Organizer: No Dogs at Sturgis Falls Celebration Not New

Since 1991, an ordinance has been in place prohibiting dogs from the popular Sturgis Falls Celebration in Cedar Falls.

A newly proposed ordinance amendment from Sturgis Falls Celebration and the Cedar Basin Jazz Festival would expand the locations which animals are prohibited from, according to Jay Stoddard, president of the Sturgis Falls Celebration. The expansion will include more event locations, the parade and the streets.

At the Cedar Falls City Council meeting on Monday, Stoddard spoke to members about the frustration he felt watching the Dec. 26 council meeting at home. Stoddard said he wanted to clarify the discussion about the proposed ordinance amendment.

“It's kind of misleading to the public listening to the last council meeting, as well as reading the newspaper (the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier). Sturgis Falls already has a dog ordinance prohibiting dogs during Sturgis Falls weekend,” he said.

Stoddard said the city council in 1991 originally passed the ordinance prohibiting dogs from Sturgis Falls, due to two different dog bite occurrences that children sustained during the event. Other things like dog fights and fecal droppings are also reasons Sturgis Falls would like to pass the amendment.

“We feel that the 21-year-old ordinance just banning dogs from the parks is not broad... It's out-of-date,” Stoddard said.

Most festivals like the Iowa State Fair, Great Jones County Fair, and the Clay County Fair ban dogs, Stoddard said.

On a vote of 5-2, the ordinance passed the second reading out of three. Councilmen Frank Darrah and Nick Taiber voted against the ordinance. Stoddard recalled a conversation he had with Taiber regarding the ordinance.

“I have talked to councilman Taiber in regard to his philosophy, and his philosophy is that people should take individual responsibility for their dogs,” Stoddard said. “ ... Unfortunately with events as large as Sturgis Falls ... it makes a lot more sense to have an ordinance restricting dogs than hoping that people will take individual responsibility of their dogs.”

Darrah questioned what would occur if a dog was sighted at the event, and if there would be a fine for patrons who refused to leave. Both Stoddard and Cedar Falls Chief of Police Jeff Olson said they do not expect people would be upset over the amended ordinance.

Stoddard said that most people are apologetic if someone confronts them about the ordinance.

Olson supports the expansion, explaining that the previous ordinance did not cover the parade or the streets.

“The new ordinance is clearly a better one than the 1991 one,” Olson said.