On Monday, a public meeting on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit feeding “wild animals and/or animals at large” in the city drew questions and concerns from a number of citizens.
The meeting was held by the Transportation and Safety Committee of city council.
“I do not want you to get the impression that the administration is trying to force something on the community,” said committee chair Bill Herald. “What we have here is a community discussion where we all have a part to play in fashioning something that will fit our community. … The goal isn’t to just go through the motions, the goal here is to come up with something that does provide balance.”
According to the legislative package document prepared for council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources encourage property owners to avoid feeding wild animals and/or animals at large. Fed animals can become accustomed to people, causing the animals to lose their fear of people and become aggressive. Recognizing the negative impact that residents feeding certain animals can have, and in order to promote a safer, healthier, and more resilient community, the city requests adopting an ordinance prohibiting feeding of such animals.
The proposed ordinance defines an animal “running at large” as “an animal off its owner’s premises, without a leash, and without a person to control the animal.” A wild animal is defined as “an animal not legally confined or held by private ownership legally required and shall include, but not be limited to, squirrels, chipmunks, ground hogs, raccoons, skunks, opossums, muskrats, deer, foxes, black bears, wild turkey, bobcats and coyotes.” The feeding of wild birds is exempted in the ordinance, “so long as the feed does not attract animals running at large or wild from public property, public ways or private property not owned by the feeding person.”
Regarding penalties, the proposed ordinance states that “whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.”
Communications Director Amanda Gamby said during Monday’s committee meeting that in recent years, complaints about wildlife from residents have increased, culminating with the city’s much-publicized issues with aggressive wild turkeys. She noted that the city began working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources several months ago, and they provided the city with a sample ordinance from another community regarding feeding of wildlife. Gamby also said the city is undertaking educational efforts to discourage the feeding.
Gamby said she wished to clear up some confusion with the proposed ordinance, saying that residents may still feed songbirds, and won’t be cited, for instance, if a deer drinks out of a birdbath. The issues, she said, are matters like salt licks, corn, and peanuts left on the ground, which are meant to attract the animals.
City Attorney Hunter Brown discussed some proposed edits to the ordinance, dealing specifically with “intent.” He suggested altering the wording to state that “no person shall knowingly feed, cause to be fed or provide food” for wild animals.
Regarding enforcement of the proposed ordinance, Brown noted that the idea for the ordinance was to include it in the city’s non-criminal civil citation system. “This is something that would go the criminal (citation) route, I’d imagine, only after a long line of people disobeying it,” he said.
Resident Richard Beaverson said that he’d collected 114 signatures from citizens petitioning council for changes to the ordinance and other related alterations. The suggestions include the need for more deer crossing signs, the potential to improve Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve regarding deer coming into the city from the park, and concerns that people would be breaking the law if they fed animals in their backyards.
“We the people should never be put in the position to break the law,” Beaverson said.
Resident Matthew Reger wondered if the legislation was “the least restrictive means of addressing the problem?” He suggested that it may be beneficial to give the city’s educational efforts about animal feeding a chance before enacting the ordinance.
Resident Linda Barber suggested this was “a good opportunity for our city planners to look ahead at ways to mitigate the damage to wildlife” done by urban development “and still keep our city safe. … I think it behooves us to try and plan ahead with the months and years ahead because this is not going to go away. We’re not going to have less animals, we’re going to have more because of their loss of habitat and more people.”
“I believe we can work together to make this ordinance more reasonable,” said Pam Day. She asked if potential solutions for dealing with deer, turkeys and stray cats were being looked at in the city.
Addressing the question of how this issue would be policed, and about neighbors’ complaints, Brown noted that the ordinance would fall under the same standards of proof for any other citable crime. That, he said, as in other instances of violations in the city, would rely on neighbors reporting crime. He acknowledged that “sounds very East Berlin-y, but that is the way our criminal justice system has always been” – someone sees a violation and calls the police.
Vassiliki Leontis said that the proposed ordinance contains little concern about the wildlife themselves. “The only little kind of trace I find that reflects a little bit of concern is this part that talks about the change in those animals’ foraging behavior,” she said. “But just also understand this change in foraging behaviors is caused by our encroaching onto their habitats. I don’t have really a solution for this problem … but I would like to inject this legislation with a bit more positive attitude towards wildlife which is really left to fend for itself.”
In other business, council:
• Saw three lieutenants in the Bowling Green Fire Division promoted to the rank of captain: Ronald Closson, Dustin Bauman, and Nathan Espinoza. Additionally, two new firefighters were sworn in: Nathan Schwiebert and Cory Sloas.
• Heard from resident Joe DeMare, who suggested that Utilities Director Brian O’Connell consider the ability of the city’s power grid to accept rooftop solar in the future.
“Having houses with solar panels on them strengthens our local grid and would not only prevent price spikes but helps prevent grid failure,” DeMare said.
• Voted unanimously to excuse Councilman Joel O’Dorisio, who was absent from the meeting.
