DARIEN, CT — The Darien Board of Selectmen on Monday night voted to recommend a $100 fine, plus state administrative fees, for dog owners who let their pooches off-leash on town owned and managed property, including recently acquired Great Island.
The Representative Town Meeting must now consider the recommendation for final adoption.
Dogs have been a major talking point since access opened at Great Island. The Great Island Advisory Committee moved that dogs were allowed on the property, but had to stay on pathways and away from the bridle trail area where there are bald eagles nesting.
The committee then adjusted the rules so now dogs are allowed off the paths, wherever human visitors can go. The bridle trail area remains off limits. This change goes into effect June 1.
Cameras are set up on the island, including in the bridle trail area, to monitor activity, and police or the town’s newly-hired animal control officer can currently issue citations of $25 for violations of the town’s existing ordinance that required dogs to remain on-leash on public property. When factoring in state administrative fees, the fine totals $49.
However, there have still been violations, so town officials have been looking at ways to deter rule breaking.
“My own thinking is this is entirely within everybody’s control. If you don’t have your dog off-leash, the fine won’t impact you because you’re adhering to the rules,” Selectman and GIAC Chair Monica McNally said Monday night. “We have a leash law on our books already, so this will just be closing that loop and putting a number to it.”
The vote to recommend a $100 fine was unanimous, but Selectman Marcy Minnick wanted a higher penalty. First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky said the town can always revisit the matter in the future.
Selectman Sarah Neumann said adding signage to Great Island about the possible fines would help deter bad behavior. She also said having someone on the property to explain the rules would be helpful.
“I think if we are only relying on occasional visits from someone who is doing enforcement or cameras, I think it’s not going to be as effective,” she said.
Neumann also said the town needs to think about coming up with a policy that prohibits off-leash dogs in Darien parks.
“I think part of the problem is we don’t have the same policy everywhere and we are not enforcing it at all parks. I think we need to look into it deeper,” she said.
McNally said she believed that by acting on raising fines on town-owned properties, it “will be a catalyst for parks and rec” to look at what they can do on their end.
Zagrodzky said the town might “decouple” the raised fine from when enforcement starts to give people time to understand the rules.
McNally thanked the RTM for taking up the matter, as dogs will be allowed off Great Island’s paths starting June 1.
“For them to proceed on this and move this forward, it helps us,” McNally said.
Monday’s full Board of Selectmen meeting is available to watch on demand on Darien TV79.
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