Press release sent to the Lecuadia Blog.
ENCINITAS CITY COUNCIL FAILS TO STOP POLLUTION OF SCHOOL PLAYGROUND FROM DOG PARK
City Officials Violate Storm Water Ordinances and Clean Water Act Allowing Pollution From Orpheus Park To Runoff Into Paul Ecke Elementary School Playground.
Concerned community members to hold press conference at Orpheus Park, 482 Orpheus Avenue, Encinitas, CA 92024
Wednesday, February 10 at 8 a.m.
ENCINITAS-After voting to expand hours for off-leash dogs at Orpheus Park, the City Council and city staff continue to ignore the overwhelming evidence that it violated its own policies in doing so and is causing harm to school children at the nearby Paul Ecke Elementary School.
The City’s Storm Water Management Ordinance and the Federal Clean Water Act are being violated by the City itself.
The pollution caused by expanding off-leash dogs at Orpheus Park is documented in several photographs and videos accessible on YouTube:
In part, the ordinance reads:
“(B) Eliminating pollutants in Storm Water to the Maximum Extent Practicable, including pollutants from both point and non-point sources; (C) Prohibiting activities which cause, or contribute to, exceedance of state and federal Receiving Water quality objectives. (D) Protecting Watercources from disturbance and pollution.”
The ordinance defines a pollutant as... “animal waste…fecal coliform, fecal streptococcus, and enterococcus bacteria and other pathogens that pose a threat to human health…”
Clearly, the presence of dog urine and feces, as documented in the videos cited above meet the definitions in the city’s own Storm Water Management Ordinance.
By approving expanded off-leash hours for dogs at Orpheus Park, the city has exacerbated an existing problem. The runoff from the park leads directly into the playground area at neighboring Paul Ecke Elementary School.
The potential harm caused to children by the pollutants is of great concern to parents and school officials.
Despite numerous complaints to the City Council and Parks and Recreation Department by community members who live around Orpheus Park and whose children attend Paul Ecke Elementary, nothing has been done to rectify the problem, or even acknowledge that it exists.
However, the City Council is prepared to expand off-leash hours at Hawk View Park and Glen Park in Cardiff during its meeting tomorrow, February 10 at 6p.m.
Without further discussion on the environmental impacts of pollutants caused by increased off-leash dog activity at Orpheus Park, the council is proceeding in an irresponsible manner, violating its own ordinances.
Orpheus Park is the most heavily use Dog Park in North San Diego County and has been in operation for over 14 years. The recent expansion of hours has tripled the amount of hours for off-leash dog use.
I heard that fish pee in the ocean so I guess they should ban that, too. Disgusting!
ReplyDeletethe pursuit of poop continues by the 'keep it junky' blog
ReplyDeletethis is such a weak argument
thank you for the entertainment
So how do we get more enforcement of our off-leash laws, and get the City to increase the regularly scheduled maintenance and cleaning of the off-leash dog parks? Clearly, these select parks require more maintenance and cleaning than other parks. And the tot lots and picnic areas need to be fenced. Since there is water at the drinking fountain, perhaps a wash down hose should be available so people can use it and then be able to site on the benches and use the picnic tables without having to look at and smell dog poop and pee. Maybe a new drainage sump and pump can be installed to divert the flows from the wash down areas back to the street, instead of flowing down to the school. Of course, the obvious solution is to eliminate the off-leash hours at Orpheus Park and the others and admit that the off-leash experiment has failed.
ReplyDeleteSo what specific action can we take? I've been waiting for years for the silent majority to speak up. I don't want to be silent anymore.
On average in this country 67% of homes own a dog.
ReplyDeleteThe number of parks is small in relationship. If you coral most of the dogs in the county in one park the issues grow.
More parks with alternative hours need to be opened to the dog owning community.
Not every available park is by the a school. Many people who have dogs view them as just as much a part of the family as people have children.
A group of children together can spread colds, H1N1 and other unhealthy bacteria... should we close the school or find ways to work with our community and their "families"?
I own a dog and have children. I would never let my kids go to the parks that allow dogs. They are now dog parks and surfaced with fecal matter and urine.
ReplyDeleteThe dogs win. The kids and their families loose.
The solution is to build separate dog parks or separate the existing ones. Young kids and poo are not good diversity.
To SitK9Sit,
ReplyDeleteI hope you're a better dog trainer than you are a reader. The fact is that nationwide 39% of households have dogs, and of that 39%, 67% of those have one dog.
That means 51% of households DON'T have dogs. Since you were basing your argument on being the vast majority, please don't start prefacing it on being the latest oppress minority.
I am not interested in being exposed to your dog's fecal matter and urine - keep it in your own yard. Thanks so much!
Is this really all there is to talk about in Encinitas? Think I will switch to another blog, that isn't full of shit.
