Mt. Olive group: We'll take feral cats question to ballot
Proposal calls for putting issue before voters if council nixes plan
BY MEGHAN VAN DYK • STAFF WRITER • July 1, 2009
A group of township residents is bringing its plea to prevent the euthanization of feral cats to voters on the November election ballot if the council rejects their proposal.
The 20-member group, Mount Olive TNR Project, has collected 785 signatures on a petition to enact an ordinance authorizing a townshipwide Trap-Neuter-Return plan — known as TNR — that would establish managed colonies of cats that would be spayed or neutered and vaccinated for rabies. It would also exempt the group from the township's licensing requirement, given it provides accurate records for each cat.
The signatures, which were submitted to the clerk's office Tuesday, will need to be certified within 20 days. The organizers needed just 463. The council will vote on the proposed ordinance on July 21. If it doesn't pass and there are enough certified signatures, the issue will go on the November ballot for residents to vote on.
The ordinance's adoption would curb the number of feral, or wild, cats in the township and reduce the number of nuisance complaints that are addressed by the township's animal control officer, thus saving tax dollars, supporters say.
Mount Olive impounded 181 cats last year, 141 of which were euthanized at a cost of $18,000 to the township.
"TNR is doing a public service with private donations to save the town money," said Michelle Lerner, founder of the project.
"When we trap, we will completely remove all kittens and friendly adults and adopt them out through cooperating shelters and rescue organizations and have the other cats spayed/neutered so the colony can't grow."
The plan has faced strong objections from the township's board of health, which rejected Lerner's proposal to conduct a six-month pilot project to test TNR at a single location in May. Officials then said feral cats posed a public health problem and that the township's current policy of euthanizing feral and stray cats if they are not claimed within seven days was successful.
Health officials declined to comment on the petition.
Frank Wilpert, the township health officer, however, said he and Willie Cirone, the township's animal control officer, will be presenting the board's report on TNR to the council, which will take the issue on at its July 21 meeting.
Lerner, who said she crafted the ordinance based on those of 22 New Jersey municipalities that allow for TNR, said she is hopeful the council will respond to residents' request for a more humane feral cat policy.
"Our hope is to get something passed collaboratively rather than go to the ballot," Lerner said. "It will be more successful if all parties are working together."
