The Kingman City Parks, Aquatics, Recreation and Trails Commission on Nov. 19 voted to ask staff to develop trailhead signage and a community education campaign aimed at reducing dog waste on city trails. Vice Chair Sarah Ferry introduced the item, calling attention to “a real issue with dog waste” on White Cliffs Trail and across the community and urging education and consistent messaging.

Commissioners and members of the public discussed alternatives including positive reminder signs, infographics about biodegradability, and bag-dispensers with receptacles. Ferry told the commission, “Can we put up a signage? Can we try to help educate the community about that your dog waste is litter?” Several commissioners said they preferred an education-first approach over installing dispensers because of concerns about plastic bag litter.

Those supporting signage emphasized consistent messaging across parks, trails and digital billboards. One commissioner recommended including a short infographic showing how long pet waste takes to decompose. Another suggested adding pictograms to identify allowed uses on specific trails (hiker, bicyclist, horse) to reduce off-trail behavior that contributes to problems.

After discussion, the commission carried a motion directing staff to create trailhead signage, work with the commission on messaging and run an educational campaign that could include social media and city billboards. Voice votes were recorded as "Aye" and the motion passed.

The directive is advisory to staff; any cost, timeline, or specific sign placements will be developed by staff and returned to the commission as needed. The commission did not adopt an immediate requirement for bag-dispensing stations.