While pet owners currently must register their dogs to use the local dog park, a Jefferson City committee will soon discuss whether to continue charging a registration fee.
To use the dog park at the North Jefferson Recreation Area, pet owners must register their dogs with the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department at The Linc, 1299 Lafayette St. Owners must show staff a veterinarian's note stating their dogs are updated on their vaccines and have been spayed or neutered.
Once the dogs are registered, pet owners receive access to the North Jefferson dog park at 810 Sandstone Drive.
It costs $36 annually to use the park, but the yearly fees are pro-rated, Assistant Parks Director JJ Gates said. The fees help offset the cost of maintenance, upkeep and water utility at the dog park.
However, the Jefferson City Parks Resources and Planning Committee plans to discuss the current operations of the dog park, including whether to allow an off-leash area at no charge, Gates said.
The committee is scheduled to meet at noon April 16. The location for the meeting has not been finalized.
"Since we've opened, we always have done it this way. And like anything in the park system, as it evolves, we have to visit it at times, and maybe there are better ways to do it," Gates said. "So we're just researching and seeing how other (cities) are doing it."
The Parks department has been using the dog registration system since the dog park opened in 2006.
More than 300 dogs were registered with the Parks department in 2018, Gates said.
The department wants pet owners to register their dogs to ensure the dogs and owners are safe when using the park. When non-registered dogs use the park, Gates has said, the Parks department does not know if the animals have updated vaccinations or have been spayed or neutered.
Parks staff is also researching potential locations for future dog parks, Gates said.
The North Jefferson dog park is open 5 a.m.-11 p.m. all week.