Off-leash dogs eyed to scare geese

SANDPOINT — The City Council will be considering the use of off-leash dogs at City Beach to control waterfowl at its meeting today, June 5.

Updating the city’s leash law to allow for city-sanctioned groups of dogs and their handlers to be off-leash on a limited basis is expected to help naturally deter waterfowl, city officials said. The presence of geese and other waterfowl at City Beach has proven to create health hazards, increase maintenance costs, and contaminate the beach. 

“Traditional methods of controlling waterfowl populations have proven to be either insufficient or overly invasive,” city officials said on an agenda report. “Utilizing off-leash dogs in a controlled manner is a non-lethal and effective method that many communities have successfully implemented to manage waterfowl populations.”

A proposed resolution to approve an interlocal agreement for automatic aid and response with the Sagle, Westside and Northside fire districts will also be considered.

Automatic aid allows for the facilitation of collaboration between the city’s fire department and neighboring fire departments. 

“Automatic aid agreements enhance response times by pooling together the resources of multiple fire departments,” city officials said on an agenda report. “When a large-scale incident occurs, such as a major fire or natural disaster, having access to additional personnel, equipment, and specialized units can make all the difference in containing the situation rapidly and preventing further damage.”

A public hearing and decision on a request from Bonner County, seeking preliminary approval to subdivide approximately 59 acres on Boyer Road will also take place at the meeting. 

Shortly after adopting the Urban Area Transportation plan approved by the City Council in April, changes were made to the urban area boundaries based on population data from the 2020 census, as is required when a new plan is adopted. This refinement, or “smoothing” is expected to be approved at the meeting. 

Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm is also expected to proclaim June 7 “Support Local Gems Day,” an all-day celebration of Idaho’s small businesses originally launched by Idaho’s U.S. Senator Jim Risch. The council will also hear a presentation on the importance of, and possible city participation in, a Dark Skies International Initiative. The initiative is an effort to address excessive artificial light pollution.

Following new business, the City Council will enter into executive session to “acquire an interest in real property not owned by a public agency.”

The meeting will take place today, June 5, at Sandpoint City Hall, 1123 Lake St., starting at 5:30 p.m. The public can attend in person or online at sandpointidaho.gov.