Highland Beach advisory board to recommend dog‑waste stations to commission; staff to prepare memorandum

Board members presented results of a pedestrian survey of sidewalks and beachfront corridors and recommended the town install bag-and-post dog‑waste stations at three additional locations to serve residents who walk dogs along the shoreline.

Town planner Ingrid Allen told the board this issue is not currently within the board’s formal powers but said the staff can prepare a recommendation memorandum for the town commission: “You can make a recommendation to the commission,” she said, adding that staff would need the who/what/why/where, an estimated fiscal impact and any attachments to support the request. Board members estimated an upfront cost of roughly $400 per station and discussed maintenance tasks and bag resupply schedules.

Why it matters: members said stations would improve neighborhood sanitation and convenience for pet owners; staff noted the commission must decide whether to fund installation and ongoing maintenance. The board agreed to walk the route, document preferred locations on town maps and supply a narrative and cost estimate for staff to convert into a formal memorandum.

Next steps: volunteers will identify exact post locations and provide maps and cost detail to staff at least two weeks before the next meeting so the memorandum can be prepared and placed on a commission agenda.