Much work needed to have leash-free park, says mayor

LaSalle dog owners will have to continue to leave town to find a leash-free park for their furry friends to run free as council referred the issue to 2018 budget deliberations.

A recent open house — as well as social media feedback — showed a majority of respondents support a dog park in the municipality, according to a council report from Julie Columbus, director of culture and recreation.

Residents shared their ideas on a location (the Vollmer Complex and Brunet Park were the front-runners) and suggested amenities, such as separate gated areas for large and small dogs, fresh water, shade, seating areas and nearby parking.

But Mayor Ken Antaya said there’s a lot more work to do than simply establishing where a dog park will be located.

Antaya said cost is an issue but also rules of procedure and conduct need to be established as well as outlining responsibilities for maintaining and cleaning the park area.

He said he wants to ensure that parks that are already in place are not compromised and that residents are not adversely affected.

“I love dogs and I’m a dog person,” Antaya said. “The thing is that I have to make sure that this isn’t detracting from other services that we have.

“I’m not closed to it. If the community wants it … we’re going to go in that direction,” he said.

“We just want to make sure that when we do it, we do it right.”