Feral cat issue heads to committee for action

By Thomas Clapper

CCM Reporter

Concerns regarding feral cats in the village once again took center stage at the Sept. 9 meeting of Carrollton Council.

Residents Linda Howell and Amy Spears attended the meeting to speak against Ordinance 2024-31 which would make those who feed the cats responsible for them. 

“I view this as hostile to those who love their cats,” said Howell. “It is unfair and unjust. I have trapped, neutered/spayed and released cats for 25 years. I can’t do that anymore due to my age.”

Howell continued saying there are ways such as the trapping, neutering/spay and release of cats that is humane and fair.

Amy Spears asked who would police the ordinance and stated the authorities have enough to do with their jobs rather than worry about this issue. 

Howell said thousands of dollars have been spent for the neighborhood and Carrollton needs a group to get together and do this. 

“Let’s help each other, we can do this,” said Howell. “I understand we are late on this and there are so many cats now, but we can prevent this from continuing humanely.”

Mayor William Stoneman said they would like to set up a workshop to discuss the issue, but it will have to wait because two council members were not present at the session. Council members Brittany Tangler and Corey Yeager were absent. 

“We are not going to drag this on forever,” said Stoneman. “We don’t want this to run on forever. We are going to set a workshop when the absent council members are back. It won’t be in a couple of months or next year in 2025. We are going to get this resolved as soon as possible.”

In an unrelated matter, Larry Taylor with Trebel Energy attended the meeting to explain the village will have to sign an agreement at a new rate for gas and electric for its aggregation program. The contract is up in May 2025. 

Taylor said the two-year program has saved residents $603,000 than usual company rates for electric. He said AEP is 40% higher than residents paying with aggregation program. For gas he wants to eliminate residents paying rates that are six times higher than they should be. Trebel will watch the market to set rates that the village can lock into with an Ordinance. 

“I just wanted to get way ahead of the curve and be here in advance and provide you the paperwork,” said Taylor. 

Village Administrator Mark Wells oversees the paperwork in conjunction with council approving the ordinance once the rates are announced in the November/December time frame. 

In other business, council: 

-HEARD from Street Superintendent Ben Palmer who reported mowing has slowed down due to dry weather, but it gives them time to do other jobs around town. The street department is getting caught up on night painting and worked with the water department to replace asphalt. They also did weed spraying and replaced 60 feet of galvanized pipe on Jones Avenue.

-HEARD Water Supervisor Derek Kaltenbaugh give his report which included fixing a water leak in front of Wendy’s and replacing valves because they are getting hard to turn. He reported they will have to do a $20,000 survey with EPA about water rates.

“I already know they will say we should double our water rates, but we are not going to double our rates, that’s outrageous,” said Kaltenbaugh. “We run the department and have plenty of money to run it, but not a lot for projects.”

He noted the village will not be eligible for grants from EPA if they do not double the rates as recommended. He said 85% of the water pipes are replaced in the village.

“I’d like to commend Kaltenbaugh and those who preceded him for having the foresight to begin replacing these pipes anticipating the costs would go way up,” said Wells. 

Kaltenbaugh reiterated for any concerns regarding water bills to call at the water department and don’t just complain on Facebook. 

“Some of those who did not call us originally finally called us out to their homes and we found their toilets were leaking, which was the source of the higher water bills,” said Kaltenbaugh. “Just call us and we can help.”

-SCHEDULED Trick or Treat Thursday, Oct. 31, from 5-7 p.m.

-LEARNED the village is moving forward with the replacement of Columar Slender Sweetgum trees in the downtown area in the next months. The State Route 332 sidewalk project construction is underway. 

-HEARD Wells received a notice of route changes for some Village Commercial customers affecting their garbage pick-ups. Letters of notice will be sent to those customers by Kimble on Sept. 16. They are going to re-arrange pick-ups. 

-PAID the village bills of $91,790.30 in vendors and payment of bills without prior certification of $123.47.