At a work session last night the Superior Trustees considered an Ordinance amending the Superior Municipal Code to add a "Natural Open Space Zone District". This was a first reading and people have a few questions - like how the District may be comprised of both public and private lands, and hence uses and improvements would be subject to permitting and other regulations. It's this latter part on private lands that moves property from intended use in the Comp Plan to de facto open space without buying it that is raising concerns. Staff has said the first concept only includes town and COunty open space, but the authority would be granted to extend/approve zones, as I understand it.
Interestingly, to keep tabs on the new District the Board considered an ordinance approving a Parks and Trail Patrol Ranger who will have the ability to issue administrative citations. Matt Magley with the Town has said the need for such a position is due to resident concerns regarding off leash animals in parks and on trails and health and safety issues that it presents. Funds budgeted at $20,000 annually for pet waste pick up would be used to pay an hourly wage of approximately $9-$15 per hour for this Ranger.
The ranger addition seems to be a natural aspect of a growing open space program. However the focus on poop pickup and citations (and the attendant education") has a few residents questioning if that's the way to spend $20k. The debate is around the practical level of enforcement possible vs just adding trash cans and counting on people to do the right thing.
People letting their dogs take a dump and not picking it up are not concerned that they may get a ticket. By the time you are an adult you've either realized you have a responsibility to do that, or you don't care. Ticket threats don't matter - I say this as someone who worked for 5 years for the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Dept. walking the trails enforcing leash laws, checking fishing licenses, etc. Adults know- and make a choice. It works better having other adults publicly shame them into behaving right - yelling "Oh, I have an extra bag if you need one since your dog is going the bathroom on the trail!" is infinitely more effective and satisfying.
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3 comments:
If that is all the job is I don't see the point either. However if it is a way to fund a true open space coordinator position then maybe they are on to something!
I can't get past the comment that the Open Space Zone will include private as well as public land. How can they arbitrarily include private land in this zone?
Next to this issue, the question of how to use $20K is insignificant.
I believe that angle may have been quashed at the meeting Monday but I'm not certain - I'm checking with one of the attendees who I hope will chat here with their input -
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