HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 20, 2009 Privilege of the Floor.PDFjuly 20,2009: privilege of the floor
[l$iana and kate have a problem with the cost for two months of training for the new
police dept' administrator, but Diana has NO problem with asking villagers to pay for:
- a $3700.00 speed monitor to be placed permanently on triphammer so that drivers will
drive more slowly where she jogs;
- and she has no problem spending thousands of villagers' dollars to pay a cornell prof
and his students to interview our dept. heads and report what they leamed to the board,
who already know what the dept. heads know - if they are doing their jobs, and for
another prof and his students to suggest a plan for the comers, *tti.fr is private property
and which has already been given away without thought or a plan by the board and
l1ayor, who have yet to appoint a planning board, whose sole purpose is to devise a plan
for the village;
- and she has no problem spending our money for an assistant,for brent cross, who cannot
get his work done because he has too many responsibilities, requiring most recently,
paying a consulting firm to create a required engineering plan, and yet, this assistant's
first job is photographing deer fencing on village residents'property, which exists
because this board has still not acted on a deer remediation ptun, tro. a fencing ordinance,
and is a project that does not warrant time and money when the business of 1}r9 village is
not getting done;
- and she has no problem with putting the one overloaded dept. head, brent cross, in
charge of a total village hall renovation, a project for which he has no experience and no
time, and which is expected to cost between $700,000.00 and one million dollars, while
she and the other board members have refused to consider afar superior plan to put a
prefabricated building on village land for the police and the court at one third the cost.
allowing the village hall to be upgraded only for the clerk and mayor, thereby preserving
the hall's exterior appearance and dramatically reducing the total cost of both projects
while creating a state of the art police facility and effective and safe court room.
Qrrtl. noon meetings were initiated as the website indicates: for dept. reports and bill
paying, but in fact they are used for new business, yet there is no noticeio the public and
in fact, the website amounts to false advertising , and anoon meeting is yet thelatest way
to reduce the likelihood of village participation.
Qrl beseech the mayor, who, along with david donner and ron bors, correctly and
h-onorably voted to prevent a clear conflict of interest, from being incorporated into the
new planning board resolution, to use his power to appoint the new board in a manner
that implements an ethical and inclusive process and does not select board member's
neighbors, who have been "promised" positions, nor spouses of board members. this is
an oppoftunity to open the process to village residents, not the clique of the community
party.
a
il 0'
?rn l Na'w'-w-n't
U
when my daughter learned of the situation with the
deer in Cayuga Heights, she was very upset.
Schools and parents teach children that it is not okay
to hit or use force against another. They teach that
this is not how to solve problems. Yet, it appears that
this is how cayuga Heights solves its problems. And
as a parent, this is very disconcerting to me.
when I was growing up, we had deer visit our yard.
They ate apples under our apple trees. slender and
fast, the deer reminded me very much of my beloved
dog, Henny Penny, a whippet. Then my mother
became the f)irector of the SPCA in the county in
which I grew up. When she first got the job, the
method of killing the 90% of animals that went in but
never came out was a decompression chamber. It was
a machine with a window on the front. I donot know
what possessed me to watch one day as a load of
dogs and cats were put to their deaths. But atthat
moment, I realizedthose deaths were senseless, and
they could have been avoided, if humans would have
been responsible. For me it brought up the question,
how is it that it is okay to kill some animals and not
others? And this changed *y life completely. Today,
there are many no kill shelters. Perhaps it would have
been easier to just kill the animals, but so many
people rcalize it is not right. And they have worked
very hard to find non-violent solutions. I think
Cayuga Heights could serve as a better role model for
our children and do the same.
In NYS, there is a law thatrequires humane
education in our schools. This law was created
because it was recognized that if children were taught
compassion for animals, they would be less likely to
be violent to other people.
No matter how many you kill, deer will keep crossing
the invisible border into Cayuga Heights.
Now, I am hoping thatyou can explain to my
daughter why you want to kill the deer, because I was
not able to give her an explanation that made any
sense, since I do not understand either. As you make
your decisions, please keep in mind that violence is
violence, not matter what you call it, and allowing
violence, in whatever form, contributes to amindset
in our world that violence is okay.
1.
[)ut 7o t
Individuals on DRAC and their "expert consultants" talk about Cayuga Heights Deer,
Cornell Deer and Lansing Deer. Therefore, how many deer are there in Cayuga
Heights which are "Cayuga Heights" deer? The "expert consultant" has never given an
answer as to how many Cayuga Height's deer there are, so of the 60 deer that will not
be killed - whose deer are they which we are not killing or better yet, whose deer are
we killing?
ln the DRAC report table published on the Village web site, under the disadvantages
section the committee sites that costs for the alternatives would be property owners.
