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A potential ordinance in Cottonwood Shores would make it illegal to feed deer in the city limits. Officials used the overpopulation as justification for the proposal. File photo
Cottonwood Shores City Council members passed the city’s proposed budget and tax rate for next year on Thursday, keeping a balanced budget and maintaining the tax rate of 53.15 cents per $100 property valuation as it has been for several years.
They also approved a purchase of a playscape for Aspen Park but postponed discussion on an ordinance that would limit feeding of deer in the city.
The deer ordinance was proposed by Council Member Roger Wayson as a compromise with a proposal to ban any deer feeding. It would make it illegal to feed deer within 50 feet of a roadway or to use mehanical feeding devices to feed the animals “wholesale.”
Wayson’s ordinance idea countered a proposal that would have made it illegal to feed most deer in the city, citing a growing over-poulation in Cottonwood Shores and wildlife studies that found feeding the creatures resulted in diminished health.
But Wayson was unable to be at Thursday’s council meeting, so other members postponed discussion until he can be there. It’s expected to come up at the scheduled meeting Thursdy, Sept. 16. That meeting is set for 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, 4111 Cottonwood Dr.
The Aspen Park playscape has a total price tag of $22,000 but the city would pay only a fraction of that due to a grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The recommended playscape features slides, ladders, and terrain-commanding platforms.
However, Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Andrea Stevens left a critical question about the playscape unanswered after the meeting.
Asked if it could be defended against dragons and monsters, she said, “That depends … on how good your imagination is.”
There’s no timeline on when the possibly-dragon-proof playscape will be installed.