"Sharpshooting" is a go

The vote was 3-2. Bendel, Silverman, and McLean voted for "sharpshooting."

After the meeting, a resident asked Chief Lauth what we should do if we see or hear anything concerning that's related to this sharpshooting program. He said without a doubt call 911. Do NOT e-mail. He said he was very emphatic with his officers that any and all complaints that come in to 911 must be recorded. I know it's tempting to keep those complaints to ourselves, but please don't. Make the call.

Terms of the "sharpshooting" contract:

Private properties 7 days per week, shooting starts after 4 PM
Public properties 5 days per week, shooting starts after 6 PM
Public properties are McNeilly, Golf Course, Robb Hollow, and behind Public Works

[Didn't Keith McGill promise the Goddard School that there will be no sharpshooting?]

Apparently, Tony DeNicola was unaware of the Gun Free School Zone Act when he submitted his proposal. (Here we go again with our GPS equipment and Google maps.) He is looking for more private properties. Could my case be having a chilling effect? This might be an opportune time to mention this:



Baiting cannot start until after archery season is over. It is illegal to hunt over bait. Baiting will start January 24, 2016 and gunshots will begin February 1, 2016.

The PG reports Mt. Lebanon to use sharpshooters to cull deer along with this photo. Check out where this photo was taken.

Mt. Lebanon Commission approves sharpshooting program

Update January 13, 2016 9:56 AM My latest email exchange with the commission. Only received one response.

From: Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2016 9:31 am
Subject: Re: Sled riding

It will continue along with sharpshooting beginning Feb 1st.

Kelly 

Sent from Kelly's iPhone, please excuse typos or auto-corrections. 

On Jan 12, 2016, at 4:29 PM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Commissioners,

Looking outside my window, there are around six kids sled riding in Rockwood 
Park. Sunset for today is 5:14 PM. Archery will be taking place at the golf course today until 5:44 PM. 

Are you going to continue archery at the golf course or are you going to act responsibly and end the archery program at the golf course now?

Elaine Gillen

Update January 13, 2016 8:26 PM

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2016 8:21 pm
Subject: Re: Citizen Comments

Good evening Elaine,

Julie did tell me this earlier today. We were having some server issues last night. We almost delayed the start of the discussion agenda but Nick Schalles was able to correct the issue and then apparently during the 10 minutes you are referring to we had another separate issue.

The recording equipment for the Commission meetings was budgeted for an upgrade in this year's budget and the new equipment should be installed in the next week or two.

I am not sure if the audio can be recovered. I.T. is aware of the missing audio and is looking into if it can be recovered.

Keith

On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 8:10 PM, egillen476@aol.com <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

Commissioners,

Are you aware that about ten minutes of audio are missing during the January 12, 2016 Citizen Comments? The sound died during Lourdes Castallanos' comments. About ten minutes go by before the audio portion of the meeting returns. 

Interestingly enough, I was not able to hear Jason Margolis call out Susan Morgans for intentionally misleading the public as learned through RTKs.

Are those comments lost forever? It is unfortunate that I was not there with my little recorder as I was on August 15 and August 17, recording Jody Maddock's archery infomercials and making the only podcasts available to the public.

Elaine Gillen

--

Keith McGill, AICP
Municipal Manager/Municipal Planner
412-343-3684
kmcgill@mtlebanon.org 

Don't want sharpshooting in YOUR yard? Call the Game Commission

I understand that we are to call the PA Game Commission and let them know if we do not want sharpshooting on our properties. All safety zones are waived unless property owners call and say they do not want sharpshooting on their property.

Chad R. Eyler, Chief

Special Permits Enforcement Division

Bureau of Wildlife Protection

Pennsylvania Game Commission

2001 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110

717-783-8164

ceyler@pa.gov

Tuesday's vote UPDATED TWICE

The agendas have been published for Tuesday's commission meetings.

The commission discussion session agenda includes an hour discussion on deer with Tony DeNicola explaining his contract and the status of the sterilization proposal from the HSUS.

