The City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to approve emergency funding for a joint Animal Control and Parks & Recreation task force, formed in response to a sharp rise in raccoon activity near Founders’ Park.
The measure passed after nearly two hours of public comment, including one resident who arrived in a raccoon costume to, in her words, “see how it feels from their side.” Council members ultimately agreed the funding was necessary, though several noted the irony of spending public money to manage a problem largely caused by public trash cans.
The task force will begin work this month, focused on trash security, public education, and monitoring known denning sites. A public update is expected at next month’s council meeting.