Who pays for the killing by contract killers, the mayor, the board of trustees? I think
that tax payer money is the answer, and that money comes from property owners.
Point of order relative to those trustees and the mayor being members of DRAC and
now these individuals are approving their own recommendations. As a point of law
these individuals must recuse themselves since there is a conflict of interest.
lf the trustees proceed with the killing agenda and according to the DRAC group the
cost for the multi-year killing project would be approximately $100,000. This value
places the project into a competitive bid process which then raises the question:
a) Who will prepare the notice announcing the request for proposals and will the
bidders pay for the bid package or will it be provided at no charge and what will the
cost be for each bid package.
b) The trustees should clarify to the village residents that if they proceed with the
killing project that no additional tax burden is necessary and that all other village
projects are fully funded.
c) Would the proposed killing project be Fixed Price (FP), Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF)
or Cost Plus lncentive Fee (CPIF)?
d) Who will prepare the RFP (Request for Proposal) since the document must
reference all Federal, State, County and Local laws and regulations and the flow
down of rules, regulations, and ordinances in addition to the SOW (Statement of
Work).
e) Who will prepare the evaluation criteria by which the respondents proposals will be
evaluated.
0 lf damage is incurred to private property or a fatality results what are the liabilities
on the contractor, the village, the trustees and the mayor since the DRAC report
has not shown the killing program to be in the interest of public safety.
2.
3.
4.
it/
Village Trustees
Thirty two years ago, my husband and I moved to Cayuga Heights because it was a calm,
safe and a beautiful, peaceful location not far from Cornell where I have taught for all of
those years. Cayuga Heights has always been safe and we have been secure to live here -
to be free to walk, run or ski around the neighborhood day or night. We especially love
to be out around dawn or dusk to experience this incredible beauty and peace.
It wc,uld appear that this is to soon change. At some undisclosed time in some
undisclosed location, hired sharpshooters will shoot baited, people* habituated deer.
Since citizens will not be informed - there is a strong possibility that someone could be
the victim of a stray bullet.
We love the peace and quiet of the countryside but decided against living in a more rural
localion because during hunting season pedestrians, homes and car passengers are at risk.
However, now - not only are our children, pets and wildlife in danger - but anyone who
inadvertently enters the "shoot zone" is in danger.
Cayuga Heights with its plethora of PhDs, executives and professional people has long
been a Village of reason and of tolerance. Such is no longer the case. I believe we will
see property values dectease, people who love to be outdoors will likely move else
where, and caring, enlightened families with children will be concerned about the carnage
and ''iolence that might be witnessed by these children.
As myth after myth has been dispelled regarding Lyme disease, aggressive deer, deer/car
accidents and the idea that the region's poor might benefit from venison - this situation
boils down to saving unfenced gardens and the non indigenous flora that attactthe deer.
Ironically, woodchucks and rabbits also enjoy expensive flowers and plants - so the
systematic, yearly, senseless killing of deer may be to no avail.
To dirte, we have no idea how many deer we have in the village. And we have no
measurement of how many the area could support or not support.
So I ask the trustees to carefully consider the DRAC proposal. If you vote for the DRAC
proposal you will not only change the face of Cayuga Heights but also its safe
environment and easy ambience.
Mary H. Tabacchi,705 The Parkway
I have had 17 of your labeled Cayuga Heights deer
-in my yard at one time this spring-fuil-grown deer-this was before
the fawns were born {ffidegr-
There are too many white-tailed deer in the country-particularly in the
New England states. Besides eating everything green, they spread
disease and cause hundred of thousands of autowreeks A/-*&-,-**
But the problem is even more profound. The herds are altering the ecology of
the forests hurting other wildlife, including the birds. The deer profoundly
change the forests. They eat every new sapling. They are sending the
Ecosystem of the Eastern part of the united states into chaos . 4 Ctry4/A /
f n our own yard we lost a tree-because we cut it down. We had
" "h"rry
tr" :'U* U'f
which attracted deer day and night. I was shoveling excrement into Renwick
creek lfu+^ +^ d^ thilsfie\ffig.
100 people a year die in auto accidents with deer. This makes deer deadlier
than sharks, alligators, bears and ratilesnakes combined.
Biologists say the when deer exceed 15 to 20 per square mile, ecosystems begin
ro desrade r?4 p rt4ra dvr 4a
The herd in Cayuga Heights needs to be culled to a reasonable size. I hope the
board will make this need a priority and a reality.
Thank you.
