Mount Pleasant council agrees to add park signage and explore bag dispensers; leash rule change still requires ordinance

Mount Pleasant councilmembers discussed new signage, dog-waste bag dispensers and whether to tighten the town's leash rules for parks during council reports.

Councilmembers said they would start by installing signs urging pet owners to clean up after their animals and place bag dispensers at one or two park locations. Several members described the problem as growing and said signage and dispensers are inexpensive starting steps. No formal vote was taken.

Council members clarified that the town's current ordinance is a "dog at large" rule that requires dogs to be either on a leash or under the control of the owner; changing it to require leashes citywide would require amending that ordinance and a council vote. Councilmembers said staff could order signage and dispensers immediately while the ordinance-change option is considered.

Councilmembers also raised public-safety concerns, including instances of unleashed dogs approaching residents. Enforcement questions surfaced: members noted that citation levels and penalties ultimately are determined by a judge when cases proceed through the municipal or justice court system.

Councilmembers did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting; they instructed staff to start with signs and limited dispensers and to return to the council if members want to pursue a formal leash requirement.

Less urgent items mentioned in the discussion included placement of dispensers, whether citizens would use them, and the potential cost of stocking them. No schedule for additional action on an ordinance amendment was set.