From the Styx by Peggy Tibbetts

On Monday night, the Board of Trustees passed the River Park Ordinance by a vote of 6 to 1.

And the dogs in Silt are delighted!

I did speak during the hearing part. Here’s what I said:

I collected 81 signatures for the River Park Petition to bring forward this ordinance to designate River Park as a rest area and allow dogs off-leash.

I took on this task because I love River Park and I need a place to walk 200 pounds of dogs. I have been impressed by how much the park means to people. My task was made easier because it was the right thing to do.

Over two thirds of the petition signers contacted me to sign the petition. I only solicited about a third of the 81 signatures. If I could have accepted ANY registered voter’s signature, I would have had over 200 signatures. People from Aspen to Rifle have voiced their support for my petition. There is overwhelming public support to allow dogs off-leash at River Park.

During the ten weeks I spent collecting signatures I talked to hundreds of people. Not everyone I talked to is a dog owner, and not all of the petition signers are dog owners. For many people it’s not just the issue of allowing dogs off-leash at River Park – which has been allowed for generations – people just want the park to stay the way it is. Over and over people said to me: “Tell the Board to just leave it alone.”

I want to address a couple concerns that were brought up at the First Reading. One concern was over the term “rest area” in the ordinance. The thing is, River Park IS a rest area. I go to River Park nearly every day. I’m there for up to an hour at a time. In my observation, there are 3 main uses of River Park.

Number 1 use: Rest area
There is a large parking lot, plus picnic tables, a port-potty, and garbage bins at River Park. Local truck drivers and workers stop there to eat lunch, kill time, whatever. That makes it a rest area.

Number 2 use: Dog walkers

Number 3 use: River access, by rafters and fishermen

Another concern mentioned was about designating park usage for a small group of people.  Silt currently has two soccer parks that are used by a small group of people.

No one is restricted from River Park by this Ordinance. Rafters can still raft, fisherman can still fish, bikers can still bike, resters can still rest, walkers can still walk. And dog owners can still walk their dogs – on leash or off leash.

Even if you don’t like dogs, you can still use the park because there are plenty of times during the day when no one else is there but you.

Once River Park is annexed, it will be the only park in Silt that allows dogs.

Thank you.

Doug Williams said he was in favor of the Ordinance but he wasn’t sure “rest area” was the best language. I explained that the term came from the 2002 Board discussion about dogs at River Park and since dogs were not allowed in Silt parks, the Trustees had chosen another classification for the park.

Both Doug W and Bobby Hayes argued that the term might be confusing since there are state rest areas where dogs cannot be off-leash.

So I asked, “Can’t Silt have its own rest area?”

I didn’t really get an answer.

I was unable to sway Ron Morgan. He voted against the Ordinance. I assume his objection to creating a park for an elite group of a few people still stands. He didn’t say anything.

I didn’t expect any kudos from the Board and by jove I didn’t get any. So there. Although The Mayor sent an email to Tod thanking me for my hard work. But I’m happy. The dogs are happy. After all that’s what it’s really all about. Me and the dogs.

So what did I learn from all this? Legislation by petition – meaning the people make the ordinance and present it to the Board – is a highly effective way to get something done. It only took about 4 months and we accomplished what we set out to do.

And what did we accomplish? I’m a realist so I doubt whether this is the end of the matter of dogs off-leash at River Park. What it does mean is that the Ordinance now exists. Therefore the Board cannot make any changes to the Ordinance without a public hearing.

The thing is, I know Tod voted in favor of the Ordinance because he fully supports it. And I know Ron Morgan voted against it. As for the other 5 Trustees – Jim Voorheis, Mayor Moore, Doug Williams, Meredith Robinson, and Bobby Hayes – I’m not sure if they voted for the Ordinance to avoid the cost of a Special Election or if they really do see the need for and value of the Ordinance. Anyway, the issue has come up before and it will probably come up again. Chalk it up to life in Silt.

What I didn’t get to say last night and what sometimes gets lost in all this is River Park itself. It’s such a beautiful wild place. A natural island in the Colorado River. A couple weeks ago Tod and I spent a few hours there with Zeus and Venus. We brought brush cutters and cleared some of the paths. I realized that it’s because back in our Minnesota days we lived in the country – actually in the woods – so we crave that wild space. Nature is a spiritual thing for us. People need wild places in order to stay connected to the Earth. We must do whatever we can to preserve them.

After getting to know everyone, I’m convinced that the people who use River Park fully appreciate the natural treasure we have here.

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