The following policies are established for Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas:
Policy 1. DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES. Development procedures, design guidelines, location criteria and space criteria for Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas are to be set forth in Administrative Instruction.
Policy 2. IDENTIFICATION OF OFF LEASH DOG EXERCISE AREA LOCATIONS. A committee of citizens and staff have identified a list of potential sites for Off Leash Dog Exercise Parks that do not displace current activities within parks and are located throughout the City to provide reasonable travel times from all points within the City. The Administration shall communicate to the City Council by December 31, 2004, a list of at least 6 designated Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas. If the Administration is unable to identify 6 such areas by that date they shall submit a list of areas that are eligible and proceed to identify other areas and communicate a list of these areas by June 30, 2005.
Policy 3. MAINTAINING EXISTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. As Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas are implemented into a park the City will not displace existing activities already provided in the park.
Policy 4. NEW PARK DEVELOPMENT FOR OFF LEASH DOG EXERCISE AREAS. When existing parks are renovated and new parks are planned, the inclusion of an Off Leash Dog Exercise Area is to be provided as an option during the public input process pertaining to the development or renovation of the park.
Policy 5. FUNDING DEVELOPMENT OF OFF LEASH DOG EXERCISE AREAS. Funding for the design and construction of Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas should occur through those means established for park development including but not limited to impact fees, developer dedications, public improvement districts, City general obligation bonds and federal, private and state grants, or any other means acceptable to the City.
Policy 6. MAINTENANCE OF OFF LEASH DOG EXERCISE AREAS. The City of Albuquerque shall be responsible for maintenance and upkeep of Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas. If the City exercises the option to provide for the expense, by imposing a fee and prior to imposing such fee the Office of Internal Audit shall conduct a cost analysis of the task and associated costs to determine a per acre cost for maintenance of Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas versus per acre cost for maintenance of neighborhood parks. This would establish the basis for value of the fee. The Department overseeing maintenance of Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas shall include such expenditures in their annual budget and shall develop appropriate performance measures to gauge the effectiveness of this activity.
Policy 7. LARGE OFF LEASH DOG EXERCISE AREAS. The administration shall provide by December 1, 2004 a study identifying a tract of land on City owned property in the East Mountain Area that is scheduled for sale and a tract of land on City owned property west of the City Limits, scheduled for sale. These lands are to be designated as Large Off Leash Dog Exercise Areas. The Open Space Division shall identify the land best able to serve such a function with the least impact to the goals and objectives of the open space program. The Administration by December 1, 2005 shall issue a plan for the operation of these areas and assign responsibility to the Department best able to manage such a facility. If the land is not sold, Open Space is to be reimbursed by the appropriate user Department, for the land no later than Fiscal Year 2006. The Open Space Division may continue to market the land for sale until such time as funding is committed in the City Budget or by other means to reimburse the Open Space Trust fund for the land for use as a Large Off Leash Dog Exercise Area.
(Res. 35-2004, 3-15-04)