by Dave Warner
The main topic of discussion in Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting, was once again, the deer problem in the City. Several residents showed up to ask what the status was on the issue since they had shed light on the problem in the May meeting.
Peggy Romano, a spokesperson for the group said that she had had several constructive conversations with Alderman Justin Welyczko. She said “One of the things that we are concerned about are the ticks and the deer in the park. The kids are playing there. We wanted to know if there was any information that you had.”
Welyczko said that he intended to have My Little Falls push an article with information about the problem out to the public. He also said that he had been in discussions with the DEC about what could be done.
Part of the problem is that there are people feeding the deer, and there are people who have bird feeders too close to the ground, he said.
According to DEC rules:
Feeding of white-tailed deer causes unnatural concentrations near the food source which can lead to ecological damage, damage to property, and an increased risk of transmission of disease between deer.
Prohibiting the feeding of wild deer and moose is the best management approach to reduce risks associated with communicable wildlife diseases, minimize conflicts with deer, and protect wildlife habitats. Supplemental feeding can negatively affect deer behavior, leading to increased social conflict among deer, habituation of deer to human presence, and alteration of migratory movements to critical wintering areas. Importantly, supplemental feeding can increase deer populations above ecologically sustainable levels, resulting in significant harm to local biodiversity and forest health.
NYS Environmental Conservation Law prohibits:
- feeding or enticing deer to be fed within 300 feet of a public road; and
- establishing a salt lick on land inhabited by deer.
NYS Codes, Rules and Regulations Part 189 further prohibits the feeding of wild deer or moose except for several specific circumstances (e.g., agriculture, wildlife food plots, raising livestock, DEC permitted research or management activities).
Welcyzko said “some people don’t want the deer on their lawns, eating their plants, some people think they’re cute, some want to hunt them, so we’re trying to have a way to have this conversation. They’re multiplying.”
Codes officer Phil Green said “We need to get the information out there to tell people to stop feeding them because they’re all over. Gansevoort St, Garden St, they’re all over. I think it all started when the leash law went into effect, to be honest with you.”
Another woman spoke up and said “Forget the hundreds of dollars of damage to shrubs and things, my father is 96 going on 97 and there are four or five deer in the back yard and he’s trying to walk and I had to get in my car, run over the lawn and beep my horn to run them off. It’s too dangerous, they walk around the house, down the driveway, and down the street, and I don’t want them here.”
She went on to say “I think we should bring in the DEC and sharpshooters and do something about it. They’re dangerous. If you get a deer mad, they will hurt you. If they hurt my father, forget it. We have to call the DEC first.”
In other business, the council passed four resolutions.
Resolution #30 – Authorizing the issuance of a revenue anticipation note, or notes. This delegated power to the City Treasurer of the City of Little Falls, Herkimer County, New York, to authorize the issuance of and to seel not exceeding $600,000.0 revenue anticipation notes of said City in anticipation of the collection or receipt by said City of sewer rents, water rents, state grant – in – aids and the City’s share of the county sales tax fiscal year of said City.
City Treasurer David Petkovsek said “This is a precautionary measure in case we run into a cash flow issue later on in the fall. We usually pass this in the October meeting, but I’m going to be gone for a couple of months so I wanted to get the resolution passed tonight. I’m not going to be borrowing money until November, if then.”
Resolution #31 – Re-appointment – City Assessor – The resolution allowed the Mayor to execute an agreement with Dan Maxwell for tax assessment services for the term (October 1, 2019-September 30, 2025).
Mayor Mark Blask said “Dan does a fantastic job. He’s very people-oriented and a part-time employee, but I know he works a little more than that. I really have yet to get a complaint about him, which is really unusual for that position.”
Resolution #32 – Appointment – Tourism Committee – The resolution allowed the Mayor to appointment Jordyan Mueller to the Tourism Committee. To fill said term(s) shall expire 12/31/20.
Blask stated “We have an opening because Chris Van Meter came off that committee the last meeting. She was on that board for ten years. Chris did a fantastic job. Jordyan’s sort of been itching to get on it and we’re glad to have her.”
Resolution #33 – Urban Renewal Agency Worker’s Comp agreement- The resolution allowed the City of Little Falls to add the Director of the City of Little Falls Urban Renewal Agency to the City of Little Falls’ Worker’s Comp Policy and cover the cost of same.
“We were paying way too much for (a separate policy) Workman’s Comp Insurance for him. He’s a part-time employee, office worker, outside of the City’s insurance policy. We shopped it around and this resolution will put him under the City’s coverage. We were paying $2,850 per year, which was incredibly high.”
Blask updated everyone on the project on West Main Street, which was completed last week. “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about it, certainly in here and other meetings. It was paid for through Urban Renewal and a revolving loan fund. Money that we had to give back to the state if we didn’t appropriate it by April 1st, so we decided to clean up West Main St and to spend some money on the canopy. We intend to try and get reimbursed from the expense on West Main. The project really went as well as it could.”
Alderman Jeff Gressler wanted to make sure that everyone knew that it was the ten-year reunion of the repair and reopening of the city pool. “The pool opened after being closed three years and it reopened on the Monday after Canal Celebration. The bond was $321,000 and we only spent $287,000. I just didn’t want this moment to pass since it’s been ten years. When it’s 90 degrees out, I just have a smile when the kids walk in front of me on the way to the pool.”
Blask stated, “We had 4,600 swimmers last year.”
All resolutions were passed unanimously by the Council.