CC_Minutes_2011_0523 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday,May 23,2011 Page 23 Mayor Roe noted that the City of Little Canada had adopted an ordinance banning deer feeding; and that the City of Shoreview was considering a ban on feeding wild turkeys. Councilmember Johnson noted the concern was to find a solution for neighbors to protect their plantings; and questioned if there were ways to mitigate the deer population. As a resident of and on behalf of the neighborhood seeking mitigation, Council- member Pust noted that it was a problem, and not just a vegetation problem, but also a safety issue with deer crossing streets. Councilmember Pust questioned law enforcement statistics on how many dead deer they picked up; opining that this was a safety issue needing resolution in the near future. Mayor Roe suggested coordination by Roseville staff with adjacent counties, ci- ties and agencies to mitigate the deer population cooperatively. Councilmember Willmus noted that it was a property damage issue and concern with deer running onto major roadways, such as County Road C, and suggested more aggressive measures were needed in the near future, of which he was sup- portive of looking at. Further discussion included staff seeking additional statistics from the DNR on deer/vehicle accidents; and who was responsible for removing dead animals. Police Chief Rick Mathwig advised that Ramsey County issued deer tags for dead deer in the area; and someone hitting one with their vehicle could request a tag, which the City's Police Department could issue and which could be taken to a butcher shop. However, Chief Mathwig advised that the City did not keep records of tags given out, and records were only available from the Department's own internal reporting system if they had to dispatch for a deer pickup, estimated that it only happened 2-3 times annually. At the request of Councilmember Pust on what happened if someone left the deer where it had been hit, Chief Mathwig advised that it depended on the jurisdiction, state, county or city, and offered to attempt to obtain additional data. Mr. Brokke advised that if left, a DNR-licensed person needed to pick the deer up; and offered to attempt to obtain information from the DNR as well. Mr. Brokke noted that he would gather more information and seek assistance from other communities for presentation to the City Council. Mayor Roe noted that no formal action would be taken at this time.