Worries About Feral Cats Discussed at Lebanon City Council Meeting
By Sean Ditch
Lebanon held its weekly City Council Meeting on Monday, April 10 at 6:30 PM. It was widely attended by a number of citizens to discuss concerns of feral cats on Hunter Street. A citizen who declined to disclose her name shared concerns of a neighbor on the street who has been feeding cats for years 3 times a day, causing the area to have a strong odor from urine and feces which she as well as other neighbors are disturbed by. She was concerned as well that now numerous cats, some of which are pregnant, are potentially living underneath her deck, causing a health concern for her husband, who is allergic to cats. She also shared that the cats have attacked her dog, and many times of the night she can hear the cats fighting. Discussion was held within the Council about whether to press fines, since according to the concerned neighbor, a call was made from the city to the citizen before. The council deliberated on the matter for ideas on how to resolve it for some time; Mayor Cheri Wright said that they’d work on a few things and get it taken care of, but no motion or vote was held on the matter.
Yasanne Garrett, Lebanon High School’s School Board Secretary, made an appearance as well to discuss what was going on around school for the last portion of the school year. Prom will be April 15th in Belleville, with a theme of “Passport”. Graduation will be Saturday, May 20th for the High School, and Monday, May 22nd for the Junior High. The Athletic Department is still in discussion talks with Wesclin School about co-oping students for a combined Girls Softball team as well as Girls basketball team. The school is also looking to maybe use extra funds to fund a greenhouse. NHS inductions are on May 9th for the high school, and the Art Show is May 10th. The start date for the upcoming school year remains unknown as well as a start date for the new Student Resource Officer, as talks for the latter are still ongoing between the school and the police department.
The Streets/Alleys Committee Recommended spending $11,800 from the Utility Tax to install a culvert at the intersection of Merrill Dr and Roger Dr to eliminate flooding. This according to the committee and Mayor Wright had been an ongoing problem for years. The Council voted unanimously on the matter.
The Finance Committee recommended the approval of staying with United Health Care for the fiscal year of 2024. The Council voted unanimously to approve it.
Three presentations for approval were made by the Ordinance Committee; each being unanimously approved by the Council. A new Ordinance amending the City of Lebanon Municipal Code, amending Chapter 5-Fee Schedule and creating section 8-4–Right-of-Way Permit Required. The second was an Ordinance amending the City of Lebanon Purchasing Policy. The third Ordinance was amending the City of Lebanon Code regarding registration, permitting, taxation, licensing, inspection, and zoning changes for “hotels”, “bed and breakfasts” and “short term rentals.”
The city Treasurer presented an Ordinance adopting the financial budget of the City of Lebanon for the fiscal year beginning May 1st, 2023 and ending April 30, 2024 and authorizing the expenditures therein contained. The council voted unanimously on the matter.
The Next Lebanon City Council Meeting will be Monday, April 24th at 6:30.