The vote for "sharpshooting" is on the Tuesday commission meeting agenda. Keith McGill got his way since there were three commissioners who backed him up. In the old days, the president or the manager would set the agenda. The commissioners will be authorizing Part 2 of the contract - "sharpshooting." Never mind the fact that the archery will be continuing for eleven more days. It doesn't matter that they don't have all the facts. There is no clarification on the contract where it was mentioned SPECIFICALLY that there will be no shooting from the back of the vehicle, yet DeNicola WILL be shooting from the back of a vehicle.  Forget that we don't know which public places will be hosting the killers. Who cares that there are almost 275 Not In My Yard signs in Mt. Lebanon yards with less than 20 properties who had archers killing deer? And finally, the new commissioner has already made up his mind that he was for sharpshooting prior to hearing what the costs were. And he's a CPA!!!!!!

January 8, 2016 7:09 PM Hey look! There is my name under "Litigation" during the Executive Session! My hearing is scheduled for February 26, 2016 at 9:30 AM in front of Judge O'Brien. Thanks to all who have helped me with my legal fees so far.

January 11, 2016 8:18 AM Here is the docket for the first case listed under Litigation. The agenda for the commission meeting indicates that a settlement will be awarded to Ms. Pedder.

"Sharpshooting" vote on the 25th!

From: Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Stephen McLean; Weis, Philip <philip.weis@bipc.com>
Sent: Sun, Jan 3, 2016 2:12 pm
Subject: Re: End of archery program

Thank you for your points about the vote, continued killing and private property tallies.
All valid information that the Commission needs to make a decision.

We need for the public and Commission to review the information that will be presented by Dr. DeNicola on the 12th and will have a vote the following meeting January 25th to ensure adequate time on such an important issue for the community. HSUS plans to attend as well and give their input and discuss the sterilization program.

Thank you.

On Sat, Jan 2, 2016 at 6:54 AM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Commissioners,

I understand that you may be voting for sharpshooting on January 12, 2016 instead of January 25, 2016. Does this mean that you will be ending the archery program early, or will the killing continue after your vote? If it continues to the end of archery season, you will have eleven additional days of deer killing and you would not know the true number of deer killed by the archers selected by White Buffalo. 

Additionally, what steps are you taking to find out the number of deer killed by private hunters? This could greatly affect the death toll and your decision to opt for additional killing..

Through a Right To Know, the short list of residents offering to grant temporary access for the purposes of killing deer is 60 residents, a far cry from the alleged 1400 signatures wanting deer killed. I would like to remind you that there are over 250 Not In My Yard signs displayed by Mt. Lebanon residents.

Elaine Gillen

--
KELLY FRAASCH
Ward 5 Commissioner, Mt Lebanon


Please note this is a public email. All emails on this account are subject to Right to Know which is public!

Frequently asked, rarely answered...UPDATED

A Mt. Lebanon resident had some questions about the sharpshooting program as it is presented in the FAQ on the municipal website. She had asked twice.

1. Can you clarify the shooting dates?
The FAQ says Feb 1 - March 31, but the Deer Mgmt. Update of Dec. 11 says Feb. 1 - March 1. 

2. Which days of the week will shooting will take place? What are the exact hours? Why is sharpshooting occurring at all in the daylight hours when, in the past, it has been done only at night? 

3. When will the locations for shooting be finalized? How many will there be, and will they be throughout the municipality concentrated in particular areas? 

4. Who is or will be involved in establishing the "safety" of these locations, and what considerations go into determining what constitutes a "safe" location to shoot in this community? 

5. Will the municipality require that neighbors of private properties where shooting will take place be notified of the activity occurring near their homes? 

6. What types of guns will be used? Are they automatic or semi-automatic rifles? What are the distances can projectiles from these guns travel? 

7. The RFP specifically asks for responses from contractors who have had experience sharpshooting deer in "densely populated suburban areas with limited open space". Can you please ask Dr. DeNicola whether he has ever done any safe, successful sharpshooting programs in an area as geographically small and as densely populated as Mt. Lebanon? If so, how many? I am looking for a detailed response that mentions specific locations and dates, and population densities. 

8. As of now, the only public information out there on the sharpshooting program is via the website. Not everyone has access to that. How will the public at large be made aware of the dates, times, and locations of sharpshooting so that they can make informed decisions for themselves and their children -- to avoid any areas they feel uncomfortable about given sharpshooting nearby? I am thinking specifically about the use of the parks and the golf course for sledding by kids after snowfall. 

