If you're a frequent user of the experimental off-leash dog park at Germain Park, you may not have to change your normal routine.
City staff is recommending Sarnia council make the dog park a permanent feature Monday, and that as much as $8,000 be spent this year on seating and accessibility improvements.
Mayor Mike Bradley has mixed feelings about the direction.
"I don't see that as a taxpayers obligation," says Bradley. "It's not a great deal of money in the scheme of things, $8,000 out of the parks and recreation budget, but when I look at all the other obligations parks and rec have I would hope that money could be raised privately and not come from the taxpayer."
When looking at similar facilities across the province, Bradley's noticed the projects are more successful with citizen involvement.
"It would be my hope that the money would be raised by people who use the park," he says.
Bradley says sponsorship could be another option.
"Whether it be pet store owners or people just in the community, that brings more ownership to it. Just as we've found in the past, when neighbourhoods come together to raise money for playground equipment, the vandalism decreases and the ownership is much more intense because of the citizen involvement."
A total of 241 people completed a public survey on the dog park last month, 213 of them believe it should become permanent.