I
W
My name is Anne Serling. I have written two letters to the lthaca Journal and
one to the Ithaca Times. I do not want to take up a lot of time tonight but
would simply like to reiterate what I have said in these letters:
I am vehemently opposed to the proposal of killing deer in Cayuga Heights.
The idea is not only unsafe; it is unethical and cruel.
What makes deer any less importarfi than landsaape in this world we live in?
,.fihe Business uf
Y SEFIIIITION, WILDLIFE
ln*nsg(rrrlent eonsistsr of threE
It$'cxpen$es to organize and i:oorcliirate' landowner.s with their hlifltcr$. 'fhi.s ac.
courrtability between the [:unt+rs, Ecr$-
logix managers, and UI4T is mosr likelv
th+ first time anyrhirig like thjs hns been
atternpted in thi..,:c'u irtri:
Wth the go atread tiorn LtlrfT, ir
group of 3it0 bowhunters applieci tt
t+ke,part o* the Eccolacix l*itrn. 'lhis
group v/a.,i therr uanui""eh dcrrvn tu g0
bowhrmters *'h* acnrally rrccived in.
tetvier^'s, Out of those, l_! rq'Ere i)u l {rrt a*
active ff'ster, and an +dditi+nal ?0 wer*
place<1 on b*ckup status.
The EccoltBlr hnnti:r's lvh*:r harl cte-
cade$ oI rlrFerirnce irmong tii*m, had
Lo Pasi$ a rigrrrous proficien*v test arrd
crimintl background chcch, co:rrpleie thc
Nation+l llowhurrt*r tdircarion Frrrrndir..
tior: s. (wrvw.nbeflorg) sufety course, aniJ
rrpholcl tire St.iRE-(Sinceie, l.ruselti_ch,
ltesporisible, lithicai) rcquircnicnts. Tlis
gforrF essenrially put peric,nal goaii asidr
t0 delDorlstrilte thst hcrrvliuntins ilirri hf il
viable wjldliib man.dgeme$r tcxrfl
All huriters wtrr-.requircrl to r.e+,)rd
the hours thq hunted,Irlus tl.rc nunber r,t'
buckr,, dor,s, ftwn$, anci rrnjdentifieci dr::r
thry sawwhiie oir strrrd, Theyal,co hild trr
ren:ovt thc lr.rw.rr jriwbone arrri record thewffi cf every deer they strot. ilolleciing
such biological daia i* iinre.,oi,su*in{
,bur it is essefltiaito eotalilish L,;rseline dria
on tiie ctmdition of rhc -t*, h*;Jil.f.;;
and after Eccolngis.hunters c*Rre on
board. Frorn a brr'logicalviewp<.rint, these
,aut1 oge pceless. Once ngain, th* E*co-
iogrx hunt€r.$ rvere fulfilling thcir iI"RE
HqHtusmelts.t0 UfulT"-
t'
.t
clenrents detcrmjnes the +uccess of anywihllitb pr+jeci Wherher rnonagint Joii
. 1q qh* big wgodq or b+ckyardsl*iiJUi*
brc.losists gcnerally.*ri very knowlcd*e.
ahl* Dn aninral populatioirs *nd habit*rt,
Tl lt * rhey fail on peaple rnauagerlllent, :
,3** where s g,roup of bowhuntms
cailed "Eacol$gix from Buc.ks Courrty,
P.ennsylvania. have fbund their n'chi.
l,oc.rtcd north +f Phiiadelpftia,,in Lhper,
h {ak*,frel<l,township ( UMT), E"_colagix
rurueq t.(onflrc1t ot too mafiy deep into
u bowhr.rrrtiug op;roriunity. As iu m*riy
42 pBowtunrEn' Au(SusrtooE . :''
Mq$agsr$ firu the f(cy
'lhe +mouur qf fime Etologix rnen-
Age.rs put iil$ thi$ prog.rqnl ii llsr'rt
etldle$s Be(+u$e oi'ihe huge tirhe dr-rn:-
mjtrnent, I?lflnagerri nturt*be prid forE
a torrg-tcrnr pr'oject, This is implrtani_fi
becarrs+ this is wherr marry nrban dcer $
pr*grams fait" \{ithorrt a firia,r*iltil;d: $
Bnckyard Bowhunting
Relying'on sound planning, bawhunters
oil.ce afnin prove their abTlity to manlge
urban deer,
prirnary coftponenLc; l) wiltt-
life populations, Z) li*lritar
ti'$,q alrd 3) Feq,ple managc"
re rnteraction af these t.hr;erirrn t., The jnteraction (rtihese thr;e
.tl.bun *r*ac, the pr+trlerrr *f too ms.ny
ddrr"was orrly geiting wor,se in L!MT.
