ONTARIO — Members of Ontario City Council voted against implementing an ordinance that would have prohibited residents from feeding deer on their properties.
At-large councilman Dave Rehfeldt said he has lived on Ridgestone Drive for 20 years and never heard anyone talk about aggressive deer before this ordinance came up.
“The people in my neighborhood are more influenced by the fact that the deer are eating their flowers than the neighbors are feeding them, nobody cares about that,” he said.
“This was a one-time incident after 20 years that got blown out of proportion.”
This ordinance was first read at the May 3 meeting and discussed again May 17 and June 7, when council voted to table the ordinance until Wednesday.
Adrienne Ruhe, who lives on Oakstone Drive, told council members in April that she was concerned with how sociable some deer were by her house and near her children. She attended council’s July 12 meeting to hear the result of the ordinance.
“This was not a one-time incident, I called the game warden over a year ago talking to them about how to deter deer from my property,” Ruhe said. “They’ll stand 10 feet from my playset and stomp and snort at my kids.”
Ruhe’s neighbor Mike Taylor also said he wanted the ordinance to pass during public commentary.
“We are taking wild animals and we are drawing them to our neighborhoods,” he said. “They’re here whether we’re feeding them or not, and I think we’re putting people and property at risk when we’re drawing more to the neighborhood.”
Kim Jones, Craig Hunt, and Paulene and Eric Meyer all told council members they didn’t want the ordinance to pass.
“I think our fine officers have other issues to enforce,” Jones said. “If I’m going to feed the deer on my property, I don’t think it’s anyone’s right to tell me what I can do on my property that I pay for.”
At-large councilman Troy Sapp was the only member of council that voted for the resolution. Second Ward councilwoman Rose Feagin could not attend the meeting.
“I have a lot of deer in my backyard and I think it attracts coyotes,” Sapp said.
Council president Eddie Gallo said multiple residents have voiced varying opinions on the ordinance since it was first proposed.
“There will be people, inevitably, disappointed one way or another, but if you are disappointed with the decision, please don’t think that we are any less dedicated to you as a council,” he said.
Council also approved a resolution to enter a contract with Reveille to develop a comprehensive plan for the city of Ontario. Reveille president Glenn Grisdale previously told Richland Source his team has experience with cities similar to Ontario.
“We bring solutions to communities that are looking to provide identity and connectivity,” Grisdale said. “I like to say that we’re eye doctors. The vision doesn’t come from us, it’s from the residents and we help implement it.”
Also in Wednesday’s meeting:
— Council approved an ordinance amending the local texting-while-driving laws to comply with the state’s new limits that took effect in April.
— Council adopted the 2024 tax revenue budget, allowing it to take spending action for next year.
— The parks committee announced the city’s law director would draft legislation appointing Ontario Youth Sports as the administrator of the recreation department.
— Mayor Randy Hutchinson said the city received designs from the county’s regional branding campaign for Ontario to use on its website and other municipal advertising materials. He said he plans to update the website to include the design reading “Ontario: A Richland County community.”
— Hutchinson and Gallo thanked the Ontario Police Department, Springfield Fire Department and all of the 4th of July Festival volunteers for their help in this year’s festivities.
— Gallo issued notice of a public hearing for Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. regarding rezoning 12 parcels on Park Avenue West, including the unfinished church. Members of the public are invited to attend the hearing at the Ontario Municipal Building to voice their opinions about the proposed rezone from office service to business.
