TURNER — Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout told the selectmen at their meeting Monday that the length of time a dog barks, and how often, should be considered if changes are made to the town’s barking dog ordinance.

 

Strout quoted Greene’s ordinance that stipulates that a dog is not considered a nuisance unless it barks for an hour steady, or three hours intermittently, as an example of what might work for Turner. Strout also suggested adopting a 14-day grace period to allow dog owners an opportunity to address nuisance issues. 

 

Reginald Beaulieu of 74 Bradford Road agreed that the ordinance needs to be more specific. Beaulieu, a 40-year resident, said, “Within 350 yards of my house, there are 28 dogs.”

 

Beaulieu said many people allow their barking and sometimes growling dogs to charge up to him while he takes his 1.5-mile walk along a route that has 43 dogs. He told selectmen he believed fines should be increased, and, “concrete and sequential” steps outlined clearly so that people know precisely what would lead to a fine.

 

Beaulieu also suggested educating residents of the details if a new ordinance is passed.

 

Strout told board members he works directly with dog owners when a complaint is filed with the town, once a dog is known to be a public nuisance, but that it takes time to resolve things. Because the town must hire their own legal representation if charges are brought, he prefers to do everything he can to resolve dog complaints outside of the court system. 

 

Stout and Beaulieu took issue with the extensive list of exceptions in the barking dog ordinance proposed by Chris Pillsbury of 93 Bradford Road at the Oct. 2 selectmen meeting. Strout said the many exclusions would make the ordinance unenforceable.

 

“If you live within earshot of Route 4, you could hear noises and vibrations all day long. That doesn’t mean your dog can bark all day long,” Strout said.

 

Strout pointed out that Pillsbury’s proposal even included a “squirrel” exception. Pillsbury has received complaints about his dogs barking.

 

One thing Pillsbury, Beaulieu and Strout agree on is that the town ordinance is too vague.

 

Selectman Angelo Terreri reminded the board that selectmen cannot change the ordinance, it must be voted on at the town meeting.

 

“We need to get on this and not put it on the back burner and forget about it,” Selectman Kevin Nichols said.

 

Terreri suggested they schedule a workshop to work out the details of a new ordinance with input from the public, to be brought to the town meeting for a vote. 

 

The board voted unanimously to do so. 

 

Selectmen agreed to re-post the highway department assistant manager position and to hire two additional part-time truck drivers for winter snowplowing. The board had offered the job to a candidate who decided to stay in his current position.