$onre councihte$,6n thc UjvIT board
suggested: rharpshooter.s, whiie,rth€r;
yoiced their cpp**itiCIn tc firesrms in an
itfbdn atea.
Fald to Hunt
. At*! cr:nsider+bk dcbare, U[rt] d+_
elin+d the sh+rgr$hooting opti+n, which
wourd t).gv(i co,$t flg esliruated $l?S;gCI6,
and hired Eccologix insteed, lhe tlvlT
111i1ion ,was based;rr.imarily on rhe lact
xnat bor,vhuilting is less irrtru*jve, I*ss ex.
pensive at $4fi,0C1(1, potentielly rnoro Ef_ficient in lirnited "lrlrcJtyard" ar+,as, andffldrr dcuilrrunily-or,ielted. And, ves.
Er:colo$ix would get pnid t,: pr*,ricm
br)Wntl$ting a$ + tnflnagED)ent ti]$I.
F,+cologi.t coverert its hunt lnaflir$-
'rl t'
Io ilnflnsge b€clqnad deer, b+whunt€rs' must fearn to rnodlfy, adapt, and ovsn
corns. At thi6 r€6idsl|cs; $ruhgr$ $Tt ilF s
qstrotd and pteesu.a blind on tqp" OkEyr
if mlght looi{ E littt€ unorthodox, u,rt ilrrss
. d+fi fellGd to mek6 it orrt df this yard as
. fl rEsslt, Fowhrntilrg hilF pt'ovdr etfesilv€
whsru no othsr ffietfi,pdg *vill work,
FRff{ : Hl.-HIt'15 r:lF:':HtiR1'FfiH t'Jn. : Hfi7-F44-34't4 Ju L ?U "?flES ljiS: t?4Ff,1 Ft
Eecologir llarusst Pnr Acre
' tandoumer Sulrey'. A,sr,lrvey was sentt+ landowners aolc"
i tngr fl sei'ier *f guestion$. This $ufvry re:
,' ' re*'ler,{ that 8$, gey*e.nt o.f all landowners
$'ere either vtlv *ntisfied rvith Eccoi*grs
hu.nters ar rqte,C them as {.xrepti(}nel,
1, h4arr: thm 90 petcent rated the rnanagcrs
{$ the ounrc ',vty, 'fhe ke,v question h*d to'' dd with vihether ianqlowner+ w()uid bt
wliling tr.r a11or,,; Iir:cologix hunters hacl
Lln th€ir FIapdriv Ag+irt, 95-percerrt said
11:rry worrld.le$tanenttd th* f'.r*tthat Fc-
ccltigixhitiltdrs *re fulfilling th* p*ople-
manfl g,*ilI€nt {ft mpnnsrrt of lcildi il'e
.fihtnaf,elui:nt.
ilet $idc l{utes
.Eccrllosir( trow}runters to*k 4tj per-
cenir{236 deer) oft}reiriat+l deer harvest
within thc liisl fllon[it +f tlre prcgram,
uli exc*yiiorrnl acconrplisliriient. By:tak.
.ri
br:lgtG{
$-8z-4 s-tg $-flft fl+
$ru[ 0F FROpERTY $CnE]
ir4; th*se derl e.*rl'e, Er*ologix l:'rurtbrs
u'aved over :!3,900 trrourrdr nf vegetal:ioit,
rir thr equl rrlent of a li"acre !-aoc1 plot,
'ileer.vehisie cotlisierns in UMT
cirrrpped fiem 2.30 to I?$ irr on* ,ve*[,+
r*duc:tio.r;. of 44 percent.
$
.S,n irdjolning torvrr*hip elected to go $
,ruith sharpsh**(€r$ t* rrduce dc{r',ritff- t
berc. F.cctl*gix hunters barvcsted thre* $
fewer deer than the sharpsh*ot*r*. Tbl*is fr
prcfl"al{y **t * ftir cmn:pariurn bt:eau$* i
s$ndiijons iould lulve irarie,i greathJl $
46 }ESA'FIUNTEFI AU$U.$T?OOF
,'"-dhe tsusiness of i;il1$l6i'r.x1lr!1i[#,'",""ffie Businqss of ini{'#-;#i.**S#*i':.iffI Backyard Bowhuntlng ;iliffii;;1ffi
Relylng0nsoundplannlng.'..boyh}-llcll-g";';m;i[luln1.ii"l;=l':
onie $-guln prove thelr abllity to nNanage ;*;i."*;*'lt:.*l*i
".",t,urban deer. *:llC.tiX':ijl;m;lln;:
F-1r.iffipftp' [$*ffir,ffiffi
,,ffi$ffi $wm*nffiitif'i.:t.i'
Hunttng Whitetalle
ii
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th fa,oqtsptm"l*tsturhlt ild lr$bdli bhuibr'b de dffi,orurnffi tur h!tud h 6e rrnr qDrodd. tr! cA qit
".iiii#irie'&ili,irmi qnc ps tuHks pftbd .qq Ftutond u$t ,d;;;il,g-;;;ft?f,, ffi r round ![€matk 6! EcldrdffiFd8ffiH'..
