Finance committee removes permit fee for municipal deer-control program

The Medina City Council Finance Committee voted to amend Ordinance 1 62 22 to remove Section 2, eliminating the permit fees for the municipal deer-control program; the committee adopted the change with an emergency clause so it takes effect this season.

Committee members and staff framed the change as a way to reduce barriers to participation in the city’s deer-management effort and to address public-safety concerns after a sharp year-over-year rise in vehicle-deer collisions. Committee members noted the city had recorded 91 vehicle-deer collisions so far this year compared with 141 last year.

Janssen, who presented the amendment, said the fee—$75 for a new stand location and $50 for the same stand location—creates an “unnecessary barrier” because staff can screen many applicants quickly. Staff described the work and costs the city already absorbs for deer management, including parks staff time and service-department carcass pickups.

Council members and staff discussed safety trade-offs for expanding permit eligibility. One committee member said, “The goal would be that we have a program that harvests more deer through the program than by cars,” stressing that vehicle collisions are the primary safety issue. Others urged caution about approving additional locations where a missed shot could create liability if a deer runs into a roadway.

The amendment carried on a voice vote. The committee adopted the emergency clause so potential applicants will not be required to pay the fee this hunting season. Members said they retain the option to expand the program’s methods (including using contained public properties) later in the season if the initial, fee-free approach does not reduce collisions.

The committee did not adopt other operational changes tonight; members said they will monitor the program and may pursue further adjustments midseason if the public-safety metrics do not improve.