9. Since it is a federal law, I assume the Municipality will guarantee that the Federal Gun Free Safety Zone Act provisions are met ,which probits discharge of firearms within 1000 feet of a school. Can you please explain to me as a parent of a school-aged walking child how this information will be communicated and enforced with sharpshooters (will there be special maps or documents created delineating these sites, etc.?)
10. Similarly, how will the municipality handle after-school and after-hours school-based activities, walking, etc to ensure student safety? Many older use the parks to walk through, and as a resident pointed out, many teens use the parks at night even though they shouldn't. Will there be a curfew?

The resident highlighted her comments in yellow  and also the questions she didn't see answered, most of which are directed to the Municipality, though a few are for Dr. DeNicola (on the gun type and projectile range). Tony DeNicola's responses are highlighted in green.

On Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 8:09 AM, Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org> wrote: 

Good morning _____, 

I apologize for the delay in responding to your questions. I did forward them to Tony DeNicola and he did provide a response. Please see below. He also responded to the question of how audible the activity would be: 

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year. 

Respectfully,
Keith McGill 

From: Tony DeNicola

Keith,

It will depend on how proximate a person is to the shooting area. In most locations we will use subsonic rimfire ammunition and the noise is about equal to a paintball gun.

Tony

Keith,

See below replies inserted:

I have several questions about the sharpshooting program as it is presented in the FAQ.  Could you please pass my questions on to incoming Commissioner McLean as well?  

I just want to state again that I'm strongly opposed to weapons like this in our densely populated community and I am very concerned about the safety of residents and children as a result of this program.  Concerns over safety often arise when deer sharpshooting programs are considered.  However, there has never been a public safety incident when using trained wildlife professionals working in concert with local law enforcement.  These programs are designed to be implemented while residents go about their daily lives.  We will work closely with the police department to make sure this program is no different.

Thank you for your time.

******************************************

1. Can you clarify the shooting dates? 

The FAQ says Feb 1 - March 31, but the Deer Mgmt. Update of Dec. 11 says Feb. 1 - March 1.  We plan to have the option to work from 1 February through 31 March 2016

2. Which days of the week will shooting will take place on public lands?  What are the exact hours?  Why is sharpshooting occurring at all in the daylight hours when, in the past, it has been done only at night?  We will work 7 days a week on private property.  Specifics on public land have yet to be determined.  It is in the program's best interest to work around the public's activities for safety, efficiency, and discretionary reasons.  We will work a few hours before dark in some areas and the remaining efforts will take place after dark.  No morning or mid-day shooting is planned.

I think the municipality has the responsibility to nail down the exact days and hours for public property and share those with the public as soon as possible. I also would like to be made aware of public property locations to be able to avoid those. I am disappointed that the Municipality won't share that information with residents.

3. When will the locations for shooting be finalized? How many will there be, and will they be throughout the municipality concentrated in particular areas?  We will try to have even access throughout the community for the best possible outcome in regard to evenly reducing deer densities.  Final points of access are still being processed.

 Again, the municipality should let people know as soon as possible where, specifically, shooting will take place in public areas. 

4. Who is or will be involved in establishing the "safety" of these locations, and what considerations go into determining what constitutes a "safe" location to shoot in this community?  We will have officials from the police department inspect every shooting location and we will provide the exact details on the operations at each for their consideration and feedback.

5. Will the municipality require that neighbors of private properties where shooting will take place be notified of the activity occurring near their homes?  All neighbors that can see the shooting areas will be noticed and we will get their support.

6. What types of guns will be used? Are they automatic or semi-automatic rifles?  What are the distances projectiles from these guns can travel? We will primarily use .22 caliber rimfire rifles, in bolt action, with subsonic ammunition.  This is the safest, quietest approach.  On properties with larger undeveloped areas proximate we may use bolt action .223 caliber rifles.  We will only shoot from very elevated positions so all projectiles will enter the ground within the designated safe shooting zone if a deer moves when engaged.  Otherwise, all projectiles remain in the deer's tissue and do not exit.

 I understand and would expect that Dr. DeNicola and his staff take care and precautions to ensure safety. However, I would still like to know these details about the guns that are being used in my community.