5,483 houn cil itdld. ?ad a!.drafed
tbovr l2hou6tor4h d*rragSrid. irrrome ou. to sout ou dFJ erq!:: j
hutrla icologk huilrls cbser(rd j,S7
der atld I bucii- tc-dae Etia cftr-1 6.
SUe of htp.ry
Ii! a giw dtsr mo{ huriifl iar
hrg€ dMg.5_{p hvnt. Ilu, hdr do sm: lJ
4"HgG * nJ vp I o Jal!+ larjl 'n teilftor@ Js{std;er@? Ltril.gd !plit
'6 td'perUs inb dr iler <? iF..?.trcs 5,816, 9.tl rw, 13.20 a.isi.+i 21r aqs 1* g,ap| 16 p6gs ;5, ,6
H< Srrpn dlo&a Sr dell* ,n)rdldpn',nrattbe o*i derbeggjpei*re.
Brfin5
. E$(ingJrr!srtshnre.oxrffi.6jl
ili i! d*lt ss ae i lricitrle torjl rnrban.ds+ducFm hurs. kalized
Jd s0u64i PelDe'.lwnis rn 200: blt-jr€ li aiickrd orily !t i}ba! 1Hr. Cc,
s-{O$lx nufrE uqt col n b CBh, d.rr .
Itr llclstb wtrs ,Jlx hribieB did nor snavdffi$, !
, Icok,Hxhrureru tujlr i""pt.-""* QDurxtg surlng fle Rcord FJ. .f tI. Dr,j, !
Shfr. ftN vjhyJrrd bui huntcl a,i er. ferry {,i. 1l I ;ouB fui s,:li dei tuver. !e{enlperdl h ! i.7 hours ftr ij:.le L & !dd n.t use bjir. fsmfi,)*lli rf,M ,e- E
l!?br tun{pre. lhe v4lunEtri $iJr todliidf ,_nc!olJD1 iurtls ind htrnb16
brFn h t0sc 4df fohEitmed.
'ltGicaolog,):prcgrae irnd a hunr
in8 (iub, ji ir I hsibe.s that hs roah
udd rrd!?ghdt strarqi:s iitdt ;rud
be n{, Tnc licojogir- m;rAgil.. i F tha
. sfl 4 plujlq lurcs TlFlr'* the con.
duit, tha lielhng, bcl}.trn \b4 hu,re$eilt thol$doe DeF, Uiq'i{nd fir 88.e{ publlq
,llunt tt|llts
. .'llE tst )f,ili BMtd"r \unF5 te*
41J ?Etr lf u {dC r}; dffi bil st oftrfl lunbr whd tormhl a io-op !(ithEmlngir tL? bftj r$ i68 dd-inhtr
h!$08 kli itd & ldjti6.l .1 lZ dfs in rhe
losshrp, Mngiig ilE RFi*t i#*l oftr in t,*UI r, 70(l Fssorlr |i,os)
, rlhs iE ritDiiicuilr E{;v* rhe W,ro&,ft. rhc illvJT dlE hi6!* iris ;nivll8:-And \!n*! n$i !;ldJ,a HorJd r...oN, boak4tt hure6 hlrr{fd de!
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Statement to the Board of Cayuga Heightso NY: July 20,20A9
My name is John Paul. I have lived here for the past 43 yearc.
It is here that I have helped raise three children.
For 10 years, in the 1980s and 90s, I spent 3 to 4 weeks of each summer doing renovation
work at the home of a man on Twin Glens Road here in Cayuga Heights. Every day I
observed and was observed by white tail deer ... deer who were the forbears of those who
live among us today.
From that properly I could see the magnificent Cayuga Lake.
Before there was a Cayuga Heights,
Before there was a New York Statp,
the first people, the Cayugas, lived peacefully along its southern shores. Very near to
Buttermilk Falls was the location of that nation's Sacred Peace Pipe.
In the summer of 1779, without consideration of co-existance, General John Sullivan lead
his troops along cayuga's shore, destroying crops, burning villages, driving out the
natives, and killing those who could not or would not flee. This bloody choice still stains
the waters.
