Lake Zurich mayor wants to lift ban on dogs in parks

Mayor Thomas Poynton is in favor of Lake Zurich's parks going to the dogs - as long as they are on a leash.

Ahead of a community meeting to discuss potential changes to Paulus Park, Poynton is throwing his support behind ending the long-standing prohibition on dogs at village parks.

"After significant research, and discussions with the Park Advisory Board members and residents, I want to come out in full support of allowing dogs in Paulus Park," Poynton wrote in a post on his Facebook page Tuesday. "Not just in Paulus Park but in all our parks."

Poynton said he directed village staff to prepare a new ordinance allowing leashed dogs in parks.

"Our residents love their pets and I want to make sure we have an effective and safe policy for leashed dog walking in our community," Poynton said.

Current village code allows only service dogs for people with disabilities in village parks. Kyle Kordell, the assistant to the village manager, said those regulations have been in place since 2003.

But Poynton said the ban is not being enforced.

"Dogs in parks already exists," he said. "I get around to all areas of this community and I have observed dogs in almost every one of our parks, regardless of the ordinance."

Kordell said the village has not issued any citations for violations of the ban in recent memory.

"(That) doesn't mean a person with a dog may not have been asked to leave the park by police or another village official, just no actual tickets have been issued," he said.

Poynton said the new leashed dogs ordinance will need community input and village board discussion before it can go into effect.

The meeting to discuss improvements to Paulus Park is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, at The Barn at Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Road.