Manchester City Council Reverses Course, Approves Dog Park Fencing

The Manchester City Council has reversed course, approving fencing for the new dog park expected to open next year.

The Dog Park Committee has been working on raising funds and making plans for a dog park in Manchester for almost two years, with nearly $70,000 raised to date. The dog park will be located on a grassy lot owned by the City along South Brewer Street – and the committee’s next step is purchasing and installing the fence to enclose the dog park.

At the last council meeting in November, the council voted 3 to 2 against approving a quote on fencing for the dog park. Council members Joe Dittrick, Linda Schmitt and Bryan Gray surprised fellow council members and City staff by voting no, citing concerns that the dog park’s rules and regulations were not known – with Gray also questioning support for the dog park. They requested further information about the rules and regulations before revisiting the issue.

The Dog Park Committee attended Monday night’s city council meeting to present information to the Council and help answer questions, with letters of support for the dog park from Manchester residents shared with the City and council members as well. Manchester City Manager Tim Vick:

A draft of rules and regulations for the new dog park was shared with Manchester City Council this past week. Vick addressed some of the concerns brought up by council members during his “Guest of the Day” interview on KMCH Tuesday morning.

The quote on fencing for the dog park was brought back to the Manchester City Council for a vote on Monday night. This time, the Council voted 5 to 0 to approve the fence quote from Central Iowa Fencing for just under $25,000 (which will be paid for by the Dog Park Committee), with council members Dittrick, Schmitt and Gray expressing appreciation for the additional information.

The Dog Park Committee anticipates the Manchester Dog Park will open next year.

photo courtesy of Janelle Tucker/KMCH