Officials want to remind residents of the city ordinance against feeding wild animals

At the August 19, 2024, meeting of the Saline City Council, the city’s growing deer population was brought up. The discussion focused on the challenges posed by the increasing number of deer in residential areas, with a particular emphasis on enforcing the city’s ordinance against feeding wild animals.

Mayor Brian Marl opened the discussion by addressing the widespread concerns from residents. “The deer population has become a real issue in our city,” Marl said. “In the last few days alone, I’ve had several neighbors express their frustration about the deer. It’s something I’ve noticed in my own neighborhood on Russell Street as well.”

Marl highlighted that while the deer problem has been discussed in previous years, it has become more pressing recently. “We’ve talked about this in the past, but now it seems more urgent. We need to consider a broader strategy to mitigate and control the deer population,” he said. However, Marl quickly pointed out that immediate action could be taken by simply enforcing the city’s existing ordinance against feeding wild animals.

“We have a very clear and unambiguous ordinance about feeding wild animals,” Marl emphasized. “I suspect there are residents who are still putting out food for deer, and that’s not just attracting deer but also raccoons, possums, and other animals. We don’t want to be punitive; we just want compliance. If we could put out some strong reminders over the next 30 to 60 days, I think that would be beneficial.”

City Manager Colleen O’Toole supported Marl’s focus on the ordinance. “No one wants to be the bad neighbor who tells someone they can’t feed the animals, but there is a public nuisance component to this,” O’Toole said. She explained that the city’s enforcement approach is educational rather than punitive; “We’re not looking to write tickets immediately. Our code enforcement officers start with a courtesy notice to inform people of the ordinance. It’s often just a matter of educating our residents.”

Councilmember Girbach stated he does not support a culling program, to which O’Toole replied,  “I don’t think we’d be talking about culling. We’re more likely to focus on deterrents instead.”

The council plans to continue discussing the issue in the coming months, and staff is expected to report back with potential strategies. For now, the city’s ordinance against feeding wildlife remains a key tool in its efforts to manage the deer population.