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FORTY FORT — A potential ordinance requiring owners to leash their dogs and an update regarding the possible reopening of the borough pool drummed up plenty of discussion at Monday’s council meeting.
Amid a packed meeting house, council voted unanimously to advertise an amendment to the current dog ordinance that would require all dogs in public be on a leash.
Under the current ordinance, dogs are required to be accompanied by or under the control of the owner on “any public highway, street, alley, park, or any other public land, or upon property of another person other than the owner.”
The amendment to the ordinance will be voted on at the next voting session.
Residents during the public comment section appeared divided on whether or not the amendment is needed.
Nadine Haslinsky, who lives on Oak Street, spoke about a recent encounter she had with an unruly golden retriever while on a walk along the dike in which she said the dog ran up to her and ripped the wind breaker she had around her waist.
While she noted the dog was on a leash, the owner obviously did not have control of the animal.
“I came here tonight to share my story so that new rules may be implemented to protect others from a similar fate,” she said.
Council member Phil Mertz, a dog owner himself, expressed his agreement with the amendment and called it a “proactive” and “preventative measure” to protect both animals and residents.
Lee Corbett, a dog owner who lives on Dana Street, said that she feels amending the ordinance would punish responsible dog owners who train their animals.
“I feel that the current law, where it states your dog must be under your control, covers the bases. If a dog is not under control then that person absolutely should be penalized,” she said.
Also at the meeting, Councilwoman Kristy Dadurka offered a pool committee report and said that she would love to see the pool open this summer, but doesn’t yet know if that would be possible.
The committee was formed following outrage from residents over the decision not to include the pool in the 2024 operating budget due to costs of repairs, ongoing operational losses, and issues with hiring and maintaining a staff.
Dadurka said that, following a meeting with other council members and Mayor Brian Thomas, she is hoping to get together this week to meet with everyone who expressed interest in helping to open the pool to discuss what needs to be done.
“Hopefully we can put our heads together to come up with a solution,” she said, adding that they will be focused on “sustainability moving forward.”
Council also voted to pay a quarterly stipend of $1,500 for full-time police and part-time officers completing nine shifts in the quarter, as an acknowledgement of the police department’s accreditation achievement.
Police Chief Daniel Hunsinger explained that he went to council to ask for the stipends because he was fearful of losing officers due to low pay.
Borough council cannot negotiate a new contract with the department until the end of 2025 when the current one expires.
“I can tell you that there was one officer that intended to leave because of the salary issue and now he has opted to stay because of the stipends,” Hunsinger said.
Also at the meeting, council accepted the resignation of police Sgt. Tony Smith, effective Tuesday, after eight years in the department.
“Tonight is very bittersweet,” Smith said. “This is not the same department I joined eight years ago.”
While Smith said he did not want to “air dirty laundry in public” he planned to prepare an “exit interview” for council in order to discuss the issues that lead to his resignation.
Several members on council, including Mayor Thomas, expressed interest in hearing what Smith had to say and planned to hold an executive session in the coming weeks to meet with him.
It was also announced that the 2024 Memorial Day Parade will begin at Kingston Corners on May 27 at 10:30 a.m. and proceed to the Forty Fort Cemetery where a ceremony will be held.
At the meeting, council also:
• Approved Ordinance 1 of 2024 amending the Flood Plain Ordinance required by FEMA due to revised flood mapping
• Approved donation of $200 to Kingston/Forty Fort Baseball & Softball for field signs
• Approved a contribution of $16,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund toward the purchase of a Ladder Truck for the Kingston/Forty Fort Fire Department.