Before Sullivan's campaign.
Before the Cayugas settled here, the area was populated by White Tail Deer.
These ancient, gentle animals have great wisdom. They are not aggressive or possessive.
They care for their offspring and lead them in the ways of peace. For hundreds of years
these deer have lived the lives we would have our children lead.
Shall we now ..,... onco again.... and only forour selfish convenience, murderthose
who mean us no harm and who every moment show us how to co-exist in beauty?
*"0
I call on your sonscience.pl pray that you "lead us not into" your proposed Crime Against
Nature.
Thankyou.
John Lyon Paul
174 Sodom Road,Ithaca, New York 14850
{o $*^ fi. Mo,1 Cu^'t"*:1[eolfi
We live in a world of shortterm solutions. These types of solutions have brought us
economic decline, globalwarming, widespread poverty and the loss of many civil
liberties. The bait-and-shoot solution to the deer population falls into this category. lt
provides a short{erm solution with both immediate and long term negative ramifications.
One major concern, I believe, is what an action like this says about the values of our
community. Do we value our tulips over a positive relationship with the creatures we
share this planet and community with? Do we want to show our children and the world
that when something is a nuisance we slaughter it? In a world full of war and apathy, this
is hardly the lesson we should be teaching.
Wildlife expands our world and reminds us that we cannot live in it however we please
without hurting ourselves, others, and the planet. Rather than resorting to a bloody and
cruel solution, our community, represented by our board of trustees, could implement
simple solutions such as reflectors on the road, fences to protect our gardens, creating
spaces that are friendly to deer and humans, and educating community members about
how to live alongside the other creatures that share our space.
lf you would speak to the people you represent, I believe you will find a collection of
hearts and minds willing to spend a little extra time and money on alternatives to this
mass slaughter. lt is an insult to many, including myself and many others you see here
tonight, to assume that we value a pretty view from our living room window over the lives
of our beautiful and gentle neighbors. You have the power to either cause or prevent
their brutal and senseless killing. Please choose to model the best of what we want the
world to be rather than the worst of what it is.
&iio-,
gsl,Gvv*-
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The proposed Cayuga Heights deer slaughter feels how I would
imagine it would be to live in a third world country controlled by juntas
and special interest groups.
Due to a decree by a few, primarily for their special interests and
hobbies, the general population of Cayuga Heights and its surrounding
areas have to live in fear, They must live in an environment in which
their own, their children's and their pets'safety is threatened by
marauding "sharpshooters", shooting at deer in undisclosed locations,
on undisclosed dates, at undisclosed times. How creepy and terrifying
is that?
Another undisclosed plan is the project's policy. what is the policy for
notification/return of pets killed or injured by the rifle shots? Will the
"sharpshooters" be instructed to cover up such incidents and not
report them and tell the owners, or will they come forward and face
the inevitable law suits that will follow?
It is truly shocking that in a supposedly environmentally conscious,
civilized and enlightened community, which I am sure Cay0ga Heights
prides itself on being, would allow a few, whose special interests
supersede common sense and public sensibilities to impose such a
sentence.
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As our vicieo record wiii sl-iow, cver tlie last ten months thers has been a paiiern of
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tragic, a paitem of discouraging citizen participation by doing such things as
announcing meetings at the lasi minute, failing to publisli meeting agendas ancl
minutes, mischaracterizing the purpose of public meetings, and evon pubirc
officials making personal atiacks and false statements at public events and in the
media in order to dispai:age and intiinidate individuais advocaiing for nonviolent
solutions. You have also taken steps to minimize the inclusion of pubiic comments
in rneeting minutes. You have ofTered up exaggerated deer-vehicle accident
statistics, and claimed over and over that the deer population is spiraiing out of
control, yet have presented no convincing erridence to support this and many other
ciaims.
What are the citizens of our community to make of this sort of behavior on tire pait
of governineirt offi cials ?
And now, you propose to ieave every single deer in Cayuga Heights either dead or
the subject of atr experiment to be carried out by a Cornell researcher rvho has
apparentiy become so disconnected by all the kiiling he's done that unnecessarily
taking innocent life no longer carries moral weight. Similarly, you apparently
suffer no qualms about using tax payer funds to annually bring in a team of armed
men to spili the biood of fawns and pregnant <ioes long habituated to human
contact. And you've said that you will do this at times and locations that will not
be disclosed, denying residents the right to make informed decisions about their
or,vn safety. Has the rn'ord dernocracy lost its meaning in Cayuga Heights?
