Public’s turn to bark at fine

Out of 748 calls to Costa Mesa police complaining about barking dogs in the past year, only three of them have resulted in civil citations, according to police records. Some see this as a result of the laboriousness of the process residents have to go through to get their neighbors to keep their dogs quiet.

The city is trying to remedy this situation by putting teeth into the ordinance governing noisy animals.

Today’s City Council meeting will include a public hearing to discuss, for the second time, a new ordinance which the council voted 4-1 in favor of at its last meeting. The new ordinance would impose fines of $250 to $403 for owners whose dogs make noises that are “audible beyond the boundaries of the property,” but the council will also have a choice to adopt significantly lower fines and change this language.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon was the only one to vote against the ordinance, saying the fines were exorbitantly high and would be difficult for residents to bear in tough economic times.

“I really have a problem with the amount of money being fined. I think it’s terrible. We’re going to drain our citizens,” Dixon said.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley also thinks the fines initially suggested are too high, and favors having them start lower, but increase faster. She also echoed the concerns of former City Council member and dog owner Sandra Genis, who spoke in front of the council during the last meeting. They said the provision punishing any noise “audible beyond the boundaries of the property” is vague and draconian.

In her blog about city politics, Genis recently ridiculed the ordinance, advising pet owners to “get Fido a set of Ugg boots so his toenails won’t click on the pavement, wrap his tail in foam and don’t forget to glue bubble wrap to the sides and bottom of the dog dishes.”

Sgt. Bryan Glass, who administers the city’s animal control program, said officers are trained to try to resolve noise issues with pet owners before giving citations. The new ordinance would allow anyone who received a complaint 10 days to remedy the problem before a fine is imposed.

Glass and Police Chief Chris Shawkey said the new ordinance would rely heavily on the good discretion of animal control officers.

“Clearly our current process isn’t working,” Shawkey said.

Other cities in Orange County that have similarly worded ordinances have noticed decreased complaints by residents, Glass said.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.