Doggies doo and owners don't Doggies doo and owners don't (March 19, 2004)

Waste bag dispensers to be tested in arroyo
by Teresa C. Brown

It's a big "to do" about "doggy doo" and with the approval Monday night of dog-waste bag dispensers along the Arroyo del Valle, the Parks and Recreation Commission hopes the dog-gone matter will be over.

The commission unanimously approved the installation of two waste bag dispensers at the request of the Walnut Grove Elementary School Ecology Club.

"There is a misconception that waste is biodegradable," said Jim Wolfe, director of the city's Park and Community Services, adding that eventually the waste does break down, but in the meanwhile it causes other concerns.

"It's not just the mess it creates, it's a health issue, not just for the community, but for our workers, too," Wolfe said.

Additionally the high concentration of feces in the small creek area is not natural and is unsanitary.

The test dispensers will hold grocery store-type plastic bags. They are proposed for installation near trash cans at the Main Street access and the Harvest Circle access. The intent of the dispensers is that eventually they will be "self-refilling" as dog walkers bring extra bags from home as they begin to use the dispensers.

To help keep the test operational, Walnut Grove teacher and ecology club leader Kathryn Peters offered to oversee refilling the dispensers with bags with the help of the ecology club, Wolfe said.

For the city, one of the major expenses of dog-waste bag dispensers is the cost of the manpower to keep bags supplied, he explained. People take extra bags for use later and deplete the supply of bags in the dispenser quickly.

"We don't have the extra manpower to refill," Wolfe said. He added that these test dispensers would have Walnut Grove's telephone number on it as the refill contact.

Wolfe estimated that the two 4-foot-tall purple pipe dispensers would cost about $1,000 to install. Most of the expense was attributed to the labor costs associated with creating and installing the dispensers, which would be anchored in the ground with concrete.

"The goal of the (ecology) club is to teach children community service," Peters told the commission. "I think what we bring to this request is a community that really cares. Walnut Grove is really active."

She added that when the club visits the area there is an issue with dog waste and children stepping in it.

Commission Chairman Jim DiBiase questioned who would monitor, or receive refill calls, during the summer months. "Good question," Peters said. "I think the best thing to do is for me to make regular visits."

Commissioner Kathy Narum suggested expanding the dispensers to community parks if this pilot project is successful at Arroyo del Valle.

Currently only the dog exercise area at Muirwood Community Park has a dispenser with bags to clean up after dogs. These bags are specially made for this use.

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