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Solon official wants deer program defined
(by Sue Reid - July 28, 2011)
Solon official wants deer program defined
By SUE REID
Solon Public Works Commissioner James S. Stanek said he has provided city officials with the tools associated with a comprehensive deer management program.
The question that remains, he said, is what are they going to build?
"Someone needs to define that," Mr. Stanek said last week.
To achieve that end, Mr. Stanek said, he's going to sit down with all of the appropriate individuals in the city, including the administration, police chief, animal warden and service director, as well as with the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to draft a plan.
"We need to define a program and determine the number of deer that need to be removed," he said.
The final determination lies with City Council as it deals with finance, Mr. Stanek noted. A total of $150,000 has been budgeted this year for some type of program.
"Without City Council having anything in front of them to react to, it's difficult," Mr. Stanek said.
City Council's safety and public properties committee approved and recommended last month a comprehensive deer management plan which includes both lethal and non-lethal measures.
Meanwhile, a referendum to be placed on this November's ballot to prohibit the use of lethal methods for deer management is moving forward. More than 1,300 valid signatures of the near 1,700 submitted were verified by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections recently, and ballot language is being determined.
"If the ballot issue passes, we would have to switch to all non-lethal," Mr. Stanek said.
Not to say any program would start before the issue goes to the ballot, he said, "but I can't wait to put together a program based on what will or won't happen with the ballot issue."
There will be a lethal program ready to be in place this year, Mr. Stanek said.
"I'm going to try to have something worked out in the next couple of months," he said. "The issue obviously has to be dealt with.
"If I have a program ready and council wants to initiate it prior to the ballot issue, that's their decision," he said.
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