MEXICO — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday heard a request to have a dog park at the recreation park.

Rollie Bousquet told selectmen he wanted to see a place where “people could bring their dogs and let them off their leashes to run around and burn off some excess energy.

“I know the reasons why there are ordinances against dogs,” Bousquet said. “I understand why there are restrictions on where they can walk, where they can go and stuff like that. I’m just here to request the possibility of having a dog park built.”

Selectmen asked Bousquet where the park would be.

“I was thinking toward the back, on the right-hand side,” Bousquet said. “It can go somewhere else, but that’s the only place I can think of that has enough room for a fenced-in dog area.”

Bousquet said it would be 100 by 100 feet and split into two sections for larger and smaller dogs.

Selectman Reggie Arsenault told Bousquet the Planning Board was going to address the issue of residents cleaning up after their dogs at its next meeting.

“People will have to keep their dogs on a leash that is 3 feet or shorter, and will have to clean up after their dog,” Arsenault said. “Otherwise, they’ll be fined. We have a seven-page ordinance that we’ll be looking at.”

“OK, that’s great, but that doesn’t address the town’s need for a dog park,” Bousquet replied. “If you think about it, a lot of people around here don’t have the opportunity or the property to be able to fence off some land and let their dog run.”

Bousquet told selectmen that one of his dogs was run over by a pickup truck “around eight or nine months ago, because he was a runner, had too much energy and got outside.

“In Rumford, there’s no dogs allowed,” Bousquet said. “If you go behind the Town Office here in Mexico, there’s no dogs allowed. If you go to the Rumford Ball Park, there’s no dogs allowed. Everywhere you go, it’s no dogs, no dogs, no dogs.”

Bousquet said the dog park could also fund itself if they issued stickers for nonresidents to use it.

“You could issue stickers to Mexico residents to use the dog park, and if someone from out-of-town wanted to get in, they could purchase a sticker,” Bousquet said. “That money could go toward maintaining the dog park.”

Fire Chief Gary Wentzell said the idea of a dog park was good, but he was curious as to how it would be funded.

“From what I can see, the town departments are all struggling with budgets,” Wentzell said. “Where do you think you’d get the funding for the fencing? I don’t see the town paying for something like that. Were you thinking about hosting fundraisers or collecting donations?”

“I have no idea,” Bousquet said. “This is my first time bringing it to anybody.”

Resident Randy Canwell said maintenance of the dog park would be key.

“I heard about the dog park in Augusta being shut down because people weren’t picking up the dogs’ waste,” Canwell said. “As soon as they shut it down, people took notice. I think people would take care of their messes.”

Arsenault suggested that Bousquet attend a Recreation Park meeting and “ask them if they’re even willing to think about having a dog park down there, and see who would be responsible for cleaning and mowing.”

Arsenault asked Town Manager John Madigan to check in with Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments or the Maine Municipal Association to learn the “legal ramifications of having a dog park in town.”

“I’m wondering who would be responsible if someone’s dog is bit: the town or the dog owner,” Arsenault said. “I’d be more comfortable getting a legal opinion on that.”

Chairman Richie Philbrick suggested that Bousquet attempt to find other interested dog owners and attend a future selectmen’s meeting if he can find enough people who want to pursue the endeavor.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com