Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Animal Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents ask Glassboro leaders to address stray cats, clogged creek and neighborhood park site
Summary
Two residents told the borough council their neighborhood is coping with a growing population of stray cats and standing water in a local creek; they asked the borough to help with animal-control options, culvert clearing and consideration of a nearby field for a playground.
Nancy Paul Hamas, a Glassboro resident who lives on Chestnut Ridge, told the borough council on Sept. 9 she is "at my wit's end" over a rapid increase in stray cats in her neighborhood and asked officials for help.
"They're unvaccinated. No doubt. Some of them may be sick," Nancy Paul Hamas said during the public comment period, describing kittens appearing on private property and a lack of clear animal-control response from county agencies. She said the borough's existing pet ordinance appears unenforceable in practice.
Lamont Wilkinson, who identified himself after the clerk asked for names, said a separate but related neighborhood problem is clogged culverts between Washington and Lincoln streets. "The water just stands, which creates mosquitoes, frogs...and then the snakes," Wilkinson said, asking whether the borough can send crews to clear the under-street tunnels and whether a nearby former one-room school field could be restored as a park for local children.
Mayor Wallace responded that the borough would "get somebody out there, take a look at it, assess the situation, and see what we can do." Borough staff did not announce a timeline or a specific contractor at the meeting.
Kathy, the borough clerk, reminded speakers of the five-minute public-comment limit and asked that they state their name and place of residence for the record before speaking.
Why it matters: Residents described public-health and quality-of-life concerns — potential disease and pests tied to unvaccinated stray animals, standing water that can breed mosquitoes, and a lack of nearby play space for children. Those issues can require cross-jurisdictional responses (animal shelters, county animal control, borough public works) and can have modest budget or staffing implications for the borough.
What happens next: The mayor said borough crews would inspect the drainage and the council asked staff to research options for addressing the stray-cat problem. No formal referrals or funding decisions were made at the meeting; residents were encouraged to return with additional information at future meetings.
The council adjourned with the next meeting scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025, at 6 p.m.
