City OKs hired sharpshooters to cull Griffy deer

The City Council passed the sharpshooting ordinance with a 6-2-1 vote at roughly 1:15 a.m. Thursday, which will allow the city to hire professional sharpshooters to manage deer overabundance in Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.

Public comment at the council meeting demonstrated a clear divide within the community over the use of sharpshooting methods. Roughly 40 Bloomington locals lined up to share their opinions with the council.

A number of speakers reiterated that deer overpopulation is a huge problem for other plant and animal species, while others argued the city should use nonlethal methods like immunocontraception.

Anne Sterling, Midwest regional director for the Humane Society of the United States, spoke on behalf of the HSUS after the council meeting.

“We’re of course disappointed with the outcome of the vote, but we appreciate the discussion that took place and we remain ready and willing to help as this issue moves forward,” Sterling said.

Council Member Dave Rollo, co-author of the ordinance with Council Member Andy Ruff, was pleased with the decision and said it was the most logical solution to Griffy’s deer problem.

“I think it went through because the evidence is clear that there is ecological damage occurring at Griffy,” Rollo said. “We can now take action and I think it’s a reflection of good public policy guided by science.”

Sterling said it is unlikely that the HSUS will push Mayor Kruzan to veto the bill. She said the vote was basically veto-proof because only two council members voted no and only one abstained.

Sandra Shapshay, on the other hand, said she thinks the issue deserves to be looked at again. She warned before the meeting that, if the ordinance passed, she and others against it would seek a veto from the mayor.

“If the ordinance does pass, we’re definitely going to lobby the mayor to veto this ordinance,” Shapshay said before the meeting. “That would be our next step if we lose the vote.”