Rod Klus, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) district wildlife biologist, attended the regular meeting of the Hines Common Council March 13 to discuss controlling the deer population in Hines and Burns.

Klus provided copies of Senate Bill 373, which was passed into law during the last legislative session and directs ODFW to develop a pilot program for urban deer control.

“Urban deer control would be, in this case, lethal removal of deer from the cities,” Klus explained, adding that the cities would designate an employee or agent to remove the deer.

He said a firearm would most likely be used, as darting and lethal injection are prohibited.

“Anything they use to knock a deer out would make someone else sleepy if they eat the meat,” Klus explained.

The bill states that, to the extent feasible, the edible portions of any deer taken under the pilot program be distributed to a local food bank or charitable organization at the local government’s expense.

“The meat would be salvaged and donated to a charitable cause, and the cost of that would go on the cities,” Klus said, adding that, “The food bank may limit how many deer could be removed in a given time frame.”

Mayor Nikki Morgan asked, “How do you know that the deer are healthy to donate?”

Klus replied that meat would be donated on a case-by-case basis.

“If there was anything about the deer that appeared to be not edible, we would not take a chance,” he said.

He added that the food bank will only accept meat that’s been processed through a butcher, which is “a pretty good safeguard.”

Councilor Diane Rapaport asked how diseased deer will be handled.

“Well, those ones you just have to bury,” Klus said. “If something is not suitable for eating, we’re not going to take any chances.”

Rapaport suggested killing the unhealthy deer first. However, in order to reduce the city’s deer population, Klus recommend killing the healthy deer first.

Rapaport also asked about butchering costs, and Police Chief Ryan DeLange estimated that it’d cost about $175-$200 per deer.

Noting that the local deer herds are substantial, Rapaport suggested rounding them up and taking them out of town.

Klus replied that this method was tried before, and it’s not very reliable.

“It’s super expensive, and it’s time-consuming, and to remove a significant amount of deer would be a real challenge,” he said. “And where do you take them? Nobody else wants them either.”

Klus added that the food bank may be able to assist with processing costs, and DeLange stated that the butchers may be willing to offer a discount.

In order to participate in the pilot program, cities must pass an ordinance, resolution, or order declaring that their deer populations have risen to levels that constitute a public nuisance.

They must also adopt an ordinance restricting the placing, depositing, distributing, storing, or scattering of food, garbage, or other attractant that would knowingly lure, attract, or entice deer.

City Administrator Judy Erwin noted that the council already adopted an ordinance against feeding the deer, but it will need to pass a resolution declaring them a nuisance.

Erwin, DeLange, and Morgan urged the public to stop feeding the deer. And Rapaport asked Erwin to prepare the nuisance resolution so that the council can vote on it during its next meeting.

“It’s kind of on hold until we develop administrative rules. Those rules need to be put into place by January 1, 2019,” Klus said. “We don’t know what’s going to be in the rules exactly yet because they’re not created, but the bill kind of outlines much of what will be in there.”

He added, “It’s going to be a really controversial issue. This hasn’t been done in Oregon yet.” However, he said, “It’s been done in other parts of the country. Urban deer are an issue all over the country.”

•••

The council continued its conversation concerning mosquito control.

Councilors Dan Grigg and Robert Beers researched options and shared their findings.

Grigg said the best information that he received was from the North Morrow Vector Control District, which uses a multipronged approach to control mosquitoes in Boardman and Irrigon. In addition to a fogger truck, the district uses a helicopter to spray granules on water sites and puts briquettes in the cities’ drainage systems.

According to Grigg, the district’s leader said bats are “minimally effective” in controlling mosquitoes.

“His opinion is [the bats are] going to go after the moths and the bigger bugs before they go after the mosquitoes,” Grigg said.

Acknowledging that Hines can’t afford to do the full program, Grigg asked the district leader whether there would be any value in doing part of it.

“He said, ‘Yeah, anything you do is going to make a difference,’” Grigg said.

Beers researched the fogger and reported that it’d cost about $10,000 to add the equipment to one of the city’s trucks and an additional $200-$300 for the chemical. He said the major expense would be the cost of obtaining and maintaining staff certifications.

Morgan asked, “Have you approached the county to see if they would be interested in any of this?”

Grigg replied that he hadn’t had any discussion with the county or the city of Burns.

“Some of the feedback I’ve been getting is that if the county doesn’t do it or Burns doesn’t do it, the mosquitoes just come back,” Rapaport said.

“To a certain degree, yes,” Beers replied. “The bigger the area, the better the benefit.”

Erwin said she spoke with the city of Burns and the Burns Paiute Tribe, and they are waiting to learn what Hines discovers.

Noting that mosquito control could be costly, Rapaport said, “There are other things to spend money on here.”

Morgan replied, “I think it’s a good idea to research this,” adding that the council may be able to find cost-effective solutions.

Morgan, Rapaport, and Councilor John Mims thanked Grigg and Beers for their research, which will continue.

•••

DeLange reported that there have been a lot of thefts, burglaries, and break-ins. He said an individual was caught, but the break-ins continued.

“It’s happening every week. There’s no set time, no set place. We tried to pinpoint it on a map, and it’s scattered everywhere,” he said.

DeLange also reported that there were threats of violence at the junior high and high school, and the department is teaming up with the schools to address active-shooter situations.

He said, “Most people say it’s not going to happen here, but you can’t say that.”

The department will also provide a drug prevention presentation to middle school health students.

“We bring people who have been through the drug life, and they tell their stories to the kids,” DeLange said. “It worked really well in the high school.”

He also noted that used syringes/needles have been found around town.

He said, “Don’t touch them. Just call us. We can take care of them.”

DeLange said people were arrested for methamphetamine at a house where people have been using and selling the drug, DeLange said. He added that the department received calls regarding erratic behavior, which he attributed to a “bad batch of meth.”

DeLange concluded by stating that Burns and Hines police officers are assisting the John Day Police Department, which is short staffed.

•••

In other business the council:

• received reports from Erwin and Fire Chief Bob Spence.

Acting Maintenance Supervisor Jerry Lewellen was unable to attend the meeting because he was busy taking care of a water leak;

• agreed to cover lodging, per diem, and mileage costs for Assistant Fire Chief Dave Riess to attend training;

• approved Resolution 2237, designating account numbers for the supplemental budget;

• approved Resolution 2238, which accepts unanticipated revenues from a speed control traffic safety grant and authorizes its expenditure;

• agreed to appoint Julee Withee to the budget committee;

• agreed to send DeLange to the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police conference;

• agreed to approve sending an employee to a small water system training course.

“He already went. This is just a formality,” Morgan explained;

• approved continuing education and training for employees in water and wastewater training.

The next council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at city hall.