For all the Lebo Citizens readers who are new to this, the Discussion Session will start at 6:30 PM in Conference Room C, down the hall from the Commission Chambers in the Municipal Building. The public is permitted to observe, but not speak.
The Commission Meeting will begin at 8:00 PM in the Commission Chambers. Citizen Comments begins shortly after 8:00 PM. The agenda is rather short, so if the commission permits non-residents to speak at the end of the meeting, the wait will not be as long as the last meeting. It appears that Commissioners Linfante and Bendel will not be attending. Those who wish to speak, must add their names to the sign up sheets in the back of the room. Last time, there were two sign up sheets, one for residents and one for non-residents.
Also on the Commission Meeting Agenda, the commissioners will be awarding a contract to Diversified Municipal Services to represent the municipality in defending and appealing assessments, otherwise known as the Newcomers Tax. Mr. and Mrs. Stroyd Morgans, get your phones charged. It will be a night for photos.
Update February 22, 2015 3:21 PM The commission lied to us about the sterilization permit. The Game Commission stated that they have not denied the sterilization permit, but are still waiting for Mt. Lebanon's response to their six questions.
On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 12:23 PM, a resident wrote:
Hello Steve,
To date I have not received a response to my inquiry surrounding the deer sterilization permit.
Considering the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners initially misled the public to believe this permit was not approved by the PA Game Commission, I would like to know its true current status.
Please respond as soon as possible.
Thank you.
From: Stephen Feller <sfeller@mtlebanon.org>
Date: February 20, 2015, 1:14:16 PM EST
To:
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Subject: Re: Sterilization deer permit Inquiry
We are working with Mr. DeNicola and are hopeful that we may have answers and a proposal for the Game Commission by the end of April.
Date: February 20, 2015, 1:14:16 PM EST
To:
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Subject: Re: Sterilization deer permit Inquiry
We are working with Mr. DeNicola and are hopeful that we may have answers and a proposal for the Game Commission by the end of April.
24 comments:
For those concerned about smoking in the parks, the commission will be considering a no smoking policy in our parks and parklets on March 23, 2015. Slaughtering deer is perfectly acceptable.
Elaine
The fact that they are adding locations is a pretty good indication that there aren't an overabundance of deer as Linfante and friends suggest.
Hell, if there are 100 per square mile one corral should be able to catch more than half of the 150 deer
Elaine, I'm really glad I packed up my family and LEFT TOWN this weekend. This story gets worse every day.
Commission to residents... "FU Mt. Lebanon, we're doing what we want and you're powerless too stop us!"
WHERE IN THE HELL IS LINFANTE???? SHE IS MY COMMISSIONER.. She has missed the last couple of meetings.. This tough assed woman isnt tough enough the hear the complaints from her voters..I've never been so outraged in my entire life.. i feel like the young men during ww2..want to drop everything and stop to the madness it's so much more than the killing deer.. that just stirs my blood..
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/2015/02/22/Mt-Lebanon-s-deer-herd-in-the-crosshairs/stories/201502220099
"Lot of misinformation out there."
Are there corrals on the golf course or not Ms. Morgans?
Should be a simple enough fact to get straight!
Then there is civic-minded anonymous archer Dave, mentioned in the PG article. He's shooting animals in Lebo but doing it anonymously. Wonder if the critics here of anon post that use just words have a problem with anonymous shooting and killing in their bubble?
Key word....private property....why is this a story?
Why is this a story 10:37?
Why do you suppose we had an ordinance on the MTL books for years prohibiting shooting so much as a slingshot, let alone a bow and arrow on public or private property?
10:37, it's a story because municipal money will be spent for services on private property.
So, let me get this straight. My hard-earned tax dollars are paying to slaughter and torture deer in someone's yard…someone who is upset that that deer are eating their precious flowers? This plan is getting worse!!! Where is the common sense????
Next thing you know, we'll be paying to plow and salt private drives, sidewalks and steps because hell someone could fall and get hurt and its is a public duty to prevent all accidents in the bubble!
1:50. No joke... I saw private drives getting plowed in Ward 1 this winter. #chaos
I meant to point out that the plowing/salting of the private streets in Ward 1 was by the muni -- not a private contractor.
I was being sarcastic @1:50.
2:13 is this really true and who lives on that private street?
2:27. I think the plow guys just don't know better which streets are private vs public. I don't think anybody special lives on the streets in question. I think it's just a reflection of mayhem in mtlebo.
Is the rule about non-residents speaking new? I remember when many Brookline residents spoke months ago about re-zoning of property very close to them. Was an exception made then? I am just curious.
12:05....if you have been following the story, local laws on private property hunting are not legal nor enforceable, the game commission has complete control.
Will the location of the private property corrals also be kept secret? How will residents, including children, know to stay away from Johnny's backyard for the next 6 months (given that the permit is in place until September)?
