News, Waterford

Town of Waterford officials dig into possible pet waste ordinance

By Dave Fidlin

Correspondent

After receiving complaints from a small handful of residents, Town of Waterford officials dug into a smelly issue this week: dog waste.

In an effort to bring the issue out before his elected colleagues, Town Chairman Tom Hincz presented the board with a draft ordinance April 11.

The document, however, was tabled for an indefinite period of time so officials can explore whether the document is necessary.

In its draft form, the ordinance states its purpose “is to preserve and protect the town’s character (and) maintain property values by improving and preserving the aesthetic appeal of the town through waste regulation.”

The draft ordinance contained a suggested wide-ranging penalty for a violator of animal waste pickup. Fines under the proposal could range from $10 to $500 per offense.

If the fine was not paid, under the proposal, an offender could be imprisoned within the Racine County Jail for up to 90 days.

Hincz acknowledged he has received “complaints from constituents,” which has prompted the discussion.

Standards for animal waste pick-up throughout the town have varied over time because of zoning and the makeup of residential areas.

While swaths of the town still resemble rural farmsteads, the municipality also has suburban-resembling areas with subdivisions.

Several officials noted a one size-fits-all approach to legislating domestic animal waste could be challenging for this reason.

In offering suggestions and exploring possibilities, Town Attorney Michael Dubis attempted to outline parameters for an ordinance, if enacted, including where enforcement would kick in from a road’s right-of-way.

Hincz, however, said he was more interested at this point in adopting a set of protocol as complaints come in.

“Most people I see around here are taking care of their dogs,” Hincz said. “We’re not going to do a $20,000 study to see how many dogs defecate on people’s property.”

From his end, Dubis suggested a big-picture look at the issue might be prudent as town officials examine their options, moving forward.

“Sometimes you have to be practical when people complain,” Dubis said.

2 Comments

  1. Wow! Up to a $500 fine and jail time for not picking up dog poop? I don’t live in Waterford, and always carry doggie poop bags when walking my dogs, but jeez, you can miss once in awhile. I see nothing wrong with a $10 fine, but the rest? Crazy! Maybe Waterford should make it a felony too.

  2. Is this board inept or what? They already have an ordinance they passed on January 11, 2010. Its right there on THEIR OWN WEBPAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.tn.waterford.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=6815&locid=186