City Government
More Poop On The Foothills Dog Rules
March 30, 2009 
Guest Opinion
By Marianne Konvalinka
The Foothills Conservation Advisory Committee passed a motion at their public
meeting in December that would have cut off-leash access in the Lower Reserves by
half or more but was still acceptable to the majority of responsible dog owners.
We fully expected this to be the recommendation going to council, with just a few details to work out. Instead, at the City Council work session in February, FCAC Chair Chuck McDevitt told City Council that the committee could not reach agreement. Not the case.
At the March meeting, never referring to the previously passed motion, the FCAC (with a different group of committee members present) decided to pass along more restrictive recommendations to council.
Any user group affected by the actions of this committee should be aware of how this went. We worked with staff and various FCAC members to come up with a compromise acceptable to most. That compromise was passed in December and completely disregarded in March.
See the FCAC recommendations and the Boise Trail DOG response are posted at the TRAIL DOG site.
Strange this committee would throw out an agreed upon compromise and put something that is sure to be contentious in City Council’s lap. They just offer more fodder for the GUARDIAN’s cannon.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Mar 31, 2009, 3:56 am
FCAC has lost any credibility from my perspective. They have broken the cardinal rule of public process, which is sticking to agreements worked out in the open. They have trod in their own metaphoric poop and now want to track it through City Council Chambers…
As someone who supported the Foothills Levy and has worked to encourage responsible off-leash trail use, I’d like a refund on my share of the levy. I’m sure the rest of the dog-owning tax base (plus or minus 70% of households in Ada County) feels the same.
Hold me accountable for my own actions…that’s justice. When you restrict my responsible use of a shared resource because another whiney user group wants exclusivity, or because some else screws up, that’s discrimination. It might seem like the easy way, but it sure ain’t the Cowboy Way.
Mar 31, 2009, 7:36 am
Isn’t it interesting that specific interest groups find the “changing of the rules” by government so offensive when it involves their particular issue. However, those same people don’t seem to understand that the practice is totally pervasive throughout city and county government. To have the bureaucracy assume a position, then feign public input, make an agreement with the public only to change back to their original position is the norm, not the exception. I am starting to believe that somewhere in the bowels of city/county offices, there is a plaque that reads
“Tell the public what they want to hear, then do as you please”!
Mar 31, 2009, 9:57 am
It is nearly impossible to field train a dog while on a leash. A dog who is obedience trained and has a electronic collar is under absloute control of the owner.
A well trained and well mannered dog and owner who respects other people are not the problem. These folks will put the dog in the down or sit position well off the trail until passers bye get past the dog and owner. It is the love me and love my unruly dog people who are the problem. You and your dog do not have a right to intimidate children, adults and elederly people out for some exercise.
Nobody wants your dog jumping on them or sniffing their crotch.
Then there is the totally unreasonable crowd who want no dogs anywhere for any reason. No good answer for these people…they just want to bellyache and complain.
Lastly, poop bags..carry them and use them.
Mar 31, 2009, 11:33 am
i find it offensive no matter what the issue, i just happen to be aware of what happened in this case because it’s something i’m involved in. i have also had experience with city council members who have truly been responsive and i expect that to be the case again. can’t paint everyone with the same brush.
Apr 7, 2009, 10:41 pm
This is unbelievable. I run with my dog on the trails every day. I used them all through the winter snow, cold you name it and never saw an issue. I would like to see the little green bags more dillagently picked up, however this whole issue with “braiding” and chassing wildlife…no way that’s rediculous. I’d be willing to bet the people that made the decission have never been there. The trail system is one of the few reasons I stay in Boise, without it……..we’ll see.