PORT ANGELES — One frequenter of the newly opened Port Angeles Off-Leash Dog Park is urging fellow park users to get involved with the community committee that established the park so future improvements and maintenance don’t fall by the wayside.

Port Angeles resident John Ford was one of the numerous Citizen Off-Leash Dog Park Committee members who worked with community groups and City Recreational Services Manager Richard Bonine to establish the 1.85-acre, fenced off-leash dog park off West Lauridsen Boulevard just east of William R. Fairchild International Airport.

With the park completed, Ford, who helped organize the various raffles the committee used to raise funds for the park’s fences, is concerned the once-25-member-strong committee could lose its structure and the ability to decide what sort of maintenance, such as spreading seed grass in the park, should be funded with the roughly $6,000 the committee has saved.

“We don’t have any officers, and our president has resigned,” Ford said.

Bob Morgenstern was president of the group.

Call for new members

To remedy this, Ford is putting the call out to any interested community members, dog owners or no, to phone him at 360-417-9469 and become part of the committee.

Ford said he’s looking for about six people, which he said would be a good number from which to elect a president and vice president to help lead committee meetings.

The time commitment would not have to be large, Ford said, since the committee would meet about once each quarter to discuss improvements and maintenance for the park.

“Sure, my wife and I could sit there and make decisions, but we don’t necessarily want to do that,” Ford said. “We would like to get some more ideas [from others].”

Seating area

In addition to maintenance projects, committee members also would discuss the details of a 10-foot-by-12-foot covered seating area proposed for the large-dog area of the dog park, Ford said.

An anonymous donor has pledged $5,000 for construction of the seating area, Ford said, which will be dedicated to the donor’s mother.

The seating area was one of a handful of ideas and concerns Ford shared with Corey Delikat, Street & Parks Division superintendent, who will take over in January as the liaison between parks committee volunteers and the city’s parks department after Bonine leaves.

Bonine’s position was eliminated to save $90,000 in salary and benefits.

The parks/facilities-maintenance division in the Public Works & Utilities Department and the parks-recreation division will merge under the plan intended to help stanch a minimum $600,000 overall deficit projected for 2013, City Manager Dan McKeen has said.

Delikat, who has been with the city parks and recreation department for 22 years, said he’ll seek a close partnership with a reinvigorated dog park committee to address the park’s maintenance concerns, such as a lack of a dedicated irrigation system to keep the park’s grass green.

“[Ford] and I had a great conversation,” Delikat said.

“We were both excited about the outcome.”

Delikat lauded the fundraising work the committee and various community groups, such as the Rotary Club of Port Angeles and the Nor’wester Rotary Club, did to make the park a reality and said similar efforts most likely will be needed for any future improvements.

‘Great partnership’

“We want to continue a great partnership between parks and recreation and volunteers,” Delikat said.

The city Parks and Recreation Department most likely would be able to help with planning any upcoming projects but should not be looked upon as a significant source of funds, Delikat said.

The city chipped in about $10,000 for the fence surrounding the dog park.

Delikat, who admitted he has had little to do with the dog park this year, said he’s looking forward to working with the committee come next year, when Bonine officially hands over the reins.

Ford praised Bonine for the work he did getting the dog park up and running and said he’s confident Delikat will be just as involved as Bonine was.

Bonine, in turn, applauded the volunteer committee members for their work on the park and said Delikat undoubtedly will help any committee of dedicated volunteers in any way he can.

“This ball isn’t going to get dropped,” Bonine said. “I’m quite confident this whole facility will be improved upon.”

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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.