“No Dogs Allowed!”
That phrase brings out the image of Snoopy being tossed on
his ear out of the beach, the library, the bus and other places in the 1972 animated
Peanuts feature film “Snoopy, Come Home!”
Last night, the Holland City Council, on procedural first
reading, endorsed an ordinance amendment that would put that policy at the
Holland Farmers Market, which has been in place for years, into the city code
as a civil infraction.
In promoting the ordinance amendment’s passage, City Manager
Keith Van Beek wrote in a memo attached to the council meeting’s agenda: “With
the growing popularity of the Holland Farmers Market, staff is increasingly
concerned about crowd safety, food safety and the safety of the dogs
themselves. On more than one occasion, staff has witnessed dogs sniffing and
even licking produce on display at vendors stalls, dogs barking loudly and
fighting with each other and both children and adults tripping over dogs in the
crowd. Thus, staff feels strongly that it is time for animals to be prohibited
at the Holland Farmers Market by way of City ordinance.”
When we brought up the topic on today’s program, First Ward
Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Mike Trethewey, a long-time listener, called in. “We've had the rules and signs have been posted for just about as long as
the market has been open, requesting that no dogs be in that public area,
obviously for health reasons and some of the reasons that you had talked about.
The unfortunate part about it is some of the explanations that we've been
given, such as people haven't seen the signs or ‘they don't feel comfortable
following the rules’ is I guess the best way to put it.
“So, unfortunately for the few
that are breaking the rules, we have to go to the extreme of making use of the ordinance
out of it, to be able to enforce it. Technically, nothing has changed from what
the rules have always been at the market; it's just putting some enforcement
behind it.”
I then pointed out to Trethewey
that, “You know what the shame of it is? You have to do that (establish an
ordinance for this policy) in the first place.”
“Unfortunately, Gary, that's
what probably 99% of the ordinances are for,” the councilman replied. “Most of
our constituents and most of our residents have common sense and live by the rules.
There are some that don't, and that's what most of your ordinances are out
there for, because of the minority. But, to be able to enforce them, you have
to have the laws on the books, so that's what it boils down to.
“Like I said, it's just to be
able to have the law officers enforce the rule, and as (Van Beek’s) memo read,
we are taking every effort as we have in the past … to be as cordial and nice
(and) congenial as possible.
“These are the rules for
everybody's enjoyment of the farmers market which is pretty successful. I get a
chance to see it every week out my window when I'm at work (Trethewey is a
staffer at Louis Padnos) so all we're doing is saying, ‘Please follow the rules
and if not, here are the consequences and you going to have to pay for that.”
Trethewey added that the future
possibility of a dog park at the Civic Center Place site may be discussed in
conjunction with a proposed splash pad and/or ice rink.
The City Council will take a final vote on this matter at its May 1st meeting, and the ordinance amendment will probably be overshadowed by the scheduled public hearing and vote on a Fiscal 2020 budget at that same session.
Thanks!
