Friends of Scituate Dog Park ask town to take over operations amid volunteer burnout

Lisa Huffman, president of the Friends of Scituate Dog Park, told the Scituate Select Board on June 9 that the volunteer nonprofit that built and ran the park can no longer sustain the work and asked the town to assume full operations at the Town-owned site at 167 Driftway. “We built what is now a vibrant public space,” Huffman said. “Donations have declined, organized fundraising no longer generates momentum, and recruiting volunteers for routine maintenance has proven challenging.”

Huffman said the Friends remain current with nonprofit filings, have used grant and private funding to build the park and had about $13,000 left in their account to transfer if the town assumes stewardship. She said ongoing annual donations currently average roughly $2,000–$4,000 and that some maintenance costs such as mulch and minor landscaping have become harder to fund and coordinate.

Board members and staff responded with questions about the town’s ability to absorb the operating burden. One member noted that town crews already face limited capacity and that shifting routine tasks — trash pickup, small landscaping jobs and phone calls about park issues — could displace other municipal services. Officials asked the Friends to provide a clearer itemized estimate of annual costs and a list of interested volunteers or users who might help with occasional maintenance.

Several Select Board members suggested options to offset municipal cost, including an annual user fee tied to dog licensing or a lanyard/permit program for frequent users. Aboard member outlined how some neighboring towns collect small annual fees or sell lanyards to cover maintenance while keeping the park open to residents. The Friends said they are open to those ideas but stressed that the group’s primary concern is that the park remain open and well maintained.

Huffman also noted a conservation restriction on the parcel (Article 97) and that the park sits on town-owned land, which affects long-term planning. The board asked the Friends to return with a short follow-up package: an itemized annual expense estimate, a short timeline for a volunteer outreach effort, and a contact list of potential volunteers or donors. The board agreed to continue the discussion and requested the Friends attempt targeted outreach and return in roughly six to eight weeks with more details.

The Select Board made no formal commitment to accept operations at the June 9 meeting and emphasized the town’s current budget and staffing constraints as key considerations for any transfer. The board said it would evaluate options that could limit budget impact, including modest user fees or limited municipal support supplemented by volunteer events and targeted fundraising.