  

7. The RFP specifically asks for responses from contractors who have had experience sharpshooting deer in "densely populated suburban areas with limited open space".  Can you please ask Dr. DeNicola whether he has ever done any safe, successful sharpshooting programs in an area as geographically small and as densely populated as Mt. Lebanon?  If so, how many? I am looking for a detailed response that mentions specific locations and dates, and population densities.  Please refer to our website (www.whitebuffaloinc.org) for our Business Portfolio.  We have never had a safety incident in more than 20 years working around the country and the world.

I apologize if I missed this, but I could not find information about a community as densely populated as ours having had sharpshooting with White Buffalo. Can you please direct me to that information?  

8. As of now, the only public information out there on the sharpshooting program is via the website.  Not everyone has access to that.  How will the public at large be made aware of the dates, times, and locations of sharpshooting so that they can make informed decisions for themselves and their children --  to avoid any areas they feel uncomfortable about given sharpshooting nearby?  I am thinking specifically about the use of the parks and the golf course for sledding by kids after snowfall.  We will not know the exact days or times for any location until the morning of the removal efforts.  The weather and relative deer activity at each location dictates our planning.  We do not often get accurate enough weather information until the morning of operations.  We will not work near highly active locations and we will have determined those areas of concern in advance.

I understand what you're saying about the weather, daily activities, etc..; what I meant is when and how will  the Municipality share with the community those specific locations where sharpshooting MAY on any given day occur.

9. Since it is a federal law, I assume the Municipality will guarantee that the Federal Gun Free Safety Zone Act provisions are met ,which prohibits discharge of firearms within 1000 feet of a school.  Can you please explain to me as a parent of a school-aged walking child how this information will be communicated and enforced with sharpshooters (will there be special maps or documents created delineating these sites, etc.?) We will comply with this restriction.  

10. Similarly, how will the municipality handle after-school and after-hours school-based activities, walking, etc to ensure student safety?  Many older use the parks to walk through, and as a resident pointed out, many teens use the parks at night even though they shouldn't.   Will there be a curfew?  We always work around public activities and assume people will be in all areas that we are active.  We have very well defined zones of operation where we can see all that is proximate and could be affected by our actions.

Again, I am sure that Dr. DeNicola and his staff keep safety foremost in mind. However, even if a walking area can be considered "safe" because experienced shooters are there, that does not mean that students and/or parents are comfortable being in those areas when shooting is occurring. How does the Municipality plan to address that issue?  Will there be hours after school that are off limits to shooting, given student dismissal times?  Will there be a letter going out to schools and/or parents that gives them the specific parks, etc. where shooting will take place, so that they know?  People need to have this information.

Thank you again for your time and attention to my questions.

Update December 29, 2015 6:48 PM Our illustrious superintendent, Dr. Steinhauer had been copied on this correspondence. Here is his response. Clueless, as usual.

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
Date: Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 5:45 PM
Subject: Re: Sharpshooting Q&A questions
To:
Cc: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>, Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org>, Aaron Lauth <alauth@mtlebanon.org>

Dear Ms. _______,

Since this is a municipal matter, I'm a little confused why you have included me in this response. I am aware that the municipality is conducting deer culling and they have kept me fully aware of any impact on our students. This should have no impact on education and I know that our students' safety is at the forefront of their thinking. Please send questions regarding the deer cull directly to the municipality.

If you have other questions regarding our students I would be happy to answer.

Tim Steinhauer

Latest Right To Know - shaking my head UPDATED 2x

The latest Right To Know involves communications between White Buffalo and MTL. What I thought I would do this time is put up the whole thing and reference page numbers as to what I noticed. Please feel free to comb the file and post the gems you found.

Page 1 archery not going well. Keith actually asked on October 7!
Page 5 deer task force with Susan Morgans? WTF?
Page 14 deer population survey We can use an aerial survey, ground count over several days which is cheaper or just wing it using Tony's beginning estimate minus the deer killed. Wow - so scientific! And sooooo accurate!
Page 21 costs will go up if only killing at night
Page 29-36 Black - Request a refund!!
Page 37 Have a private meeting with residents. No public meeting for a taxpayer funded program. Morgans said that the regulars have been making noise. Love the "transparent enough" comment.
Page 45 Anne German is volunteering her property for sharpshooting. So why was my RTK denied and I have to shell out thousands of dollars going to court? I knew it wasn't about the "safety" of the property owners. They are hiding something!
Page 54 60 residents offered their properties for archery. Sent emails to them asking about sharpshooting.

