SCARBOROUGH – A special committee that had until Tuesday to weigh in on dog control measures in Scarborough will now have until Feb. 12 to deliver its recommendation, following a three-week extension granted by the Town Council.

The seven-member Animal Control Advisory Committee had asked for an extension until Jan. 29, but the councilors voted unanimously at their most recent meeting to give the group until the council’s second meeting in February to advise how best to keep dogs from harassing the piping plover, an endangered shorebird, on municipal beaches.

However, while the committee garnered praise from councilors for its work to date in four meetings since Dec. 27 – meetings deemed “lengthy and tense” by town councilor and committee member Bill Donovan – the ongoing dog issue continues to raise hackles.

Katy Foley, a member of the committee who also serves as president of the Dog Owners of Greater Scarborough political action committee, sent a letter on Jan. 9 complaining about a councilor meeting privately with one of the committee members, allegations which she said she “can prove.”

At the Jan. 15 council meeting, Foley continued her cry against what she deemed to be “unfair and unethical” actions. The contention is that the town stacked the advisory committee with plover proponents, and that Donovan has met at least eight times privately with committee member Glennis Chabot, presumably to lay out an anti-dog strategy.

“I was told this was a new council and a new day, no more backroom deals,” wrote Foley. “I tried to believe that. Unfortunately, I was wrong.”

“I don’t have an issue with that,” said Councilor Jessica Holbrook, referring to the alleged meetings. “I meet with a lot of people.”

“I do find it a little disturbing that it’s known that a councilor and a committee member met eight times,” said Chairman Richard Sullivan. “That tells me someone is watching these people.”

But that point was already made clear by Goldenwood Drive resident Ann Marie Swenson, who said during the public comment portion of the Jan. 15 council meeting, that she collected 121 signatures to the letter she read.

“We’d like you to know that we are here and that we are watching,” she said.

“The current effort is most definitely an excuse to target dogs, not to protect the plovers,” said Swenson, reading from the letter. “Our town is not a wildlife sanctuary. We all do the best we can, but we should do so in the context of understanding balance for all in the community.”

By creating the Animal Control Advisory Committee, town officials hope to mitigate a $12,000 federal fine levied against Scarborough following the mauling of a plover chick by a dog on Pine Point Beach July 15. An Oct. 2 council attempt to make the problem go away by requiring dogs to be leashed when on any public property, anywhere in town, year-round, was beaten back by voters at a Dec. 3 special election, which reset the leash law as it exists now.

That rule allow dogs to run free on municipal beaches between sunrise and 9 a.m. from July 15 to Sept. 15. During those months, dogs are banned from beaches between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and can put in an appearance from 5 p.m. to sunset only if on a leash. There are no restrictions between Sept. 16 and June 14.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends that dogs be limited to leashes no greater than 8 feet in length between April 1 and Aug. 30. Town councilors hope to satisfy the feds by having something to control dogs in place before the start of this year’s plover nesting season. However, anything to come out of the advisory committee needs time to work through the public hearing process, which gives it very little time to act, hence the initial Jan. 21 deadline.

Once it decides on how and where to restrict dogs during the piping plover season, the committee is expected to weigh in on other plover protection issues, as well as off-season beach access questions and dog-control measures that could be put in place outside of municipal beaches.

“I was worried that we were trying to fit too much work into too short of a time,” said Councilor Kate St. Clair, in voting for the extension. “I still think that. I’m concerned that we are still rushing.”

The committee was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, with follow-up sessions on Jan. 27 and 29.

“I’ve seen more than a good faith effort on the part of this committee to do the right thing,” said Councilor Jean-Marie Caterina.

Even so, councilors say they continue to get besieged with letters and emails about dogs versus plovers. St. Clair pleaded with residents to lay off, or at least to understand if she does not reply, as she is trying to refrain from speaking out on the issue until after the committee completes its work.

Councilor Jim Benedict agreed, saying he also can do without attempts to focus his attention.

“I’ve got a ton of email, both pro and con, believe it or not,” he said. “But, for those who are not familiar with the computer, I don’t need capitalization and bold plus-five [sized fonts] in italics and different colors. If you have a question, just ask it, but every email is about 80 percent the same and it’s getting a little out of hand.

“Personally, I don’t think we need to micromanage what the committee is doing,” added Benedict.