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Board enacts leash, waste rules at Simsbury athletic fields and trails; service animals exempted
Summary
Selectmen approved new code language to require proper restraint and prompt removal of dog waste at town athletic fields and certain recreational areas; the board removed a specific leash-length measure and retained language allowing town staff to define restraint.
The Simsbury Board of Selectmen approved a municipal ordinance tightening rules for dogs at town recreational facilities, athletic fields and some trails, adding clearer definitions of restraint and owner responsibility for removing dog waste.
Town staff presented a reworked draft that clarifies where the new rules apply and explicitly exempts service animals. The draft also removed a numeric leash-length standard after board discussion; the ordinance instead refers to a dog being “properly restrained” and leaves some specifics to implementation guidance. Town Recreation staff told the board rules are intended to protect athletic turf, player safety and field maintenance while preserving opportunities for dog walking outside marked field areas.
Tom Taberski, speaking for the town, said the proposal focuses on protecting athletic fields and the investment in field maintenance. “We’re just asking that you don’t run your dog free on an athletic field,” he said, citing safety and upkeep concerns. The draft states that dogs may be walked around the outside perimeter of fenced fields but that unleashed or uncontrolled animals cannot run across marked play surfaces.
Board members debated whether the ordinance should require leashes on all town trails. Supporters said leashes reduce risk of dog–dog and dog–human incidents on heavily used multi-use trails; others urged flexibility on lightly used woodland trails. The board voted to adopt the ordinance with language removing the specific leash-length measure and retaining the restraint and waste-removal requirements. The motion carried 5–1.
The ordinance will become effective 21 days after publication in the town newspaper. Town staff said implementation will include signage clarifying where the athletic-field restraints apply and public education on the new standard; enforcement will remain a function of town code compliance officers and park staff.
The discussion followed earlier public comments at meetings about dog waste on fields, concerns that vendors or snack shacks could shift business away from town businesses during tournaments, and public-safety concerns where lights or large events were proposed for athletic sites.
