By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
Last week’s invalid South Portland City Council vote to change the hours dogs are allowed on Willard Beach didn’t affect the schedule of the newly formed Willard Beach Task Force – a nine member committee consisting of residents, medical specialists and city officials formed to address the issue. It met for the first time on June 26.
“I don’t know how long this warrants or will take, but keep your eye on the prize,” South Portland Assistnat City Manager and Task Force Facilitator Erik Carson encouraged task force members. “You, as a member of this committee, are part of the problem, and part of the solution.”
The task force wasted no time coming up with a large number of topics to discuss, including the possible health, safety and liability risks, noise control concerns, public access, citizen rights and the economic and environmental impact the task force’s suggestions could have on the city.
“When we solve these, we’ll have fixed the world,” City Councilor Claude Morgan said.
As it currently stands, dog owners are allowed to walk their dogs on Willard Beach between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m. City Councilor Maxine Beecher spearheaded a council vote that changed the hours to 6 to 9 p.m., but the vote was later found to be invalid by a member of the South Portland Dog Owners Group who reminded city officials they needed a two-thirds majority vote to add the item to their June 16 agenda. Since it was added with a 4 to 3 vote, the ruling changing the hours was revoked and Beecher tabled the item to allow the task force time to come up with a strategy.
The task force agreed that whatever their final suggestion is, it should be easily enforceable. Several members said they believe inadequate enforcement of the current ordinance is largely the cause of conflict on the beach. Task force members Bill Arnold – who was appointed to the task force by Councilors Morgan and James Hughes last week – and Devon Gray said they believe dogs are already required to be leashed on the beach, as it meets the standards of a “public way,” included in the city’s leash laws.
“All that needs to be done is the law needs to be enforced, and it takes more than one officer to do it,” Gray said. “Something needs to be done now. The history of this problem is absurd.”
Other members said the current ordinance is unclear, and Morgan suggested hiring an attorney to determine if Willard Beach is an area where dogs need to be leashed.
“We need to come to a consensus about what the ordinance means,” task force member Bob Johnson said.
While they struggled to determine the scope of the current ordinance, the task force was undivided in agreeing the current enforcement is inadequate.
“The fact is, we have less city staff than we did eight years ago, and one more police officer,” Carson said. “Do we want to change the way it’s being enforced?”
Gray said she remembered a time when Willard Beach was patrolled by park rangers, suggesting that option for more effective enforcement of whatever decision the task force comes to.
The task force agreed to meet every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. until they form a suggestion for the city council, an agenda Morgan said could be too aggressive.
“I understand there’s a different sense of urgency here,” he said. “But I don’t want to move too quickly. Haste makes waste.”
The task force agreed to elect Carson as their official spokesperson with their first vote, 7 to 1 with Rita Nappi in the minority. Doug Howell was absent for the vote.
“I’m designed to not have a position,” Carson said. “I will try to provide whatever point the task force is at as accurate and objectively as humanly possible.”
There will be a five minute window for public input toward the end of the agenda at all future meetings, Carson said.