You may teli yourselves that you have a mandate, and thai r,vhat you are doing is
somehow scientific, but I believe the vast majority of people not just in Ithaca, but
in the wider world, will find your plan emblematic of those peculiar acts of
barbarism that have been carried out not by the poor, desperate, and ignorant, but
by highly educated people of privilege who willfully choose a violent and
destructirre course of action even though they have many other options.
I and many others still hope that you will choose to set aside this tragic plan, and
rvork with the many people who are waiting to support nonviolent options in the
best interest of our whole community. It is up to you decide what you will be
remembered for: compassion and creativity, or senseless killing and abuse of the
democratic process.
I'm Karen Kaufmann, 110 Northway Road, and I'm here, again, to voice my conceflls about the
Deer Remediation Committee's recommendation for deer population control.
I honestly don't believe that anything I, or anyone else, can say will persuade the Board to
consider the moral and ethical challenges raised by the DRAC proposal. But I hope that you
share a commitment to sound management of the public purse, sound stewardship of the public
good. As a matter of sound management, I pose a few questions:
Is is sound management to undertake a costly, ambitious program of lethal control on the
vague, unquantified impression or assumption that there are "too many deer" or "more
than there used to be"? Doesn't sound management require, at the least, that there be
some estimate of the number of deer to be controlled, so that your approach, and your
assessment of feasibility, cost, and duration, can have some bearing in reality? Doesn't
sound management require that you assess the feasibility of setting up bait sites, and
getting resident waivers, before adopting a plan to use lethal force in our backyards?
Next, as a matter of sound management, will you each honestly assure your community
that a program of backyard slaughter performed by hired killers over a potential ten-year
span will make our neighborhoods safer, more liveable, more congenial, more
marketable? And will you explain to your community what measures or benchmarks of
safety, liveability etc. you will apply? For myself, I know I moved here because I thought
this was a safe, comfortable, child-friendly, eminently walkable community, open to
outdoor activities in all seasons and times of day. A backyard shooting program
involving the slaughter of potentially hundreds of deer will not meet my crrteria for safety
or walkability.
Is it sound management to ignore the choices and experiences of other communities that
have considered bait and shoot programs? Our neighbors in the Cornell deer control
program rejected out of hand any plans to shoot on central campus due to density of
population and traffic. Our colleagues in Irondequoit dropped bait and shoot in favor of
controlled hunting due to cost and controversy. Our counterparts in the Town of
Amherst, after litigation over environmental impact, spent six figures to ignore an
Environmental Impact recommendation to try non-lethal control first, and continue to
face deer population replenishment and public controversy in their bait- and-shoot
program. Down in Princeton, New Jersey, the first five years of bait culling cost over a
million dollars and the annual kill has continued unabated for another five years--
notwithstanding that the effectiveness of their hired sharpshooters is enhanced by New
Jersey law allowing net and bolt killing, illegal in New York. And out in Michigan, the
City of Rochester Hills last winter pulled the plug on its bait and shoot program two
months into its four month run, with only nine kills on a 200-deer permit and under
mounting public opposition; while the city of Muskegon recently rejected a plea for
culling, concluding it was costly and ineffective, and its goals of plant preservation better
accomplished by fencing and repellants.
Finally, is it sound management to blink at the legal and liability challenges of a plan for
public hiring of private sharpshooters to perform lethal operations on private land? Take
the need for an environmental impact evaluation- case precedent indicates that without
basic quantification you cannot conscientiously certi$r even that no environmental impact
assessment is required. Or take the Village firearms ordinance, which limits the use of
firearms to the "discharge of official duty." Will you deputize the hired killers to make
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them "officials" subject to o'official duty"? Or do you believe all contractors hired by the '.:' t
Village are performing official duty, so that the Village bears responsibility for their
mishaps and accidents? And speaking of responsibility, who will bear responsibility for
activities on and around the bait sites- will the site owners and 500-foot neighbors be
held accountable? Will their homeowners insurance covsr the plan? Will the non-
signatory neighbors have any right of recourse if accidents, misfires, or the escape of
wounded animals occurs? Will the Village evade responsibility by putting the onus for " iu
safety and control on the hired sharpshooters who would as soon kill as brush their teeth?
' As a matter of sound management, I urge the Board to move slowly. Collect the
numbers, post the position of deer officer, conduct the survey that will assess the
community's willingness to provide bait sites or fund sterilization, work with Comell and
other neighbors to put phase one of the Phased Option Plan into place, and work the r; ;i;
options of education, fencing, and sterilization, before putting your community at odds, at
risk, at great cost Thank you.
TfzeleT
lf Cayuga Heights passes a deer-killing plan, it will be a tragedy. lt will mark
the end of a long era of peace and enlightenment that our community has
known since I was a child growing up here. lt will be an admission that we,
who are amongst the most highly educated, privifeged people in the
country, failed to open our minds wide enough to find a way to live in
harmony with nature.
