Socorro Wants Owners To Clean Up After Dogs

By John Larson
SOCORRO – Dog walkers in Socorro may soon be obliged to clean up after their pet in public areas.
The Socorro City Council discussed the prospect of revising the existing leash law to include a provision requiring dog owners to collect their pooch’s poop in a receptacle for later disposal.
Mayor Dr. Ravi Bhasker said it was a subject that’s become “a little more topical.”
“It has been brought to our attention that there are animals that are not leashed and tend to poop in the wrong places, such as other peoples’ yards, and along School of Mines,” Bhasker said. “It’s great to have your animals out with you. If you love your pet and are responsible, keep your dog in back yard. Most cities have a dump law.
“It’s a health hazard when dogs do this. They breed disease,” he said.
A member of the audience said Clarke Field has no sign “about picking it up.”
“You don’t need a special bag. We have plastic bags hanging on just about every tree,” she said.
Bhasker said the time was right for an ordinance revision.
“We’ll work on that. It’s something we’ll look at and hopefully change,” he said. “We’ve heard from people whose neighbor’s dog comes over to their lawns. We will work on the ordinance.”
In other business:
• The council discussed the upcoming Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) for the city. Bhasker said the plan is to prioritize projects that need funding by the state legislature.
“This is what the legislature uses to fund at local levels. Any project that are funding have to be on the ICIP,” he said. “We’d like the public to come to City Hall with their project ideas, or talk to your Councilor.” Councilor Chuck Zimmerly said there are two important items that should be listed. “I can’t imagine two more important projects than the landfill and arsenic removal,” Zimmerly said. “I think money from the state level is going to be as tight as can be imagined.” Bhasker said the ICIP must be submitted to the state by September 30.
• Councilor Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez released the Police Oversight Committee public information agenda. She said copies of the Police Oversight Committee Ordinance and rules and regulations are available from the City Clerk at City Hall. Two public input meetings will be at City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, and Monday, Sept. 14.
The council will vote on the ordinance Oct. 5, and final approval is scheduled for the Nov. 2 meeting.
“This is what the public has been wanting for a long, long time,” Bhasker said. “We’ve sent special invitations for people who have been putting up blogs and posters. It’s important to come to the meetings and voice their concerns in public.”
• Utilities Director Jay Santillanes reported on the city getting stimulus money to extend sewer service to the northeast part of town, including Harold Drive and Chaparral.
“We applied for a USDA grant and received $1.085 million, and we also got $350,000 from the Environmental Department,” Santillanes said. “The application was for $1.5 million, so the city will cover the rest with a loan for $132,000.”
Bhasker said repayment terms would be from $12,000 to $15,000 over 16 years.
“It’s like we got $1.3 million for free,” Bhasker said. ”We encourage everyone to hook up right away. This project is moving quickly.”

Socorro Wants Owners To Clean Up After Dogs