Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbor reports heavy fertilizer at City Hall Park; staff says no pesticide was used
Summary
A commissioner relayed a neighbor's concern that fertilizer at City Hall Park coated a dog's paws and could expose children and pets; staff replied the material applied was a strict fertilizer (no pesticide), that state rules for pesticides were followed, and commissioners agreed posting informational signs would be prudent.
At the April 15 meeting of the Normandy Park Parks Commission a commissioner passed along a neighbor's report that a recent application at City Hall Park left grass coated with a product that had stuck to a dog's feet, raising concern about exposure to pets and children.
"They noticed a heavy coating of fertilizer or whatever across all of the grass and said it coated his dog's feet," the commissioner said, asking that the commission consider how to prevent surprise exposures. The neighbor was worried both about pets and children and said there were no small marker flags or signage that day.
A parks staff member replied: "There was no pesticide used in that application. We always follow our state requirements when we're putting down pesticides or herbicides, and strictly fertilizer doesn't require that signage." Commissioners nonetheless discussed posting signs or informational notices to reassure park users and recommended a cautious, neighborly approach: "It'd be nice to have signs up at least so people know...so they don't want their dogs on there until it gets washed in," one commissioner said.
No formal enforcement action or further regulation was proposed; staff committed to checking records to confirm what product was applied and to consider placing informational signage for fertilizer applications going forward.
