Shawnee County mulls measures to ban unauthorized camping, require leashes on dogs

Shawnee County commissioners moved Thursday toward potentially banning unauthorized camping on county property and requiring leashes for dogs in the county's parks and on its trails.

Commissioners Aaron Mays, Kevin Cook and Bill Riphahn heard county counselor Jim Crowl present the first reading of a proposed home rule resolution sponsored by Riphahn regarding unauthorized camping.

They then heard Tim Laurent, the county's parks and recreation director, present the first reading of a proposal sponsored by Commissioner Aaron Mays that would require dogs on park properties to be controlled by leash.

Commissioners plan to hear public comments and potentially act on both measures when they hear the second reading of each at 9 a.m. Aug. 24 in their chambers at 707 S.E. Quincy.

County rules ban commissioners from acting on home rule resolutions when they hear their first readings.

What would the proposal regarding 'unlawful camping' do?

Riphahn's proposal comes forth at a time when this community has seen a recent increase in camping by homeless people.

That measure's passage would provide the county with "civil remedies only" and would not provide for the criminal prosecution of any violator, Crowl said.

Criminally, people present on county park properties between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. may already be prosecuted for criminal trespassing, he said.

If adopted, Crowl said, Riphahn's proposal would ban camping and the storage of personal property on county property except in areas designated for such activity, such as the campground at Lake Shawnee.

It would also provide due process to owners of such property by requiring them to be given notice of removal and arranging for any materials to be temporarily stored after they are impounded, Crowl said.

The county would give violators seven days' notice before their property could be impounded.

Impounded property would be stored for 90 days, then discarded if it wasn't claimed.

The resolution would also prohibit placing obstructions on county property; starting an unauthorized fire on county property; and running electricity to or affixing signs, banners, etc., on county property, except in designated spaces.

What would the proposed leash requirement do?

Mays said he asked that the proposed leash requirement be put on Thursday's agenda because rules regarding leashes in county parks, where pet dogs may run free, are not consistent with Topeka's city ordinance banning owners from allowing their dogs to run at large.

The proposed leash requirement would ban any person from allowing any dog to run at large within the boundaries of any public park, trail or other outdoor recreational facility operated by Shawnee County Parks and Recreation.

Violators could be fined as much as $50.

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Dogs wouldn't need to be leashed inside the fences at Hill's Bark Park at Gage Park, Laurent said.

Still, he said, it's important for owners to have their dogs leashed as they enter and leave the park.

"Oddly enough, that's where we have a lot of incidents, before they get in," Laurent said.

The leash requirement wouldn't apply to service dogs if the handler's disabilities prevented the use of a leash for the dog or if the leash interfered with the service dog's safe, effective performance of tasks.

The requirement would also not apply to law enforcement dogs.

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Commissioner Kevin Cook noted that the resolution would hinder some typical dog activities.

"I just want people to understand that if you're planning on going to Lake Shawnee and playing frisbee with Fido, that would be unallowed by this," he said.

All commission meetings are livestreamed on the commission's YouTube channel.

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Shawnee County Commission considers camping, leash proposals