Trustees weigh enforcement, signage after off‑leash incidents in Pioneer Park

Parks operations manager Sam Harb briefed the Open Space Conservancy Trust April 16 on leash‑policy outreach and incident reports and trustees debated how to improve compliance in Pioneer Park.

"In 2025, Mercer Island PD received two complaints about off‑leash dogs, one found dog, one dog hit and injured by an ebike, and one report of a dog bite to another dog," Sam Harb said, summarizing calls for service and the city's ongoing distribution of leash‑policy pamphlets and dog‑owner guides.

Trustees described recurring enforcement and reporting challenges and floated several measures. Trustee Jerry Port asked whether staff had considered resuming targeted police presence in the park for education; Trustee Tom Hildebrandt suggested positioning a police officer at peak times for several sessions to provide one‑on‑one education for owners. "I think it might be good to restart that, see if it's possible to get the police department to just position a police officer for a few sessions," Hildebrandt said.

Trustees also suggested clearer signage explaining how to report violations (including a phone number or reporting path) so staff can better quantify the problem and reduce reliance on neighborhood social posts. Trustee Andrew Rosenthal proposed adding to signs ‘‘here’s who to call’’ to give residents confidence they do not have to confront others directly.

Sam Harb said the parks team will consider those suggestions and that staff previously tried officer patrols and education; trustees asked staff to return next month with recommendations for complaint logging locations and options for stepped‑up outreach or enforcement. No policy change was adopted; the conversation closed with trustees prioritizing enforcement in the Northeast quadrant as the area the body wants to preserve as reliably on‑leash.

Next steps: Staff to explore options for police education sessions, improved signage with reporting instructions, and a complaint‑logging approach to present at the next meeting.