News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Algood Parks and Recreation will explore other fencing options for a proposed new dog park to be built at the new Algood City Park.
The bids were for fencing in a 100-by-100 or 200-by-200 park. Four bids submitted. Council Member Ron Graves said he believes a 100-by-100 park is too small for large dogs and the city could see substantial savings by doing the job themselves.
“I guess it comes down to, do we want to spend $30,000 or $40,000 for something that a big dog can’t really use, or do we want to try to expand it and use some of our people here to help us build a fence over time,” Graves said. “You know, a fence doesn’t have to be built in a week.”
Graves said he understands the need for the dog park and wants to get it done. Bids for a 200-by-200 fence were between $29,000 and $48,000. The council elected to table the decision until Parks and Recreation Director Roy Phipps can look into what it would cost for the city to do it and what the process would entail.
City Administrator Keith Morrison said building a fence without an outside contract would not be so simple.
“If we do our own fencing, I’m going to have to find the fence and I’m going to need an auger to put it in the ground,” Morrison said. “I’m not going to be able to do all of those by hand because it’s a lot of digging, so. We’re limited on manpower anyway.”
Grave said he had researched fencing that ranges from $5-$15 per square foot. He said the city could put up a fence far larger than those bid out and still complete the project for less money.
Graves said most people think that their dog is well-behaved and can operate appropriately without a fence. He said under the right circumstances, any dog will bite someone.
“I have too many people that ask for it,” Graves said. “They want someplace to turn their dog loose to let it exercise. Over here in our park, it doesn’t have a fence around it. We’ve got a lot of land, but we don’t have a fence. I’ve walked over there enough to know that I don’t like to meet unfriendly dogs.”
