Security system being considered for dog park

An electronic security system for the Valley Stream Dog Park could be on its way if one question can be answered: who would pay the projected $5,000 for its installation?

The village board of trustees debated the idea on Nov. 9, prompted by ongoing complaints from park members who claim that non-members regularly bring their dogs there but don’t pay the yearly $18 fee.

An electronic security system would require that members pay a one-time $10 fee for a key fob — a wireless device similar to those used to unlock vehicles or hotel rooms — that would allow entry through the park’s double gate. It would be the same system the village has on its pool facility, firehouses and Community Center.

In addition to deterring non-members from entering, the system would provide a layer of accountability. It could be checked if an incident were reported, and members present in the park at a given time could be identified. A member’s device could be turned off if the membership was revoked.

The system would also provide an incentive for park users to pay for a membership. Of the 355 members registered with the village, only about half, 170, reactivated their memberships as of June 1, according to a village audit. Village public safety and code enforcement officers make infrequent visits to the park, but with no easy way to identify who is a member and who isn’t, the checks are mostly limited to making sure there aren’t any apparent problems.

Trustee Virginia Clavin-Higgins said that it was not clear why the village should further involve itself with the park, whose operations are generally run by the group Friends of Valley Stream Dogs. Village workers unlock the gate each morning and lock up at night, and empty the trash cans inside. Park members handle other maintenance responsibilities, like routine cleaning as well as arranging for improvements, like the entrance’s new paving stones and message board, which were both donated and installed by local Boy Scouts.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Clavin-Higgins said of the prospect of an electronic system. “It’s not like I’ve seen a big line out there. It’s a positive thing, and I’m afraid it’s going to become a negative thing.”

Village Treasurer Michael Fox said that he has heard of frequent complaints about misuse by non-members, and recounted an incident he dealt with in which a man parked his vehicle in the walkway outside the park’s entrance and sat there while his dog played inside. Fox said he approached the man and asked him to move, and the man responded, “What are you gonna do about it?” Fox cited an “entitlement attitude” that he said some users display, many of whom don’t pay the required membership fee.

Richard Infield, president of Friends of Valley Stream Dogs, said that although membership is down, the number of dog owners who use the park is up. He said he supported the security system idea after some initial reticence, as it would give his group and the village more control over the facility and its use. While he said he had not been contacted by the board about its latest discussions, he agreed that use by non-members is an issue.

“Most of the problems we have are first-timers who come with aggressive dogs or people who are not members,” Infield said. “When there is an incident, it is invariably involving members and non-members.”

Trustee Dermond Thomas floated another idea that would address membership: brightly colored collars that could be issued to members, and would make their dogs easily identifiable. “I’m just trying to figure out a way to get in the middle and partially solve the problem,” he said, adding that it would replace the need for an expensive key fob system.

Mayor Ed Fare said he was concerned about the conflicts that could arise if the village asked the dog park’s membership to police itself. “We’ll have public safety down there breaking up fistfights all day long,” he said. “I think the solution is relatively simple. If they want it, we’ll give them the labor, but where’s the five grand coming from?”

Trustee Vincent Grasso asked whether the group could contribute a “good faith” down payment to secure an electronic system’s installation and reimburse the village over time. No one objected to the idea.

But Infield said that because paid memberships, which other area dog parks do not require, were mandated by the village, the question of a security system to manage it should fall to the village. He stressed that his group is not pushing for one, though he said the prospect could improve the park’s experience. He noted that he has always been in favor of paid memberships because they prevent the park from costing the village money and being vulnerable to budget cuts.

“This is a village facility,” Infield said. “They decided it’s a membership facility. It’s the village that decides if they want to police the memberships. We could carry on just fine with things as they are now.”