Heated Debate Rages Over McKinley Park Duck Pond Safety

By Kelly Ryan

EAST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It was a heated debate in East Sacramento over the safety of a duck pond on Monday.

The meeting comes two weeks after a body was found floating in the pond.

"Right now we have about $160,000 and it's inadequate to really do any of our options," said Sacramento City Councilman Jeff Harris.

He called the meeting to hear from the community. A consultant hired by the city talked about a plan to deepen the pond and build new shorelines. The price tag on that is $280,000, not including maintenance.

Audience members got frustrated when city officials had no mockup to show how their tax money would be spent.

Judy McClaver voluntarily maintains the pond nearly every day. She was the one who found the man's body in the pond two weeks ago and has been pushing for a fence around it.

"Not only can the kids go in and drown but they also can go in encountering fecal matter from all the wildlife," she said.

She brought a mockup of a fence she says that would would decrease trash going in and increase safety.

Police say they've had just two calls in the last six months, including the recent death. And others said a fence wouldn't stop those wanting to get in.