MOUNT VERNON — It’s been nearly a decade since Mount Vernon officials considered deer hunting in the city, but legislation is once again before council.
Previously, Mount Vernon allowed bow hunting if a property owner obtained a deer damage nuisance permit.
Council members wrestled with the problem in 2015. In 2017, they postponed indefinitely an ordinance allowing deer hunting on 40 acres on Vernonview Avenue.
Mayor Matt Starr said the citizens requested a deer management program in the city. Council members gave the second reading to legislation allowing bow hunting to occur only during the state’s white-tailed deer bow hunting season.
Hunters must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid hunting license. They must also have proof of liability and property owners’ permission to hunt.
Hunting is prohibited on city-owned property. The ordinance also prohibits hunting within 500 feet of an inhabited dwelling, building, or public roadway.
Deer hunting benefits outweigh inconvenience
Wildlife Officer Austin Levering said bow hunting in city limits has occurred for decades in northeastern Ohio.
“Believe it or not, many people don’t know that pretty much the whole city of Columbus is open for archery hunting,” he said.
“When you think of archery hunting in an urban area, your mind kind of goes to all the issues that can arise. Statistically speaking, we have a bunch of data and surveys that show that very minimal issues arise. The benefit greatly outweighs any inconvenience.”
Knox County ranks among the top three deer harvest counties in Ohio. In the 2024-25 season, Knox County checked 6,730 deer, up from 5,625 the previous season.
Levering said that in areas where there is no hunting, deer are comfortable being around people. They lose their fear and adapt to conditions.
“Unfortunately, as much as we love deer, that can definitely be a nuisance, which leads to all sorts of complaints,” Levering told council. “That’s obviously what is driving this whole discussion, right?”
Apple Valley and Gambier allow bow hunting. Levering, who has been in the county for seven years, said he has not seen any physical property damage or loss resulting from hunting within a municipality.
“It’s just the perception of hunting sometimes that obviously can throw people off. But short of that, it’s been a very effective management tool of controlling deer populations,” he said.
Flock cameras
Resident Caleb Quinn spoke to council about the Mount Vernon Police Department’s use of Flock cameras.
Flock cameras capture images of vehicles and license plates, stamping them with the date and time. Law enforcement uses them to help identify stolen cars or determine if a vehicle was at the scene of a crime.
Quinn, a Navy veteran formerly involved in military intelligence, acknowledged the camera’s benefits. He noted they assisted in capturing someone involved in a recent shooting.
However, he said the benefits do not outweigh legal concerns relating to the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment protects against unlawful search and seizure.
According to Quinn, the data the cameras collect paints a picture of patterns of behavior.
Quinn said a lawsuit in Norfolk, Virginia, alleges the cameras create a dragnet.
“A dragnet is where you drag and you scrape data from everything: innocent people, guilty people, regular citizens,” he said.
“And you can place it all into a map to detail their patterns of behavior.”
Quinn cited a Supreme Court ruling (Carpenter versus the United States in 2018) that states accessing historical location data without a warrant is a Fourth Amendment violation.
He also voiced concerns that Flock stores the data for 30 days. According to Quinn, the American Civil Liberties Union recommends storing the data for as little as three minutes.
Police Chief Robert Morgan said the MVPD follows Flock’s procedure of 30 days.
America 250
Olivia Toth, marketing manager for the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau, reviewed some events on tap for the county’s celebration of America 250.
America 250 celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Projects include utility box beautification, which advocates hope will revitalize Mount Vernon’s historic walking tour.
To tie in with the state’s Ohio Goes to the Movies theme, the CVB will partner with the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium to present a “Bye Bye Birdie” event at Ariel-Foundation Park.
Mount Vernon native Paul Lynde starred in the movie along with Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margaret, and other well-known stars.
“That’s a good opportunity to really engage with our historical society,” Toth said. “They have a lot of great materials and again, that may not be a place that people have engaged with the history.
“Bringing it out to our community in an accessible way at Ariel-Foundation Park is just really more digestible and gets the community more interested in where they can continue to learn those history pieces.”
Toth said the goal throughout the partner projects is to highlight the confluence of arts and history, as well as the preservation of history.
She also noted that the CVB applied for an Ohio history marker in downtown for William Semple, a dentist who was housed in The Woodward Opera House in the 1800s.
Semple had the first patent on chewing gum.
Knox Public Health
Health Commissioner Zach Green updated council members on the city’s health statistics.
Confirmed Lyme Disease cases continue to rise, with the county on pace to surpass the 2024 total.
“From April through the end of June, we had 92 confirmed cases, and a total year-to-date by the end of June was 101,” Green said. “Last year, 2024, at the end of June, we were at 65 cases. So it’s a pretty substantial jump.”
KPH confirmed 21 cases in July.
“We are going to see those cases continue to rise going through the rest of the summer months into the fall,” Green said.
He emphasized the importance of recognizing the symptoms and having a blood draw to check for Lyme.
Other items of note include a back-to-school immunization clinic on July 30, a new psychiatrist nurse practitioner practicing at 206 S. Mulberry, and KPH’s community pool party on Friday, Aug. 8.
Legislative action
Council members took the following legislative actions during the July 28 council meeting:
•Passed a resolution by a 6-1 vote opposing Ohio House Bill 335 (Council member Amber Keener dissented)
•Approved supplemental appropriations, fund transfers, and bill payment
•Voted to apply for a grant to study safety improvements at the North Sandusky, Cassell Road, and Upper Fredericktown intersection
•Gave a second reading to legislation allowing the city to sell bonds to pay for Project H2Overhaul and authorizing the use of the reserve balance account to buy back the bonds
•Created a code enforcement department and adopted waste hauler legislation
•Postponed to Aug. 25 legislation revising regulations on inoperable cars and junk vehicles
•Passed an ordinance increasing the number of firefighters to accommodate a second fire inspector
