Podzimek asks about Linn County, Marion support for dog parks

The city of Cedar Rapids will have two off-leash dog parks in place by next year, its original flood-prone one out on Otis Road SE and a new one next to Gardner Golf Course at highways 100 and 13. Both are pretty far from most of Cedar Rapids.

The new one has been put on hold momentarily because the bid to build it came it more than twice as high as the estimate of $115,000. The council on Tuesday evening gave the go-ahead to repair the older park, which Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster funds will pay for.

Tuesday's discussion prompted council member Tom Podzimek to get a bit exercised after a citizen pet advocate suggested that the city should not consider higher rates for those who live outside the city who use the city dog parks. One suggestion was that fewer people from outside the city would use the dog parks if there were higher fees for out-of-city dog owners.

To this, Podzimek wondered if anyone had asked the Linn County Board of Supervisors or the city of Marion, “How much do you want to pitch in?”

Podzimek noted that he had just made an out-of-state trip where a person presents his or her driver's license to swim or golf and then pays an additional fee if they live outside the jurisdiction that provides the facilities.

The city of Cedar Rapids is preparing to build a new animal shelter to replace its flood-ruined one, and the city also has wondered if Linn County might have some interest in participating in the construction cost and cost of operation. The city's shelter operation serves Cedar Rapids and Marion, with the Cedar Valley Humane Society's shelter providing service outside the two largest cities in the county.

City Council member Don Karr on Oct. 1 said the Linn County supervisors had reported to him that they did not want to participate financially in the construction of a new animal shelter.

On Oct. 5, Linda Langston, chairwoman of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, sent Mayor Ron Corbett a letter saying that the supervisors would like to sit down with the council for a luncheon meeting to discuss “the possibility” of the city and county “working together” on animal control issues.

“While we are aware that the city is proceeding with its own plans for an animal shelter, the county remains interested in a collaborative effort which will address the community's animal control concerns in a humane and cost-effective manner.”