8:29, a hunter cannot hunt within 50 yards of an occupied building, they cannot be hunting in a school zone or public park.
Those are the game commission rules and I'm fairly certain if a hunter was breaking those regulations the local police dept. has the power to cite them and also to notify the appropriate game commission authorities.
I would also imagine it is within the police's jurisdiction to ask for proof of the appropriate hunting license.
Are you trying to say that if I'm walking in a Mt. Lebanon Park with a rifle and I'm approached by a police officer all I have to do is tell him, I'm hunting and he has no authority? Really!
10:02, I'd imagine the private areas are like the woods behind the Castle Shannon post office and not some ones private lot.
11:43 PM, the sad truth is during the last cull, they were killing deer right next to my house. I have been quiet about the deer culling until now. I wrote that more than three years ago and Dave Franklin was arguing with me about it then!
The nightmares have started again. Someone is going to get hurt. I wish I had the power to stop it.
Elaine
Interesting that you reprised that post from a while back, Elaine.
Just so people get a clear picture of Mr. Franklin's postion.
On February 21, 2015 at 11:09 he submits to your blog:
"Ulltimately though, cull or don't cull, I really don't care. But for heaven's sake, make a decision and be done with it. Debating this issue for years on end is a waste of time, energy and resources. We elected 5 commissioners to make decisions, not take polls and count petition signatures. Do your due diligence, put it on an agenda, listen to comments, vote and move on."
But is this the same Dave Franklin that commented on November 18, 2011 at 6:11 pm:
"Elaine, I don't have hostas. At least I don't think I do. The deer eat everything and what they don't get the squirrels do. I'd love to have squirrel culling. The turkeys are pretty cool and they seem pretty harmless. To be honest, I don't really care about the deer eating my plants, but having grandparents that were nearly killed when one jumped through their windshield, I understand why we need to limit the herd. It's not about the hostas."
Do his comments read like those of someone that doesn't care if we cull or not? In my opinion I think it's pretty difficult to deal with people that can't even take an honest position on this issue with themself.
2015, he writes cull or don't cull, I don't really care.
In 2011, he thinks the herd should be reduced because a deer crashed through his grandparents windshield on Rt. 28.
I'm at a loss how a Lebo cull would've prevented his grand parents incident, but I suspect Franklin does want to kill deer. In fact, he'd like to see the cull expanded to take out squirrels.
How about being straight up, if not with your neighbors at least yourself. Mr. Franklin, you do care and it's pretty transparent where you stand.
Here in lies the problem with the way things are being decided in our community. We have a bunch of people running things and sitting boards that aren't straight up.
They're environmentalists, but they love plastic grass. They hate guns and school shootings, but hey if someone wants to kill something near a school or in a park, it's OK it's under the game commissions jurisdiction. No need to get the police involved.
Then there is the deer problem... They cause accidents, not many in MTL mind you, but it frightens people like Linfante and Franklin so therefore we must kill the pest.
No wait, it's not the accidents, it's Lyme Disease they're trying to eradicate.
No, it's Save the Hostas.
For once people just be honest, are you capable of that?
8:13am - the short answer is "NO." Honesty takes a back seat to politics, and that is what this cull thing is all about. It is about a small minority of people setting the rules for rest of us, like them or not. They will tell you how to live, what is good and bad, what to think, and what to think about. Period. Sadly, most people in this town, whether they like it or not, seem to be resigned to living in a commune.
Ha. Yeah, how would a Lebo deer cull right now help his grandparents on Rt 28...four years ago? Maybe Franklin has a Delorean stashed away and is going to make a run toward the clock atop Rolliers.
And if it was such a "safety" issue four years ago, why not a peep until now?
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2013/11/14/Pittsburgh-s-suburbs-a-perfect-sanctuary-for-deer/stories/201311140002
Interesting info above from the past.
"In 2008, Mt. Lebanon ended a successful program in which the Agriculture Department was paid to send sharpshooters to cull deer in problem areas. Public works director Tom Kelly said when that program ended, the deer came back.
"If anything, there was an increase in the number of deer incidents," he said. "Police tracked more detailed information on deer incidents -- dead deer removed from the road, accidents, complaints."
So we culled and according to Tom Kelly, and he told the press "the deer came back" and "if anything, there was an increase in the number of deer incidents."
That information is from a municipal manager. Did the commissioners think he was bullshitting them?
Did they shake their heads and whisper... "oh that's just crazy Tom spouting off again! We know better, we'll do something really unique and innovative-- we'll throw out some more money, and surprise, surprise, kill some more deer and all will be wonderful in the bubble."
Duh, what is the definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Special note to Mr. Franklin. Did you read what Tom Kelly said? We HAD a cull according to him and the deer came back. He made a special point of saying incidents increased after the cull. Perhaps it's is time to wake up and try something different.
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