The Salem City Council Monday night approved the ‘Pooch Plunge’ on the final day of operation of the Salem Aquatic Center and a chalk art competition on August 12th on the city parking lot in the 200 block of West McMackin Street.
The dog swim will be a fundraiser for Salem animal control with any dog owner wanting to participate in the Sunday, August 13th event having to pre-register and provide proof of vaccination. At this point, there is no maximum number of dogs that will be allowed to participate. Animal control officer Dave Lusch warned they will have to be ready for any dog fights and will also have to watch dogs that are not fixed.
Councilman Craig Morton has been pushing the idea that has been held at other public pools on their final day of operation. The only no vote came from Councilman Royce Bringwald is concerned about safety and health concerns.
“I did speak to a couple of veterinarians and they said chlorine as far as dogs go is red eye and dry skin. They mentioned something I hadn’t heard of what they call water aggression for dogs. You know Fluffy is nice and kind until she gets near water and then she flips out.”
Mayor Nic Farley suggested city staff get in contact with other pools that have allowed dog swims to get some tips on successfully hosting such an event.
The council unanimously supported Michelle Barbee who wants to hold a chalk art competition on the city parking lot in the 200 block of West McMackin Street on Saturday, August 12th as an extension of the Historic Downtown Farmer’s Market that day. Each contestant will get a 10 by 10-foot square to prepare their artwork. Barbee plans to have food trucks and music. She plans to advertise the event in a 50-mile radius to attract visitors to Salem. Barbee hopes the event can be a catalyst for other fun events.
The council approved a two-year contract with Calgon for the replacement of the carbon in some of the water plant filters. The yearly $39,860 cost is over the $30,000 in the budget, but Public Works Director Annette Sola reported the same amount was appropriated last year but was never needed because the carbon did not have to be changed.
