Mar 11, 2015 By Nick Lewandowski 3 min read

Mt. Lebanon’s deer cull is now underway, though the controversy over the killing continues to rage. Residents again accused commissioners of corruption, incompetence and inhumanity at the March 10 meeting, often to raucous applause. One man was escorted from commission chambers after repeated disruptions.

Despite the public outrage, Commission President John Bendel said the municipality has no intention of ending the cull.

Nonetheless, he remained evasive on some points. He would not identify which area food bank would receive the deer meat, for example, saying only that a report would be issued once the cull ended.

And Bendel was not the only official to respond evasively to resident questions.

Municipal manager Steve Feller either could not or would not specify the number of corral traps the contractor, Wildlife Specialists LLC, is using to capture deer. Feller put the number at “between five and eight.” His tentative response elicited jeers from the audience.

At least one commissioner is intent on salvaging some sense of community from the debacle, however.

Kelly Fraasch expressed her desire to develop a comprehensive public outreach program. Initially, this would involve bringing a nationally-recognized speaker to address residents regarding deer management techniques – particularly on the point of deer-resistant gardens.

“We have a very divisive issue here,” Fraasch said. “Some people are perfectly fine with our four-legged friends and others would prefer to be rid of them. But as with all divisive issues, there is a middle ground.”

She said she would like to see a program implemented that might bring residents together rather than divide them.

Fraasch’s New York-based speaker, who she did not identify by name, would speak to Mt. Lebanon residents regarding the importance of the municipality’s deer feeding ban, as well as advise on deer-resistant gardening. This could include consulting with local garden centers on deer-proofing products and conducting hands-on gardening seminars with residents.

Fraasch estimated the all-in cost of the expert’s visit at about $4,000.

Her fellow commissioners voiced support for the proposal, though they did raise questions about the best method for reaching out to residents.

Fraasch would like to use a volunteer phone bank to have personalized conversations. However, Dave Brumfield, Steve Silverman and Bendel all expressed concern about the municipality’s responsibility for what volunteers might say.

Commissioner Brumfield asked whether robo-calls could be equally effective.

Fraasch also said residents had approached her with the desire to establish a fund for deer sterilization and other non-lethal means of deer management. She said two residents had offered her checks at her home, which she declined.