Update December 22, 2015 5:51 PM Jason Margolis sent the following email to the commissioners, Phil Weis, and Keith McGill at 4:30 PM today. It is reprinted below with his permission.

Dear Commissioners and Municipal Staff,

Recently, some emails regarding the archery and potential sharpshooting hunting were released through a RTK request.

In an email dated November 12, 2015, MTL Public Information Officer says the following:

"I am thinking that unless you need a public meeting to recruit properties, it is probably better not to have one. Things are quiet now--very little overt opposition except for the few regulars. I think if we just post the Q&A , that is probably "transparent" enough ..."

This email confirms my suspicion that the deer management decision-making process in MTL is highly suspect, and that particular individuals, funded through taxpayer dollars, are directly involved in hiding facts and truths from those very same taxpayers.

In this case, the Public Information Officer has violated the very nature of her position:

PUBLIC - Susan Morgans, rather than facilitating the distribution of facts, says she wants to keep things private and "quiet." This is to not have the public even think about the issue, as it might create additional "opposition" beyond the few "regulars."

INFORMATION - Rather than informing the public, Susan Morgans recommends that "we just post the Q&A." In so doing, she seeks to strategically limit the flow of information in a highly-controlled format. Her apparent goal is to ensure the public access as little information as possible.

OFFICER - Susan Morgans is an officer, an employee, of the people. But she shows arrogant disdain for those people who pay her salary by stating that what she proposes is "transparent enough."

Who is Susan Morgans to say how transparent government should be? How can you allow her to blatantly blind the people she is paid to serve?

If the question is, "How transparent should MTL government be?" The answer should be, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND MORE SO EVERY DAY. However, your PUBLIC - INFORMATION - OFFICER - does not want to make things public, does not want to give the people necessary information so they can make their own determinations as to what is right, and has become an officer in obfuscation.

For her disregard for the public and true transparency, I ask that you hold Susan Morgans accountable for her dangerous comments. Minimally she should formally be written up and put on probation; more appropriately, she should be removed from office.

I will await to hear your response.

Dr. Jason Margolis

Update December 22, 2015 11:23 PM The response...
Note the additional people Keith McGill added to the email.

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2015 7:47 PM
To: Dr. Jason Margolis
Cc: commission@mtlebanon.org; philip.weiss@bipc.org; Susan Morgans; Anthony DeNicola
Subject: Re: Susan Morgans

Good evening Dr Margolis,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the email you referenced. Let me also assure you that I have the utmost confidence in Susan Morgans abilities and commitment to serving the residents of the municipality in her position as Public Information Officer, as well as her professionalism and commitment to transparency.

I am not aware of any "facts or truths" that are being "hidden" from the taxpayers. All program details related to the managed archery program that was approved by the Commission have been disclosed and information regarding the program is readily available on the municipal website.

Phase I of the sharpshooting contract was approved by the Commission and that contract is also posted on the municipal website as well as a copy of the special permit issued by the Game Commission and a set of Frequently Asked Questions developed by the Public Information Office working in conjunction with the contractor, White Buffalo, public safety, public works, myself and the Commission.

Phase II related to Implementation will be discussed and voted on by the Commission in January. Prior to the vote, information related to the archery program and additional information regarding the sharpshooting program will be provided to the municipality and posted to the municipal website. Dr. DeNicola will attend the January 12th discussion session to provide any requested additional information on the program and respond to questions.

I would ask that you review the information related to deer management that is posted on the municipal website and if you still have questions related to the program please email me.

Respectfully,

Keith

"The Force is Strong"

I am not the only filing Right To Knows demanding transparency from our municipality. Another Jedi Master filed Right To Knows requesting information concerning the White Buffalo Sharpshooting Program.

The contract in NOT available on the municipal website. So much for open and transparent government.

Game Commission Sharpshooting Application

Special Permit Resubmission Deer Management Plan

Special Permit Application Resubmission 11/9/15

White Buffalo Fully Executed Contract

The Cold War in Mt. Lebanon

It was 1962. I was in second grade at Jefferson Elementary. It was common practice to have air raid drills. I will always remember lining up on the bottom floor of Jefferson much like what is in this photo.

