Dog park effort making headway

A joint task force has been set up with the county in an effort to find a 3-acre patch of land that will at least come close meeting a set of criteria for such a park, she said.

“The county is really ready to work with us on that,” she said.

Beyond mitigating the public-versus-dogs issue, Klose pointed out in his report that a dog park could also offer the community a place for pet-based events, such as low-cost vaccination clinics, training classes and pet adoption programs.

The cost of establishing a dog park could be offset through a possible public-private partnership between a nonprofit agency and the county, a large private donation or grant, or by establishing the park on existing county-owned land, according to the report.

Klose also suggested a per-use or annual park fee for park users to help defray maintenance costs.

The effort spent gathering signatures and compiling the report clearly pleased some council members who seemed eager to use the public show of support to invigorate the search.

“I’m just overwhelmed with your enthusiasm,” Councilman Steve Pierce told Klose, adding that his group’s efforts were a prime example of how public involvement can overcome naysayers or obstacles.

“Somewhere down the line, it’s going to happen,” he said.

JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.