HEALTH & SAFETY

White-tailed deer management

(This opinion has been well documented and it has not changed in decades.)

First, to be clear, I treasure whitetail deer. I actually “name” random local deer, and I fret about them in bad weather. As a conservationist, I strongly support healthy herd density, sharing that common ground with hunters, nature lovers, and others alike. 

I've hunted, fished, gathered and roamed this area with my family for my whole life. Mom took her first deer in 1946 when there were only 15,000 in the whole state, and took her last of a great many - a 12-pointer - in her 80’s. I killed my first deer in 1968, when MO "only" had 300,000 deer. MO currently has about 1.5M - 1.8M deer. 

Local deer densities are MANY TIMES the MDC (MO Dept. of Conservation) recommended maximum of 10-20 deer/sq. mile. A city-wide survey revealed that nearly 3/4 of residents support action, and our Board of Public Safety (BPS) called this problem a top priority. BPS worked to understand costs, effects, and practicality of deer control options, and then the City Administrator and the Admin & Public Works Committee sought a qualified organization to manage the process.

I continue to support the BPS and A&PW conclusions and efforts, for these reasons:

• The safety rationale is that Deer/vehicle collisions (DVC's) are common
• Only the worst are recorded, but MO AAA estimates AVERAGE cost at $6,500.  
• Moreover, deer are major vector hosts for many serious tick-borne diseases. 
  • My veterinarian says these "are going around like cake at a birthday party."
  • My dogs & I have $uffered many such maladies despite costly preventives.
• Unhealthy deer numbers continue to:
  • damage gardens and lawns, and degrade fields and forests
  • deplete desirable native species
  • favor invasive non-natives 

Erosion and Flooding  

I’ve been an enthusiastic participant in Wildwood Watershed Erosion Task Force (WETF). 

• Flooding and erosion in all of our local watersheds is causing property damage, topsoil loss, and danger to livestock, wildlife, and human life. 
• Some Ward 6 horses and cars made the national news in 2019, but every Ward has flooding and erosion problems. 
• Fixing the problems won’t be cheap, but inaction is likely to cost much more in the end. 
• I’m hopeful that the City and the WETF can find workable, affordable solutions. 

Sign regulations, including LED signage

I OPPOSE visual and light pollution. Period. I'd be reluctant to relax lighting regulations.

• As I understand it, some residents support limited use, but others oppose setting an “approval precedent” for LED signage.  
• As with many issues, I’m warily open-minded. There may be a rationale for LED signage in place of other approved lighting and with other restrictions. 
• For example, LEDs can increase useful illumination while reducing light pollution.