One day, we were told to walk home as quickly as we could, as part of the air raid drills. With a pain in my side and completely out of breath, this little second grader ran along Bower Hill Road, not knowing what was going on. I will never forget that. In fact, I still have the dog tag that we all received in elementary school.

All these memories came back to me today when I read a comment about having a curfew during the month of February.This was a suggestion as a response to The PA Game Commission permit  published on the Mt. Lebanon website, along with some answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Being a deer cull survivor, I have seen several PA Game Commission permits in my day. The latest one is unique. There are no locations listed - public or private. The method of killing is not listed. The names of the killers are not listed. Compare this permit to the one from February 2015. The Mt. Lebanon website doesn't appear to have a copy of the contract. All I see are the Request for Proposals and White Buffalo's Response.

The FAQs are very confusing to me. The sharpshooting phase, according to the FAQ, is from February 1, 2016 - March 31, 2016. Yet, the Deer Management Update shows During Phase Two, scheduled to run from February 1, 2016, to March 1, 2016, White Buffalo Inc. will conduct a deer cull using trained sharpshooters on designated public land and on donated private properties. Do we really know how long people will be shooting rifles in Mt. Lebanon?

The hours are baffling. Shooting will take place in late afternoon and after dark. What does that mean? 4:00 PM to 6:00 AM? Wouldn't it be easier to say that there is no killing taking place between the hours of 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM? Fourteen hours of shooting?

The locations are not provided. I don't suggest asking for that information. You will end up going to the Court of Common Pleas, if you do. The FAQ tell us that Various parties will be notified by letter, email or phone call, as was the case with the archery hunt. What does that mean? What about visitors from out of town? Should Hotel Tyvek inform guests not to explore the area, for fear they stumble upon a deer being killed? Perhaps they should include a map to Blaise Larotonda's court room on every night stand.

Which brings us back to the Cold War in 1962. We will have to tell our kids to come home right after school. We will not be able to tell them the areas to avoid. We won't know which public properties will be used for killing. We certainly won't know which private properties will be [ahem] "donated."

Does Mt. Lebanon need to institute a curfew? They will not tell us anything. Should we have a curfew from February 1-March 1 or February 1-March 31? Nobody on the streets or in our parks for 14 hours a day?

Welcome to the Cold War in Mt. Lebanon.

The old switcheroo UPDATED

Mt. Lebanon is at it again. The commissioners decided to vote for the final vote for sharpshooting at the January 25, 2016, after they got the final numbers from Tony DeNicola with archery season ending on January 23, 2016. Keith McGill has Tony DeNicola on the agenda for January 12, 2016 and the vote scheduled for the same night. The old switcheroo or I should say, "Bait and switch."

Keep in mind that it is illegal to hunt over bait in PA. The archery season ends on January 23, but Manager Keith wants to get a jump on things and start baiting January 13, 2016.

Please read the email chain from the bottom and work your way up.


From: Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org>
Date: Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: Sharpshooting vote date
To: Anthony DeNicola <tony.denicola@whitebuffaloinc.org>
Cc: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>, Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>, Stephen McLean

Hi Tony and Commission,

If we vote on the 23rd, they will have three weeks to know about it and be notified of the option and intent of the program as well.

There is no difference in time, except for the adequate notice to the public before committing them to a never ending program of killing deer in the municipality and that we committed to voting on the 23rd.

We should stick to our initial intent of the vote being 2 weeks after we are given publicly Tony's feedback and information. If we make this vote on the 12th, we will cause unnecessary push back from many, not just those against the program but it will add to the dialogue from many (for and against) about our "shady process" with this program.

I say stick to what we said rather than pushing this through for no gain on anyone's behalf, mostly Tony and White Buffalo.

On Wed, Dec 9, 2015 at 11:59 AM, Anthony DeNicola <tony.denicola@whitebuffaloinc.org> wrote:

All,

If you vote on the 12th the public will have nearly 3 weeks notice before operations begin. If we cannot start until mid-February you risk a diminished outcome. It is still clearly the choice of the Commission.

Respectfully,

Tony

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015, Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Good morning Kelly,

I understand your concerns and would offer that we will be posting the FAQ's that were developed by Friday of this week that will provide information related to the program to the public.

