City votes to override Kruzan's deer veto

Griffy deer had a brief moment of relief when Mayor Mark Kruzan vetoed an ordinance that would allow for limited sharpshooting in the Griffy Nature Preserve, but it didn’t last long.

The Bloomington City Council voted to override Kruzan’s veto by a margin of 7-2 with no abstentions.

After more than 10 hours of deliberation on the ordinance, the council thought its job was done. It was in the early hours of the morning April 10 when the council passed the ordinance by a margin of 6-2 with one abstention.

But the deer debate was not finished yet.

Kruzan returned Rollo and Ruff’s ordinance April 11 without his signature. He refused to support a piece of legislation that involves “the killing of animals,” Kruzan said in a letter to the council.

Council members Dave Rollo and Andy Ruff suggested sharpshooting as the most humane and effective way to deal with the adverse effects deer overpopulation is having on the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.

“This can over time result in a permanent alteration of the woodland, and this state may be irreversible,” Rollo said.

Kruzan was not convinced, however.

“I fully understand a sufficient number of votes were cast to overturn a veto, but I can’t lend my name to the passage of a pro-hunting law,” Kruzan said in the
letter.

Ruff pointed out that the venison from the deer killed would go to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, a benefit he thinks the city should take into serious consideration.

Currently, Bloomington’s municipal code does not allow any use of a firearm within city limits unless it is discharged by a law enforcement officer or used in self-defense.

The ordinance proposed by the council would amend the code to allow professional sharpshooters to cull the deer population at Griffy.

As was the case for previous council meetings, public comment was split. However, a majority of the comments came from opponents of the ordinance.

“I want to praise the council for passing this last time it came up, and encourage those who voted yes for it last time to vote yes again, those who voted no to vote yes and even those who abstained to vote yes,” said Cathy Meyer, a naturalist of Monroe County Parks and Recreation Department.

Scott Wells, a Bloomington local, agreed and showed a Power Point that labeled deer as not just a Griffy problem, but a county-wide problem. Wells’ biggest concern was deer “munching on trees,” he said.

“I’ve actively pursued Bambi. I said, ‘Bambi, no, no, don’t eat my trees,’” Wells said. “We’ve got to get this balance back and, unfortunately, we need to take the emotion out of it.”

Bruce Bundy, another Bloomington local, was in favor of the ordinance. Deer overpopulation is a serious problem in Indiana, he said, and the city needs sharpshooting to fix it.

Because there are no predators to moderate the deer population at Griffy, humans have a responsibility to protect the environment, Bundi said.

“Humans are the only apex predators left,” Bundi said.

Costs to the city for the expense of hiring professional sharpshooters was estimated to be about $30,000 annually.

Timothy Baer, also a Bloomington local, said he was disappointed and saddened by the council’s vote. He also pointed out that the sharpshooters will target pregnant does and fawns.

“Problem solving by killing is flatly wrong,” Baer said. “There is nothing ‘humane’ about killing healthy, innocent, sentient deer.”

Laramie Wilson, who lives in the Southern portion of the Griffy neighborhood, asked the council to override the ordinance.

She argued vital information, including the number of deer in Griffy as well as the number of deer that will be killed, must be verified before sharpshooting can begin.

“The council should not amend the fire arms code until these questions are answered,” Wilson said.

Council member Darryl Neher said he appreciates everyone who participated in the public comment but he intended to still vote to override the ordinance.

Council member Marty Spechler also said he would vote for the override because Kruzan didn’t address the potential environmental effects of allowing the deer to live peacefully at Griffy.

“I don’t want to put deer against flowers, but I view the birds and I value the birds and I value the flowers every day and we will continue to value the deer when they’re reduced to a number that are healthy,” Spechler said.

Sandra Shapshay, assistant professor in the IU Department of Philosophy, and Anne Sterling, Midwest regional director of the Humane Society of the United States, agreed and also argued that no legitimate evidence has been provided that suggests there is an “ecological catastrophe demanding immediate legal action,” Shapshay said.

Maria Heslin, former Bloomington deputy mayor, provided a slightly different perspective, suggesting that the ordinance goes against the city’s mission to “promote, preserve and enhance Bloomington, Indiana’s distinct identity and vibrant quality of life.”

“I have total faith in our community ... to develop an innovative plan that would prevent us, at least right now, from needing to sharp shoot deer,” Heslin said.
Heslin added she hoped the community would arrive at a solution “that is truly Bloomington.”