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Residents press council on speeding and feral cats; city manager pledges regional talks on animal control
Summary
During public comment Richland residents raised speeding in Tanglewood and Riverstone neighborhoods, promoted an orthopedic training facility event, and urged action on feral cats. City staff said they are coordinating regionally and will meet with Pasco leadership to discuss animal shelter policy.
Multiple Richland residents used the Aug. 19 public comment period to press the City Council on neighborhood speeding and feral-cat issues, and to promote a local nonprofit that hosts visiting orthopedic surgeons.
Sharon Felton, speaking for the Richland Kiwanis Club, promoted SIGN, an orthopaedic training nonprofit located in North Richland, and invited council to an event and tours. "This is Richland's Best Kept Secret," Felton said, urging the city to include SIGN in future promotions.
Several neighbors from the Tanglewood and Riverstone subdivisions described repeated excessive speeding and suggested traffic-calming measures. Sherry Whitfield, who said she lives at 689 Tanglewood, reported seeing vehicles travel "40, 45 miles per hour" through the neighborhood and said she had filed complaints on the Richland Police Department website more than a year ago without response. Luke Erickson, 625 Tanglewood Drive, told council the streets are wide, have one stop sign across the combined roads and recommended additional signage or speed bumps. He said Tanglewood is about 0.9 miles and Riverstone about 0.6 miles.
Martin Brown, of 1450 Geneva Street, raised an ongoing concern about feral cats in his neighborhood near Columbus Center Mall. Brown said volunteers were feeding large numbers of cats and characterized the situation as "unbearable." He questioned the sheltering policy that results in trapped cats being spayed or neutered and returned to their location. Brown also cited a figure he said he'd been told—about $200 per animal for spay/neuter services—and said he believes that cost is unsustainable for taxpayers.
City Manager John D'Alessandro responded in the reports section that staff have been in contact with SIGN leaders and will consider a proclamation or welcome message tied to their upcoming conference. Regarding feral cats, he said he has met with the Pasco deputy city manager and plans to meet with Pasco City Manager Harold Stewart to pursue regional solutions. "There is a discussion that needs to be had on a regional level on what to do," D'Alessandro said, noting current animal-shelter practice favors a no-euthanasia approach and returns spayed/neutered cats to their capture sites.
Council members echoed a desire to examine the regional shelter arrangement and performance. Councilmember Meyer suggested exploring whether the city should provide services itself if regional arrangements do not meet community needs; Councilmember Jones cited the city's recent contribution (he said roughly $900,000) to the regional shelter and asked for stronger performance metrics and local oversight. Van Dyke and Luxon urged a holistic review and stakeholder engagement. No formal council action was taken; staff were directed to pursue regional discussions and report back.
