Dog club barking mad at Winnipeg bureaucrats over poop-bag dispenser signs

A plan to install poop-bag dispensers at theKilconaoff-leash dog park is now in the hands of the city's top bureaucrat.

The fact thatchief administrative officer Doug McNeilisinvolved in that kind of decision has the head of the Kilcona Park Dog Clubbarking mad.

The issue is not so much thedispensers themselves, but attachedsigns recognizing a sponsor that helped make the plan come together.

"When the city's top civil servant has to approve signs for poop-bag dispensers in a dog park, something needs to change there. There is a big problem with that,"Donna Henry, president of theKilcona Park Dog Club,told CBC News.

Senior bureaucrat approval is the latest in a long series of hurdles that have put a leash on plans to install six poop-bag dispensers in the park.

Around two years ago, the dog club proposedthe plan.Thedispensers would help dog owners pick up the mess their caninesleft behind and keep the park clean. Organizers found a corporate sponsor that would help purchasethe dispensers and pay for an ongoing supply ofpoop-bags.

Henry says around 18 months ago, the dog club was told by a parksuperintendentit would be simple for the city to sign off onthe type of dispensers, pick the locations and approve the gift.

But as the plan rolled along, things got complicated.

City paws back support

Henry saidparks staff started to have a "lukewarm response" to the idea after balking at the idea city employeeswould have to top up the poop-bag dispensers anddoubting the city would have the resources to pay staff to resupply the units, even though the sponsor had agreed to pay for the bags.

The dog club was also required to find a city-approved contractor to install the posts that the dispensers would hang on, but bureaucrats wouldn't supply a list of who qualified for the work.

Undaunted, the dog club sleuthed out the appropriate contractor, completed thedeal with the sponsor, convinced three area councillors (JeffBrowaty, JasonSchreyer and Russ Wyatt)to kick in some extra money and paidto have customsignsmanufactured. The dog club and thecorporate sponsor would cover half the cost,and the cash from the councillors would cover the rest.

But Henry saidat this point the dog club "started to get some strange responses" from city staff. Information provided in the past was re-requested.It became evidentthe city wasn't happy with the wording on the sign that would be attached to the poop-bag dispensers.

The signs would read, "Donated by Kilcona Park Dog Club and (sponsor's name)."

Henry saidshe was told by city staff that the wording wouldn't fly. The city wanted the signs to read, "Donated by Kilcona Park Dog Clubwith generous support from (sponsor's name)."

Henry saidthe watered-down version of the signwasn't fair to the sponsor. As well, she saidanother city organization,Sponsor Winnipeg,somehowbecame involved. The program offers naming rights to foundations, companies and individuals.

Time was ticking. The dog club had applied and received a permit from Manitoba Hydro to dig holes for the posts on whichthe dispensers would be installed.That permit expires today and the city won't let the dispensers go up with the signs worded as thedog club wants.

Dispensers can go up without signs

Earlier thisweek,the poop-bag dispenser controversy was on agenda ofthe protection and community services committee of city hall.

Acting director of public works Lester Deaneacknowledged the dog club'sfrustration and told the committee they would approve the installation of the dispensers without thesigns.

Deane told the committee that "all signs installed in a city-owned park must be approved by the CAO," and said there wereconcerns about sponsorship agreements.

Deaneadded thathe was "mindful of the concern about all the red tape."

"We are asking,going forward,that the CAO consider delegating that authority to the director of the department so that we can remove some of the red tape," he said.

Henry calls the whole situation "a blind bureaucracy run amok."

"I can't understand why these roadblocks are in place. It shouldn't be this hard for a not-for-profit organization; it shouldn't be this hard for a well-meaning business to participate and give back to the community," she said.

Wyatt, who represents the Transcona ward, sits on the committee andexpressed disbelief at the situation.

"I am amazed we are sitting here talking about this," Wyatt told the committee.

"The amount of time we are taking and the public service here to address this issue is worth more than the $1,800 for the actual poop dispensers. We could probably put up another six by now."

Henry saidplans for a celebration to honour the sponsor and unveil the dispensers is on hold until McNeil, the CAO,signs off on the signs.