Resolution No. 250414, A: A Resolution Formally Recognizing the Recommendations of the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee

City Council Agenda Item Report FROM:

Ryan Cummins, City Manager

MEETING DATE:

April 14, 2025

SUBJECT:

Resolution No. 250414-A: A Resolution Formally Recognizing the Recommendations of the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee

DESCRIPTION: In late 2024, City Council agreed to partner with the City of the Village of Douglas and Saugatuck Township to create a Tri-Community Wildlife Management Committee with a sunset date of December 31, 2025. The committee has held several meetings and recently recommended that each municipality adopt the attached resolution. If passed, the resolution would: • •

Formally recognize the recommendations of the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee. Commit to working collaboratively to implement appropriate measures to manage the deer population, including but not limited to controlled hunts, ordinance revisions, and continued monitoring efforts. Endeavor to take the necessary steps to enact policies, allocate resources where feasible, and engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of deer population management efforts in the best interest of public safety, ecological balance, and community well-being.

LEGAL REVIEW: Legal has reviewed the resolution and will be at your meeting for any questions. SAMPLE MOTION: Motion to approve Resolution No. 250414-A: A Resolution Formally Recognizing the Recommendations of the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee.

CITY OF SAUGATUCK COUNTY OF ALLEGAN STATE OF MICHIGAN RESOLUTION NO. 250414-A A RESOLUTION FORMALLY RECOGNIZING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRI-COMMUNITY WILDLIFE COMMITTEE Council Member____________________, offered the following resolution and moved for its adoption, seconded by Council Member____________________: RECITALS WHEREAS, the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee consists of representatives from the City of the Village of Douglas, the City of Saugatuck, and Saugatuck Township; and WHEREAS, based on observations and community surveys, the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee has determined that there is a substantial overpopulation of deer within all three communities; and WHEREAS, the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee recommends that the City of the Village of Douglas, the City of Saugatuck, and Saugatuck Township issue permits and facilitate controlled deer hunts using “Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators” (sharpshooters) authorized by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR); and WHEREAS, such hunts should take place with the permission of private landowners, including Homeowner Associations (HOAs), within their jurisdictions, with all associated costs and liabilities borne by the landowner(s) and/or HOA until the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee determines that the deer population has been brought under control; and WHEREAS, the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee further recommends that each municipality facilitate and direct controlled deer hunts on publicly owned lands within their jurisdiction, subject to budgetary constraints, using Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (sharpshooters) authorized by the MDNR until the Committee determines the deer population is under control; and WHEREAS, to further manage the deer population, the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee recommends that the City of the Village of Douglas, the City of Saugatuck, and Saugatuck Township revise their existing ordinances to permit the discharge of archery equipment without a special permit, thereby allowing bow hunting of deer during the fall hunting season in accordance with all applicable State of Michigan hunting regulations; and

WHEREAS, while these controlled hunts may provide temporary relief for landowners facing immediate issues, they are not a long-term solution to the deer overpopulation problem; and WHEREAS, to monitor the effectiveness of population control measures, the TriCommunity Wildlife Committee has authorized an annual deer population census each March using drone technology to establish a baseline for future assessments; and WHEREAS, through extensive research, the Tri-Community Wildlife Committee has determined that neither deer contraception nor relocation programs are currently viable due to cost and logistical constraints. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of the Village of Douglas, the City of Saugatuck, and Saugatuck Township formally recognize the recommendations of the TriCommunity Wildlife Committee and commit to working collaboratively to implement appropriate measures to manage the deer population, including but not limited to controlled hunts, ordinance revisions, and continued monitoring efforts; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each municipality will endeavor to take the necessary steps to enact policies, allocate resources where feasible, and engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of deer population management efforts in the best interest of public safety, ecological balance, and community well-being.

YEAS: Council Members: NAYS: Council Members: ABSTAIN: Council Members: ABSENT: Council Members: ADOPTED this _____ day of ________, 2025

CITY OF SAUGATUCK BY: Holly Anderson, Mayor

BY: Jamie Wolters, City Clerk

CERTIFICATION I, Jamie Wolters, the duly appointed clerk of the City of Saugatuck do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and complete copy of a resolution adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting held _______________________, 2025.

Signed: ____________________________ Jamie Wolters, City Clerk