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Dog day for Foxboro park
 Devin, top, intercepts a pass intended for Max, bottom, by his owner, Anita Kloss of Foxboro in the reopened Foxboro Dog Park in April. (Staff file photo by Martin Gavin)
Top Headlines The budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 - up about 6.4 percent from this year, 3 percent employee raises and a nearly $2.7 million capital budget passed, but the amendment for the dog park went down in defeat. The attendance was 762 residents, and many came for sewer related articles, which were passed. The dog park, which opened in September 2006, has become a legal battleground. A lawsuit filed by abutters and others seeking to close the park is pending in State Land Court. And the family of a Plainville teenager has demanded $95,000 from the town in connection with a series of rabies shots the youth underwent after being bitten by a dog at the park. The dog park article that would have amended town bylaws to allow dogs to be off leash in areas designated as dog parks failed by a handcount vote, 341-319. Harding: No effect on operation Dog park co-founder Heather Harding made a Power Point presentation showing the poor condition of the Cocasset River Park before the dog park was opened. She later said the failure of the article would have no effect on the operation of the Foxboro Dog Park. She said the article, which she and other park representatives requested, would have merely clarified town regulations. Ron Costello of Mill Street, a plaintiff in the lawsuit aimed at closing the park, asked residents to oppose the article. "The operators of the off-leash dog zone have taken control of this beautiful piece of precious, protected conservation land for use by dog owners as a kennel..." Costello said. He said the dog park eliminates other uses of the park such as cookouts, picnics, scout camping and fishing and hiking. Other articles Among other articles, voters Monday: Approved $107,207 for raises for 52 full-time and 10 part-time nonunion personnel. This 3 percent raise applies to most non-union management and clerical positions, including the town manager, finance director, public safety chiefs and deputy chiefs and other department heads. Funded a three-year police contract, retroactive to last July 1, with combined raises totalling about 9 percent over the three years, at a cost of $184,800 to cover the raises for the first two years. The contact allows for drug and alcohol testing of officers based on "probable cause." Funded a new 3-year library contract, effective July 1, with raises of 3 percent, 3 percent and a split rate the third year totaling 3 percent. The contract covers 13 full-time and four part-time positions. The cost of the raises for fiscal year 2009, which will start on June 30, is $15,810. Defeated, after debate, a statute setting a top age of 32 years for applicants for police officer. Residents voiced concerns over age discrimination, and how the article would affect officer transfers from other departments and the hiring of a future police chief.
Post Your Comments dogsrule wrote on May 13, 2008 12:45 PM: " Technically if there were no dog park ever created within the CRRA, I still could let me dogs run free within the fenced area because we have no "leash" law but a "control of owner" law. And therefore because it is within a fenced area, it has been decided by the judge and dog officer that this is considered under "control of the owner." The opponents confused everyone into thinking something will change with this bylaw when I believe that it is just clarifying what everyone already agrees fence = control. " brwmstr wrote on May 13, 2008 11:48 AM: " Once again the Sun Chronicle and Frank Mortimer get it wrong. The proposed by-law was for clearification of the existing leash law, so that it clearly states that dogs could run free within an area designated as a "dog park". Although the current dog park at Cocassett river park would be effected by the new amandment, this by-law was not an endorsment of the current Foxboro dog park. The fact is, both the dog officer in foxboro and the land judge, overseeing the lawsuit brought by 17 residents, agree, that dogs can run free within the fenced in area of Foxboro dog park. This proposed amendment was soley to clearify the language of the existing "leash law". It's too bad that some people had to muddle the whole thing by talking about issues not related to the by-law amendment. Oh, and Frank, to the best of my knowledge, the family of a Plainville teenager has NOT demanded $95,000 from the town or any other amount. They have simply threatned to sue. There is a BIG difference. " dogsrule wrote on May 13, 2008 9:27 AM: " Mba - Don't fall off your seat but I agree. The wording in the bylaw needs to be adjusted so that just any dog park cannot open up in someones back yard. The vote was clouded however by misinformation about the park and the intentions of the people who care for it. Have you visited the park? I wish you would. Please stop by sometime and see what a great job the volunteers have done. " mba wrote on May 13, 2008 9:04 AM: " i'm sure i'll get shouted down on here because that seems to be the way on here, but what people were asked to vote on wasn't what was in the handout and the way the bylaw was written, despite the intensions, it could have had all together different implications. I know I want to see exactly what I am voting on and understand it completely. I think the language of the bylaw did leave open possibilities which could have future unintended consequences and a bylaw should be well thought out for the future, not just crafted for the moment. I that think that is why it didn't pass. " dogsrule wrote on May 13, 2008 8:45 AM: " Too bad the facts were not presented. I do believe that when the Boy Scouts wanted to fish in the park for the day the dog park was closed to dogs and no dog owner had a problem with that. Did anyone SEE the powerpoint presentation? The place was not a beautiful protected piece of land. It was a dump that no one wanted to take care of until the dog owners decided to clean it and care for it with 100% Donations! And the poop..funny the place was covered in it before it became a REGULATED dog park because the NEIGHBORS walked their dogs there and failed to clean up after themselves. Remember that there are 2000 other beautiful acres in Foxboro that anyone can hike, fish, or cookout on. We have a great recreation area on Mill Street paid for by TAXPAYERS money - feel free to use that. It's only 5 minutes away from the CRRA. Get the facts straight people. And since we are keeping count... I'm a 37 year resident of Foxboro and my family has been in this town for over 100 years. " or
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