ReplyDeleteWhy not allow unleashed dogs on the beaches? The tide will take care of the poop problem, there is a lot more room, and parking is better too. We know that will never happen because such a policy would affect way too many people...apparently throwing Orpheus Park to the dogs is a calculated effort to appease the dog owners. I own two dogs but would never take them to a non-fenced dog park, dogs are dumb and run into the street and get hit by cars. Any dog owner who takes their pets to a non-fenced dog park is irresponsible. The City will also be on the hook when an unleashed dog injures someone or causes an accident. Dog parks without fences defeat the whole purpose of leash laws --- controlling your dog. BTW there is a whole fenced area on Quail Gardens Drive that would make a wonderful dog park with minimal effort.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a job for Aceti or Marco. Water, crap logic, track record (?). Oops
ReplyDeleteDog parks are really for the owners. Dogs can be perfectly happy with on-leash dog walks and field work (fetching, etc.) for certain breeds. The closed in dog park, while fun for owners, can lead to issues.
ReplyDeleteHere's what happened in Encinitas:
http://thebiggestlosercanine.blogspot.com/
Too bad this blog does not report all of the facts. Isn't that convenient?
ReplyDeleteQuick call Marco! We need a lawsuit! ASAP!
ReplyDeleteMarco wouldn't give any of you the time of day.
ReplyDeleteANONYMOUS Too bad this blog does not report all of the facts. Isn't that convenient?
ReplyDeleteFebruary 11, 2010 10:37 AM
CAN YOU ELABORATE PLEASE? IT SAYS AT THE TOP OF THE POST IT'S A PRESS RELEASE.
Hey Entitlelistas: just walk your dogs and pick-up all your dog's fecal passings. Muchas gracias.
ReplyDelete~Los Zapata de Leucadia
It's a press release from Steve Meiche not the City. Makes a difference. The real facts would be trivialized by this blog and I won't waste my time on it.
ReplyDeletecardiffian
ReplyDeleteSend JP some stuff to post that isn't stupid. You could even put your name on it and I would listen to what you have to say.
No dice last anon. J.P. had his chance to get the facts, but chose not to. His choice. Not particularly a good one in the long run, but it is his blog.
ReplyDeleteMarco and Surfrider lost the desal fight. Any surprise there? When your hitting every pitch they say your batting a thousand. When you wiff everytime whats that called?
ReplyDeleteRe: Jack Webb entry mistake
ReplyDelete100 - 39 = 61
Accordingly, by that study, 61 percent of households don't have a dog. So your argument is even better.
I have found another study:
About 36 percent of homes have dogs, which means 64 percent of homes do not have dogs.
from Statistical Abstract of the United States by US Census
Cardiffian said, No dice last anon. J.P. had his chance to get the facts, but chose not to. His choice. Not particularly a good one in the long run, but it is his blog.
ReplyDeleteFebruary 11, 2010 1:10 PM
I'm confused. But I have been really busy lately and most of the posts lately have been from Kevin.
I did visit the Orpheus park in person last week and found it to be extremely filthy. Especially in comparison with our other parks.
I suspect 1 or 2 irresponsible dog owners are blowing it for everyone.
Check out Beacons beach parks.
ReplyDeleteIt is by far the filthiest beach park of any Encinitas park.
I guess staff thinks funky means filthy. Maybe they are getting direction from some council members?
What ever happened to the Beacons Access and Landscaping improvements?
J.P. Then forgive me. Kevin should have gotten the real facts before continuing to post inaccurate crap, especially since Dr. Lorri got hate mail and she had nothing to do with Orpheus. You should have seen Meiche and others give her the evil eye at the Council meeting. The City had two sheriffs there just to protect her. Waste of money, maybe? However she was threatened by Meiche and company.
ReplyDeleteI'm sick of Steve and his rants. What a effin hypocrite. His dogs used to regualrly attack anyone walking by his house. He used to let his dogs run on the beach while he surfed and they pissed and crapped all over the place. What a joke. JP, your blog is starting to stink. Wise up.
ReplyDeleteBill, It's you, I just figured it out. My old neighbor.
ReplyDeleteGood on ya man. I always enjoy a good joust.
Cheers and no hard feelings, i'll see ya at Beacons.
Fraid not Steve. Whoever Bill is he is not posting this stuff. You know you are in deep shit and now you want to make nice. No bueno.
ReplyDeleteWhat about unleashed dogs on the Golf Course? Talk about 'free range'!
ReplyDeletePrerequisite that all owners wear cleats, but a small price to pay for the psychological well-being of the dogs. Most golfers are 'over 40' anyway/fits right into the demographic.
response to 9:07
ReplyDeleteShe and the other Comissioners had a lot to do with Orpheus and Viewpoint and Sun Vista. They recommended that hours be expanded.
More hours = more shit.
Why all the backpedaling?
Anon 6:40- The Parks and Recreation Commission had absolutely NOTHING do do with the expansion of the off-leash hours at Orpheus or the other 2 parks. What part of this is so hard to understand? The Council did that. Parks and Rec. was asked to look into the feasibility of off-leash hours at Glen Park and Hawk View Park period!
ReplyDelete9:00
ReplyDeleteSo the expanded hours and days
were just "pulled out of the air by the CC"? With NO input from anyone else like the Parks Commission?
Explain to me how that works, por favor.
9:00-You would have to ask the Council that question. I don't know the answer. I just know Parks and Rec. Commission was not involved.
ReplyDelete