. At that forum, residents expressed interest in reopening it in a timely fashion and placing a small trash can there. Trash cans were removed from the property in July 2018 because they were overflowing and even being smeared with dog feces, according to Buck.

The park was reopened in late October after a clean-up event. Councilor Maureen Aucoin, who organized the clean-up event, said only eight people attended it and “they were all (city) councilors, their partners and a council candidate.” She called the response, or lack thereof, from users of the dog park “disappointing.” Pet owners told the Kennebec Journal they were happy the park was back open.

A donor provided a station at the park that includes dog waste disposal bags and a small trash can.

Councilor Kate Dufour advocated for giving the Public Works the authority to close the dog park if conditions become unsafe, which she said put pressure on volunteers or dog park users to make sure the park was clean. She said she didn’t want to fully trust volunteers because often their interest wanes after a period of time.

“I don’t think we should fool ourselves into thinking that if we entrust a volunteer group … it will last forever,” she said. “I don’t think the city should be responsible for going in … and picking up the goodies left behind by our beloved pets.”

City Manager Nate Rudy said he was apprehensive about creating a “subjective interpretation” of when the dog park would be considered unsafe.

Councilor Kara Walker said she agreed with Dufour, adding that it should be publicized when the park would close if not cleaned up by a certain date.

Councilor Michael Frett said the city should hold a public hearing to see who “steps up to the plate” and volunteers to spearhead maintenance. He said he was worried about the impending winter, which could literally cover up any feces issues at the park with snow before a responsible party is identified.

Councilor Patrick Wynne said having one specific point person for the park — which he jokingly called the “poop czar” — would make it easier to coordinate events, partner with organizations to help maintain the park and answer any questions people have about the park.

At the end of the conversation, George Lapointe, who was acting mayor due to Mark Walker’s absence, suggested the discussion be forwarded to the council’s recreation committee. No further action was taken.