Yes, you have the power to approve the killing of sentient animals who live
amongst us. But that doesn't make it right. lt will still be a tragedy, and as
the killing plays out, it will become more obvious to more people what a
grave mistake you have made. This mistake is already clear to many, before
a single shot has been fired. But when it becomes more real - when the
armed men arrive in their trucks and the blood of innocent animals is
spilled, when the piles of their lifeless corpses are carried away under the
cover of darkness, you will not be able to escape the fact that some people
will bear witness to this senseless violence and its aftermath. And when
their outrage and anger rises up, these people will remember all the fuss
that was made about some deer-killing plan in Cayuga Heights, and that the
people sitting in this room are the ones responsible for bringing this ugliness
upon us all. This will be your legacy, your contribution to the culture and
values of what was once called the most enlightened community in America.
I grieve for the deer, and for the people who care about their lives. But I am
determined they not die in vain. So while you are making deals with contract
killers and gatherinrg clearances to shoot within 500 feet of people's homes,
and while you are changing laws to suppress freedom of speech, we will be
documenting the activities of these innocent members of death row. Our
camera will capture their individuality, their family bonds, the way they play
and enjoy life and care for their own, in ways that are recognizable to
anyone who shares their home with a dog or cat. Then, as they are picked
off one by one, people around the world will learn about how the people
who put a contract out on their lives wouldn't listen and didn't care. In this
woY, perhaps we can turn your dark legacy in this community into a ray of
hope for other communities.
-Jenny Stein, 4O-year resident of lthaca, Ny
Page I of 2
IVlary Jan,e Neff
From: vchclerkl@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 j:12pM
To: Mary Jane Neff
subject: Fwd: For the record -- copy of statement made at7l2o rrustees meeting
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Meador <michael@meador.info>
To : may or @c ayu g a- hei ght s. ny. u s ; cIefl<@c ayug a-he i ghts. ny. us
cc: randolina@cayuga-h_eights.ny.us; rbors@cayuga-heighis.ny.us; ddonner@c awga-
heights.ny.us; driesman @cayuga-heights.ny.us; ksupron@cayuga-heights.nyius;
b szekely @c ayug a- hei ght s . ny. us
Sent: Mon, Ju120,2009 9:31pm
Subject: For the record -- copy of statement made at7/20 Trustees meeting
statement to the Village of cayuga Heights Trustees, July 20,2009
My family lives less than 200 yards east of where you sit tonight. ln our fifteen years on the
property, we've tried to create a wildlife-friendly habitat, reducing the amount of mowed lawn,
eliminating traditional landscaping plants that deer like to eat, building brush piles for nesting
and burrowing habitat, etc.
We appreciate and are careful to protect the collection of critters that live on or visit our
property, including raccoons, woodchucks, muskrats, skunks, red and grey squirrels, chipmunks,
frogs, ducks, geese, crows, and many species of songbirds. But we are powerless to protect
that habitat from the heavy destruction of foliage and undergrowth br ought on by the gross
overpopulation of deer.
That overpopulation is also attracting other critters that are even less appropriate for a densely-
populated environment. Less than a week ago, a red fox trotted across our backyard. Of
course it was exciting to see it, but the reason it was there is that it was headed straight for the
rotting deer carcass that was upwind of our house, Finding easy food in a human neighborhood
means that it's likely to return to the area, bringing an enhanced threat of rabies and
introducing a predator of small dogs and cats.
Does the deer overpopulation problem impact us directly? Of course, in many ways. lgnoring
disease and other serious deer-related problems, one simple example occurred just three
weeks ago when a doe climbed four steps, crossed our l2-ft-wide deck, and devoured a large
potted tomato plant in full bloom. But this is a relativelytrivial issue -we can buy more
tomatoes. The real problem isthatwe can't restore a decimated natural environment.
There is a gross imbalance in the local=2 Oecosystem, and the deer herd must be significantly
reduced forthe long-term benefit of what's left of the natural environment in the village.
Otherwise, the negative impacts will only continue to worsen for many other species besides
humans and the deer herd. The Trustees need to act responsibly on behalf of the residents
07123t2009
Page 2 of 2
who elected them and implement the recommendations of the exhaustive, year-long work of the Deer
Remediation Advisory Committee.
Michael Meador
105 Lisa Place
Ithaca,NY 14850
607-342-3208 cell
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he leamed in school." Albert Einstein
An Excellent Gredit score is 750. see ysr*rs in Just 2 Essy steps!
07/23t2009