Press

April 18th, 2007, Five Cities Times Press Recorder

Hunt begins for new dog park location

By Josh Petray/Staff Writer
petray@timespressrecorder.com.

A new site may have to be found for the Five Cities area’s first official off-leash dog park if Arroyo Grande and the Five Cities Dog Park Association can’t hash out a proposal for a city-owned retention basin in Oceano.

Last week, the Parks and Recreation Commission postponed its recommendation to the City Council on the proposal for further investigation of a possible agreement between the county, the city and the association that might move the project forward.

Concurrently, staff was directed to assess alternative sites that might pose fewer complications for both the city and the association.

City staff and the association both supported exploring other sites after issues like water service, maintenance and city oversight complicated the proposal.

Association President Cynthia Eklund said former Parks and Recreation Director Dan Hernandez told the association the Oceano parcel was the city’s only feasible site.

Both staff and the association expressed concerns about a lease agreement between the city and association drafted earlier this year but tabled over an apparent misunderstanding over the terms of the agreement.

“The only thing I would like to stress is there seems to be a lot of cooperation and good will until the 12-page (lease agreement) came out,” said Ron Addison, vice chair of the commission.

Now, the county may be brought into the mix.

“I understand, Cynthia, that you would like the two governments — the county and the city — to take the lead” on the agreement and allow the association to become a third party, Parks Commissioner Philip Lozano told Eklund.

The county carries liability insurance for the dog parks under its jurisdiction, which left association members wondering why the city couldn’t do the same.

“What I’m trying to get at ... is an explanation for why the city would handle (liability insurance) differently than the county does,” association member Jerry Bunin asked staff.

“I don’t want to make you a lawyer, buddy, but I do think that would be a good thing to know,” Bunin told Doug Perrin, city recreation supervisor.

Perrin couldn’t provide an answer, but according to a city staff report, the city carries blanket liability insurance under what’s known as the Joint Powers Insurance Authority.

The staff’s primary concern with the proposed site is the city would be accepting liability for a facility that would have little staff monitoring because it is in Oceano, outside city limits.

City staff would prefer to see the dog park developed within the city limits.

Pete Jenny, county parks manager, said the county would be willing to partner with the city and association and pay $5,000 for park improvements but would not be willing to pay for liability insurance.

“We’re not in the authority to help build and maintain a park in another city’s jurisdiction,” Jenny said.

Jenny said the county has seen no increase in insurance premiums because of dog parks.

“All I can say is it has no impact on (the county),” Jenny said of carrying liability insurance for dog parks.

While discussions are pursued with the county, alternative sites will be examined, Perrin said.

Those include Rancho Grande Park and between sports fields at Soto Sports Complex, but there’s no guarantee they will yield another home for a dog park.

“There are so many variables that have to be looked at before we identify a site,” Perrin said.