FORTY FORT — There was a lot of talk about a potential rule that would make dog owners put their dogs on leashes, and an update on the town pool at the council meeting on Monday.
At a full meeting, council all voted to announce a change to the current dog rule that would make all dogs in public need to be on a leash.
The current rule says that dogs have to be with their owner or under their control on any public street, park, or any other public area, or on someone else's property.
The change to the rule will be voted on at the next session.
In the public comment section, people seemed split on whether the change is necessary.
Nadine Haslinsky, who lives on Oak Street, talked about an incident she had with a wild golden retriever while walking on the dike. She said the dog came up to her and tore her wind breaker while it was on her waist.
She noted that the dog was on a leash, but the owner clearly didn't have control of it.
“I came here tonight to share my story so that new rules may be implemented to protect others from a similar fate,” she said.
Council member Phil Mertz, a dog owner himself, agreed with the change and called it a “proactive” and “preventative measure” to protect both animals and residents.
Lee Corbett, a dog owner who lives on Dana Street, feels that changing the rule would punish responsible dog owners who train their dogs.
“I feel that the current law, where it states your dog must be under your control, covers the bases. If a dog is not under control then that person absolutely should be penalized,” she said.
Also at the meeting, Councilwoman Kristy Dadurka offered a pool committee report and said that she would love to see the pool open this summer, but doesn’t yet know if that would be possible.
The committee was formed following outrage from residents over the decision not to include the pool in the 2024 operating budget due to costs of repairs, ongoing operational losses, and issues with hiring and maintaining a staff.
Dadurka said that, following a meeting with other council members and Mayor Brian Thomas, she is hoping to get together this week to meet with everyone who expressed interest in helping to open the pool to discuss what needs to be done.
“Hopefully we can put our heads together to come up with a solution,” she said, adding that they will be focused on “sustainability moving forward.”
Council also voted to pay a quarterly stipend of $1,500 for full-time police and part-time officers completing nine shifts in the quarter, as an acknowledgement of the police department’s accreditation achievement.
Police Chief Daniel Hunsinger explained that he went to council to ask for the stipends because he was fearful of losing officers due to low pay.
Borough council cannot negotiate a new contract with the department until the end of 2025 when the current one expires.
Hunsinger said, "I can tell you that there was one officer who planned to leave because of the salary problem, but now he has chosen to stay because of the extra payments."
Also, during the meeting, the council accepted the resignation of police Sgt. Tony Smith, effective on Tuesday, after serving eight years in the department.
Smith said, "Tonight is very bittersweet. This is not the same department I joined eight years ago."
While Smith said he did not want to discuss private issues in public, he intended to prepare an "exit interview" for the council to talk about the reasons for his resignation.
Several members of the council, including Mayor Thomas, showed interest in hearing what Smith had to say and planned to have a private meeting with him in the coming weeks.
It was also announced that the 2024 Memorial Day Parade will start at Kingston Corners on May 27 at 10:30 a.m. and then go to the Forty Fort Cemetery for a ceremony.
At the meeting, the council also:
• Approved Ordinance 1 of 2024 changing the Flood Plain Ordinance required by FEMA due to revised flood mapping
• Approved donation of $200 to Kingston/Forty Fort Baseball & Softball for field signs
• Approved a contribution of $16,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund for the purchase of a Ladder Truck for the Kingston/Forty Fort Fire Department.