As to the timing of the approval that is more related to information contained in the response by White Buffalo to the RFP indicating that "Bait should be placed out 3 weeks in advance of anticipated removal efforts." If the decision is made at the January 25th meeting this would mean that the program may not be able to start until February 15th instead of February 1st.

I am copying Tony DeNicola on my response for his input related to a possible approval date. As always, the final determination as to the timing of agenda items is a Commission decision.

Keith

On Wed, Dec 9, 2015 at 10:28 AM, Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Keith,

I feel strongly that this vote should not take place till the 23rd.

We are just receiving the information from Dr. DeNicola and providing the information to the public on the 12th. Therefore we should give the public time to receive the information as well before a final vote.

If we move ahead on the 12th, we cause more concerns about transparency. We can wait till the 23rd and should. Commissioner Brumfield and I shared our concerns about doing this in previous conversations when it comes to not giving the public notice at a minimum of two weeks. It causes unnecessary distrust with the public especially on this topic.

Kelly

On Wed, Dec 9, 2015 at 10:12 AM, Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Good morning_____,

The vote related to approval of Phase II of the sharpshooting contract (implementation) is tentatively scheduled for January 12, 2016. The municipality will receive information regarding the number of deer removed through the municipal archery program immediately prior to the meeting and before a vote is taken regarding Phase II.

Dr. DeNicola will be attending the discussion session to review the sharpshooting program and respond to any related questions regarding either the archery program or the sharpshooting program.

Keith

Update December 11, 2015 4:34 PM With a heavy heart, I regret to inform Lebo Citizens readers about the December 11, 2015  deer management update on the municipal website. It is also available here.

Mt. Lebanon has received its deer control/political subdivision permit from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The permit will allow the municipality to proceed with Phase Two of the 2015-2016 deer management program pending final approval by the Commission in January. During Phase Two, scheduled to run from February 1, 2016, to March 1, 2016, White Buffalo Inc. will conduct a deer cull using trained sharpshooters on designated public land and on donated private properties.

The Game Commission permit along with answers to Frequently Asked Questions appear here. The FAQ will be updated as plans move forward, if appropriate. View a copy of the permit.

I see they are still sticking with the BS about the properties being donated. The State has ruled that no property has been donated. Please note that sharpshooting hours will be late afternoon and after dark.

It has turned into a contest

It doesn't matter how many "Not In My Yard" signs are out there. The commissioners are going to be voting for sharpshooting on Tuesday. It appears that they are getting more emails for sharpshooting than emails against sharpshooting. But how would we know? I am appealing a Right To Know because Mt. Lebanon won't share emails that potentially identify "donors." Mt. Lebanon could say anything and we can't challenge them! 

I am confused. Scott Township didn't go tiptoeing around asking residents what they thought. The Scott Commissioners said that killing deer in their township is not safe. They went to court and got an injunction. Scott Commissioners care about the safety of their residents.

I would suggest writing to the commissioners, but that is ineffective. The deer issue has become a competition. The meeting is Tuesday. The media is going to keep track of how many are for the sharpshooting and how many are against it. It has never been fair. It has never been about public safety. It is all about the loudest complainers. That is who wins.

Tony's got it covered

Dr. Tony DeNicola is one-stop shopping. He does it all. Archery, sharp shooting, and sterilization. You name it - Tony's your man.

Tony's company, White Buffalo, was the only company to submit a proposal for sharp shooting by 10:00 AM yesterday morning.

White Buffalo, the firm who is coordinating the archers in Mt. Lebanon, won't release the number of kills until the end of January.

“If I start announcing numbers, it causes problems. I wait until the end of the season,” Maddock said on Monday. [Problems for whom?]

Jody Maddock, a.k.a. Jodi, a.k.a. Joe D., a.k.a. The Lion King confirmed 

"killing an African lion as displayed on the web site of a New York taxidermist.
Maddock said he killed the lion in a legal archery hunt in South Africa. 'There's no there there,' he said."

Read more: Mt. Lebanon considers sharpshooters to help thin deer herd  

White Buffalo submitted the following sterilization proposal to Clifton, a neighborhood of Cincinnati, OH. It was approved. http://cliftondeer.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Sterilization-Proposal-3-March-2015.pdf

Read more: 
 Mt. Lebanon still mulling sharpshooting program to reduce deer population

Mt. Lebanon could add sharpshooting to deer management