Council to consider leash law in parks

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada City Manager JD Kehrman told city council members Tuesday he thought he could have a draft ordinance to address a leash law in Nevada city parks ready for the council to discuss during its June 18 meeting.

Kehrman's announcement came during the council's regular meeting last night.

The Nevada Parks and Recreation Board voted during its May meeting to recommend the city council enact an ordinance specific to the city parks requiring dogs to be on a leash and not be allowed in playground areas or tied to parks equipment.

"This is a very specific request and didn't come up last year," Kehrman told the council, which last year had discussed updating the city's dog control ordinance to reduce the number of dogs running at large.

That update is currently under review by the city.

The city does not have a law requiring dogs to be on a leash, but only requires that the animals be under the owner's control.

Council member Jayne Novak said that she would like to take this further and not allow dogs to be tied up in the parks at all, but require the leash remain in the owner's hand.

In other business the council voted 5-0 to give final approval to a special ordinance changing the zoning on property at the southeast corner of Maple and Cedar streets from R-2, two-family residences, to RP-2, two family planned district, so the property owner can build three duplexes, instead of the two the current zoning permits.

The planning commission deadlocked 3-3 on a vote to send a positive recommendation to the council, so, according to the city code they did not send any recommendation.

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I am strongly opposed to changing the law. If dogs are out of their owners control, call the police. If it's strays, call animal control. I will have nowhere for my dog to run and exercise except in my fenced yard. No more running playing fetch. Things like this used to be resolved person to person. We can pass all the restrictive laws we want but there will always be somebody scared and demanding more restrictive laws to make them feel safe. Are we becoming a nation of scaredy cats?

-- Posted by undeded on Wed, Jun 5, 2013, at 12:39 PM
I think a leash law is a great idea. More than once I have a dog jump on me at one of the parks. As the law presently is written, a dog can do almost anything as long as they will come when the owner calls and there is nothing you can do.

Or just make it legal to shoot strays that tear up your trash and defecate in your yard.

-- Posted by Leland Gaunt on Wed, Jun 5, 2013, at 4:56 PM

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