Duane Hicks
The town has put off plans for a dog park at this time, but a group of concerned residents wants council to reconsider that decision.
Council approved a report from town bylaw enforcement officer Arlene Byrnes, to the town’s Planning & Development executive committee at its meeting Jan. 25, recommending the town should “suspend the consideration of a dog park at this time.”
The recommendation also stated that instead of a park, “town resources should be committed to ensure that dog owners are enjoying their pets in a responsible manner and adhering to the existing bylaws.”
But Carey Basaraba, spokesperson for “Paws Around Town,” told council Monday night that he and other dog park supporters were disappointed to see council close discussion on the matter without consulting them first.
“We must have missed the process of consultation no doubt initiated, or the requests to meet with us prior to a decision being made,” he said.
Basaraba added he’s not sure how the Planning & Development executive committee can just deny “a group of taxpaying people the right to have discussions regarding issues without even communication.”
He also feels the aforementioned report is in error.
Last spring, the bylaw enforcement department was tasked to form a dog park committee in order to find a suitable location for one.
As per the original recommendation from Planning & Development, bylaw enforcement was directed to make contact with all of the past members from the original dog park group, as well as the new group, to form a new working dog park committee.
According to the report, bylaw enforcement made contact with all of the original members and were advised that no members wanted to join in the newly-formed dog park committee.
It also claimed the new group consisted of only one member—Basaraba.
But Basaraba said that’s not true.
“In the town’s letter, there is an accusation made that I was the only person wanting this and the group was just me that was in support of this; to me that is slander and a false accusation,” he charged.
Basaraba explained that “Paws Around Town” is a group comprised of nearly 700 members of a public social media group that is accessible to all people in Fort Frances and the surrounding area.
It is a group of people trying to make Fort Frances a better place.
The report also states there have been numerous meetings over the past year.
During these meetings, there only have been a couple of people who have regularly attended—specifically one bylaw enforcement officer and one member from the new group.
But Basaraba said he has looked up town statutes and bylaws, and nowhere does it state there is a required number of people to attend meetings as long as there is a person representing the group (in this case, “Paws Around Town”) present.
He also pointed out he loses five hours’ pay every time he attends the dog park committee meetings just to suit the town requirements.
The report states that dog park committee updates were submitted regularly to Planning & Development last year, and a final report was submitted on Oct. 26 with a list of candidate sites for a dog park location.
Planning & Development directed bylaw enforcement to research the potential to use of the last ball diamond at the St. Francis Sports Field.
On Jan. 18, bylaw enforcement advised that the Northwest Catholic District School Board cited a number of issues with this request and was not supportive of this proposed location.
The original list of candidate sites then was placed before Planning & Development for its recommendation.
It received the site list, but had concerns with the amount of people committed to partake in the committee, the ongoing operational expense, and the overall need for a dog park within the community.
As such, Planning & Development recommended council suspend consideration of a dog park at this time.
Basaraba said “Paws Around Town” feels it has received short shrift in the matter.
It would likes answers to questions such as what are the requirements for committees and rules on attendance, and how can Planning & Development implement such a decision without communicating with them?
“We feel we have a need for some communication that to this point we have been denied,” said Basaraba, later adding some group members are discouraged with the outcome and “fed up with the political mess.”
“Therefore, we appeal to you to re-open the matter with a view to getting together and getting it right this time,” he remarked.
Council received Basaraba’s presentation with thanks.
Mayor Roy Avis told Basaraba said the dog park group’s requests probably would be referred to committee for review or dealt with by administration.