Safety committee refers deer-hunting ordinance to council; proposes online parcel map for notices

The North Ridgeville Safety Committee moved on Sept. 15 to refer an ordinance amending the city's deer-hunting rules to city council, including a change from mailed adjacent-owner notices to an online interactive parcel map and an administrative change replacing a safety service director signature with the mayor.

Committee members and police officials said the proposed system would simplify administration and broaden public notification. "The way we're doing it is adjacent landowners receive notification," the Chief of Police said, describing the current process of preparing and mailing envelopes to each neighboring parcel. Under the proposal, a map on the city's website would allow anyone to click a parcel and see whether hunting is registered there.

The switch aims to reduce staff time and postage costs. Summer, a police department secretary, told the committee the department mailed 664 letters last year at 78 cents per letter, a postage cost of…