Urban deer are becoming an increasing problem in the Coulee Region, and it’s possible part of the solution could be a city ban on feeding deer.

Alderman Bob Muth told fellow Onalaska Common Council members at their monthly meeting Tuesday that he and others from the city engineering department are working with La Crosse County in finding regional solutions to the urban deer problem.

Muth heard from a lot of people during his campaign for mayor, particularly in Greens Coulee, that deer are becoming a nuisance.

“The deer problem is regional,” Muth said. “But the No. 1 step is to adopt an ordinance keeping people from feeding deer.”

City attorney Sean Flaherty said he is reviewing about a dozen samples of ordinance language from other municipalities, and he emphasized that the city should proceed with caution. “The deer problem is serious, but an ordinance will affect bird feeding as well,” Flaherty said. “The other issue is to make it as enforceable as possible.”

Muth said there will be public hearings and future meetings to discuss the problem.

Gas pains

The price of gas is hurting suppliers of goods and services to the city. Hilltopper Refuse and Recyling, for example, has requested an extra $4,800 per month to offset higher costs for fuel. That’s $35,000 extra between now and the end of the contract, which expires Dec. 31, 2008.

The council, on recommendation of the Board of Public Works, denied the request, but agreed to recommend a five-year contract with a stipulation that the contract could be negotiated for an additional two years without reopening the bid.

“We have no dollars budgeted to pick up any form or fashion of a shortage,” City Finance Director Fred Buehler.

Alley paving

Some residents of Onalaska will be subject to special assessments to help pay for alley paving. The Onalaska Common Council voted Tuesday night to assess residents along two alleys two thirds of the cost of asphalt alley paving.

The Board of Public works will conduct a public hearing at next month’s meeting, June 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Seven properties are affected along both sides of the alley or portion of alleys between Fifth Avenue North and Sixth Avenue North from King Street to Locust Street and eight properties are affected between Second Avenue North and Third Avenue North from King to Locust Street.

According to City Engineer Jarrod Holter, the residents along Fifth and Sixth avenues petitioned the city and the residents along Second and Third Avenue have complained about the drainage, but had not petitioned the city. “Since we’re doing one alley, we try to do two or three at a time,” Holter said.

Holter said the city typically assesses property owners two thirds of the costs when paving alleys. Any additional work such as alley aprons, sidewalks, landscaping, retaining walls, etc., would be paid by property owners.

Estimates per property range from $1,200 to $3,678. Residents will have up to 20 years to pay the assessment.

Holter said the city will bid the alley work in June for work in August or September and it usually takes two days to excavate and grade each alley.

Holter estimated about half of Onalaska’s alleys are paved, but the city can only pave two or three per year.