City eyes $300,000 dog park; council to hire RVI for $25,000 design and sort operations with park district

Council members on May 27 discussed next steps for a proposed dog park funded in the recently passed budget. Steve told the council $300,000 was set aside for the dog park and recommended hiring RVI (formerly Hitchcock Design Group) to prepare construction documents and bid specifications; RVI’s initial fee was negotiated down to $25,000 for the design phase.

Steve and other council members emphasized that, before spending the design dollars, the city should formalize an agreement with the park district to ensure the project is completed and maintained. The council discussed operational models used in nearby jurisdictions: annual or seasonal passes, lanyards to show vaccination proof, resident verification, and modest permitting fees to fund maintenance and enforcement. A participant who said he had experience with Will County and Shorewood dog parks described practices such as annual passes, signage, bag and trash stations, and, in some places, cameras.

Council and park representatives said the preferred location is near the festival grounds (near third and Center, behind the administrative office), and the requested design includes two separate runs (small and large dogs), shade, drinking water, and a dividing fence. Council asked that Josh and the park board be included in every design meeting and that staff clarify how permits and fee administration would work (city hall vs. district staff).

Council did not record a formal authorization to award the design contract in the transcript; the discussion indicates a recommendation to proceed to a design agreement and to negotiate operational details with the park district before construction documents and bidding.