City installs pet waste signs at entrances to Hidden Valley Park

At a recent Valley Pond Townhome Association meeting (where I live), we discussed whether the Association should pay to have the City of Northfield install one or more pet waste stations (example here) along the trail in Hidden Valley Park

The Board decided that a better first step would be to ask the City to install "Please Clean Up After Your Pet" signs to see if that solved the problem.

pet waste sign at entrance to Hidden Valley Park Robbie Wigley, inserting pet waste bags on sign Robbie Wigley, inserting pet waste bags on sign
A couple weeks ago a City crew installed signs at the three entrances/exits to the park. Our Association cost: $54.  Robbie has been stuffing pet waste bags into the holes in the signs.  And people are using them.

Cool public/private collaboration, eh?

8 Comments

  1. Megan Tsui said:

    The sign is great, but Robbie really kicks it up a notch. It’s a great reminder, but if you don’t have anything to pick up the waste with, it’s probably not going to happen. I have several dogs and I will tell you I always try to make sure that they go, well, you know, before we leave the yard on a walk. But that isn’t fool-proof. Or, heaven forbid, they go multiple times and you’ve only brought one bag and you know that people can see you and the guilt! Sniff, sniff. Maybe I need some therapy for this.

    Nice job city, and nice job Robbie.

    May 25, 2012
  2. Jim Pence said:

    Nice Robbie ! Excellent solution without all the red tape! Thank you !

    May 25, 2012
  3. Megan Tsui said:

    I don’t know how to edit my post to correct the spelling of Robbie’s name. Sorry about that! From now on, you can spell my name with an H.

    Megan

    May 25, 2012
  4. Paul Zorn said:

    Griff (and Robbie),

    Well done on the public/private cooperation front. Good citizens!

    But one thing worries me, as a taxpayer.

    That please-clean-up sign, probably purchased with public money, has suspiciously artistic-looking dog and cat silhouettes. The cat, for instance, is just as big as the dog, and I’ve never met such a feline. Is such artistic license consistent with the city charter? Even if so, is it worth the $12 or so that must have been spent?

    Sorry if this seems petty … but someone has to be the watchdog.

    May 25, 2012
  5. Griff Wigley said:

    Paul, I’m so glad to have another taxpayer helping to keep an eye on fiduciary matters.

    The aesthetics of the pet waste signs were left entirely to TJ Heinricy and staff at the City Streets & Parks Dept. He made the decision without asking the Council to form a Pet Waste Sign Task Force, something that should be an issue in the upcoming council elections.

    The signs were purchased by TJ, but the $54 invoice for them is in my hands. I will be bringing it to the next meeting of our Association for the Board to approve repayment to the City. The city employee labor to install the signs on city park property was an in-kind contribution. And I think Robbie is taking money out of my coffee fund to pay for the doggie doo doo bags.

    May 26, 2012
  6. Robbie Wigley said:

    Thanks you guys…. Megan, not to worry… now if you had called me Robin I would absolutely add that “H”. I am so glad people are actually using them.

    May 26, 2012
  7. Beth Kallestad said:

    Glad to see the signs are up! The City of Red Wing has some in their parks that come with a bag holder that they supply bags for. Has been a big hit with dog walkers. It is actually part of their Stormwater Permit. Northfield could do the same and use the stormwater utility fee to help pay for it. Less pet waste means less bacteria and phosphorus into the rivers and streams = cleaner water.

    May 29, 2012
  8. Griff Wigley said:

    The dog poop bags continued to be popular… at least 6/day, if not more.

    June 3, 2012

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