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 The presentation and the discussions that followed took up most
of the first hour of the Committee of the Whole. At the end of the
discussion, aldermen concurred that they needed more time to
consider the proposal and more time to discuss it in a public forum.
It was decided the topic would be continued at the next committee of
the whole meeting, which will be tonight, Tuesday, October 12th.
McLaughlin presentation
McLaughlin opened talking about the need for a dog park in Lincoln.
She noted that there are many pet owners in the city and that there
is currently no public place where a dog can run off leash safely.
For local pet owners, having such a location would offer them an
opportunity to allow their pets to run freely, safely and get
exercise.
She said that creating a park would improve the sense of community
in the city, bringing together people with a common interest, their
pets, and encouraging better relationships among the citizens of the
city.
 McLaughlin noted that within the city limits there are 11 parks and
green spaces, but not one of them permits off-leash running of pets.
Brenda Short, a local realtor and member of the dog park committee,
spoke briefly saying that a dog park is something most cities the
size of Lincoln does not offer. She said, for a real estate
perspective, offing such an amenity to potential buyers would be a
draw and would help bring a younger generation to the city.
McLaughlin moved on to show the council a concept drawing of a dog
park fitting it into the green space owned by the city on Eight
Street. She noted that the large area would provide space of a
public park setting, as well as a fenced in running area for large
dogs and a separate area for small dogs. She said that the committee
would recommend the fenced area be constructed with dark colored,
rubber coated chain link because it blended well into the landscape
and would serve best for protecting animals while they are off
leash.
McLaughlin said there would be restrictions on entry to the dog
park. Young children would not be allowed in the dog run area. Older
children could be allowed in with an adult. Dogs would be divided
according to their classification as a large or small dog, and no
puppies would be allowed in either designated area.
The gates to the dog run areas would be locked to the public. To
gain entry, pet owners will need to buy a membership to the park.
The membership fee would get them a pass key allowing them into the
run area. The city of Lincoln would own the pass keys, and
membership to the park would be revenue for the city to help offset
the maintenance costs of the park, and perhaps help re-pay some of
the construction costs.
McLaughlin said the committee would also look for park sponsorships,
hold fundraisers, and search out grants that could help pay the cost
of construction.
Speaking about the membership, McLaughlin said that pet owners would
have to have a certificate from their veterinarian showing the dogs
are up to date on all vaccinations and speaking to the temperament
of the animal. Members would sign a waiver of liability holding the
city harmless in the event of an incident.
 McLaughlin said the memberships would be offered at an annual cost,
with a lifetime membership available, and also a discount membership
for those who join in the middle of the calendar year. Otherwise,
memberships would run from January through December.
She noted that the membership would carry a maximum limit of five
dogs per household, and the park rules would dictate that there must
be one adult for every two dogs in the run area.
McLaughlin was asked how many memberships she anticipated for the
park. She was thinking probably 250 to start. She was also asked how
many dog owners there are in Lincoln. McLaughlin said she did not
have that statistic. Tracy Welch said that nationwide studies
indicate about 60 percent of all Americans own a pet.
Mayor Marty Neitzel asked if the park would be for Lincoln residents
only, or would it be open countywide. McLaughlin said it would be
for Lincoln and Logan County pet owners to start, but she could see
the membership criteria including out of county residents. She noted
that she has had a membership at a dog park in Decatur and loves
going there. She would hope that people would come to love coming to
Lincoln.
Todd Mourning asked if the committee had any projections for revenue
and expenditure. McLaughlin said they didn’t have numbers, but she
anticipated that the park would be “revenue and expense neutral,”
after the initial building costs.
Jeff Hoinacki asked if the city clerk would be expected to maintain
the membership records and do the accounting for the park.
McLaughlin said that because the property belongs to the city, the
park would belong to the city, and be the city’s responsibility. She
said that the accounting involved in the membership structure would
make for a busy 30 day period at the end of the year, and then
throughout the year, the tasks would be just to establish new
memberships from time to time.
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City Clerk Susan Gehlbach wondered if the Building and Safety Office could be
involved in collecting membership fees. Some aldermen agreed that was a viable
idea, as the membership would be similar to applying for a permit. Building and
Safety Officer John Lebegue said he thought that could all be worked out.
The next questions involved the cost of construction for the park. McLaughlin
said that an accurate estimate could not be given until after a design architect
had completed the final draft of the park and estimated the cost. She said the
committee could not move forward with having that work done without being
certain the Apex would be the location for the park. It was noted that a rough
guess would be in excess of $150,000, but McLaughlin said the work could be done
in stages, with the hopes of getting the basic park opened by summer 2017.
McLaughlin was asked why the committee had chosen the Apex. McLaughlin said the
committee had looked at other locations within the city, but the Eighth Street
property was the best fit. She said it was in a safe location in a residential
neighborhood, and that the park would enhance the neighborhood, plus it was near
the heart of the city, allowing park patrons also to walk into the downtown area
with their pets on leash.
Mourning commented that he loved the idea of the dog park, but remembering that
he was involved in the initial development of plans for the Apex, he said he
wasn’t necessarily in agreement with the location. He added that regardless of
his feeling about the Apex, he was hesitant to move forward with any request
that did not provide the city with a reliable estimate of the costs involved.
At the end of the discussions, Steve Parrott asked about policing in the park,
as in making sure animals were supervised, rules were followed, and so on and so
forth. McLaughlin said in her experience, dog parks most often end up being
“self-policing,” in that pet owners make sure everyone adheres to the rules.
That said, she added there would be a reporting process for violations and a
three-strike rule for revoking a membership. In addition, she said the rules
would state clearly that dog bites would mean immediate revocation of
membership.
Tracy Welch suggested that the council continue the discussion about the dog
park to the October 11th COW meeting, with the hopes of being able to give
McLaughlin a definitive answer regarding the city’s interest in the project. He
said if the dog park committee had some type of commitment from the city, then
it could move on to the next step of getting an official design and cost of
construction estimates.
Aldermen, by nod of the head, agreed they would continue this discussion on the
11th.
[Nila Smith]
Past related articles
City will discuss
repurposing Lincoln’s “Apex @ City Center”
Group asks that the Apex be
transformed into a dog park - Part one
Apex @ City Center
Dog Park
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