The Oswego Village Board recently voted to permanently eliminate resident and non-resident permit fees and the annual license requirement for use of the village’s dog park.
Trustees had temporarily suspended the annual dog park license fee requirement in September as part of discussions to relocate the community dog park due to the eventual expansion of the nearby Oswego Public Works facility.
Trustee Jennifer Hughes suggested the village permanently eliminate the license requirement.
“It creates an administrative burden and creates difficulty in enforcement,” Hughes said.
Hughes said if the village was going to forgo dog park permit fees, ranging from $40 to $80 for residents and non-residents respectively, plus an additional cost for a second dog, it should eliminate the annual licensing requirement as well.
The board’s vote was unanimous in eliminating the permit fees and license requirement.
The Village Board in 2021 supported the creation of a dog park at the northeast corner of Plank Drive and Theodore Drive on 1.5 acres near the Public Works building on the village’s southeast side.
The dog park opened in 2023 as a key-card-access facility. It was initially well-received, officials said. However, an analysis showed there has been declining use of the facility, according to officials.
The dog park license fees have generated diminishing revenues over time, from approximately $11,238 in 2023 to about $4,002 in the most recent license year, Oswego Management Analyst Alejandro Hardaway said in a report to trustees.
While trustees have discussed options for a new location for the dog park, no decision has been made on a new site.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.