Shaler commissioners pushing for ordinance to prohibit deer feeding

Shaler Commissioners believe that deer are becoming a nuisance and introduced an ordinance prohibiting feeding deer at the regular meeting on April 11.

“We’ve had so many complaints that we’re trying to do our part to try to control it,” Shaler Ward 1 Commissioner Frank Iozzo said. “It becomes a nuisance and destruction of property, the deer waste on people’s property, tearing up flowers and people’s lawns, tics are another thing. They don’t need fed, believe me.

“Let’s try to keep them back in the woods where we believe they belong,” Iozzo said. “If you start pulling them across neighborhood streets, now you’ve got accidents. I can’t tell you how many police reports there are on deer getting hit.”

The commissioners invite the public to weigh in on the issue at their May 9 meeting before they vote on the issue. Ward 2 commissioner Dave Mizgorski said they plan to urge the public to support the ordinance prohibiting Shaler residents from feeding deer.

“We don’t want anybody feeding the deer,” Mizgorski said.

Also on April 11, the commissioners unanimously approved opting into a nationwide settlement agreement involving opioid manufacturers and making sure grant funding for opioid related programs is available to the township.