Officials in Washington Township are considering a new ordinance to address a growing “feral cat problem” in the Lower Bank section, with Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr. pointing to people feeding the cats as a contributing factor, including individuals coming from out of town.
Feeding feral cats regularly can lead to overpopulation, and in Lower Bank, this behavior has resulted in what the mayor called an “out of control” situation. During a Washington Township Committee session on December 3, Gadd explained that the feeding of feral cats, whether by local residents or outsiders, was exacerbating the issue.
“We need to find a way to address the people who are coming from out of town to feed these cats,” Gadd said, stressing the problem of non-residents contributing to the issue. “I don’t know if people are still dumping them off, but I know that people who don’t live here, as well as probably some who do, are feeding them.”
While Gadd acknowledged that feeding feral cats is often done with good intentions, he emphasized that it was not helping the situation. The local animal control officer has been attempting to manage the problem by setting traps, but many of the cats being caught have already been “tipped.” Tipping refers to the practice of removing a small portion of a cat’s ear during spay or neuter surgery, signifying that the cat has been sterilized and vaccinated.
“Apparently, the cats that are tipped have to be released by law,” Gadd explained. He further noted that an animal control officer had suggested the town consider an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of feral cats as a potential solution.
The mayor expressed reluctance about implementing such an ordinance but acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. “It will be unfortunate if we have to do that,” Gadd said. “But it’s a problem that doesn’t solve itself, and something will have to be done to address the complaints.”
While the specifics of any potential ordinance have not yet been discussed, Gadd made it clear that the matter would need to be addressed soon. “We haven’t had time to look into it yet,” he said. “I’m an animal lover myself. I’ve had plenty of feral cats around my house that I’ve fed for years and had fixed, but it’s out of control now.”
In addition to the cat-related issues, the committee also discussed challenges related to the closure of Green Bank Road, a key access route for Washington Township residents. The closure, part of roadway operations by Atlantic County, has caused significant disruptions, especially with the nearby bridge on County Route 542 also being out of service.
The closure of Green Bank Road has made it more difficult for residents to access the nearest business district in Egg Harbor City and has complicated emergency services for the Green Bank Ambulance Company. Mayor Gadd reported that a crane, which is part of the roadway operations, had made it impossible to maintain promised emergency access.
Further complicating the situation, signage around the road closure has been damaged. “Some of the signage has been run over or moved,” Gadd said. “It seems that some people are intentionally damaging the signs.”
Emergency Management Coordinator David Simpson added that one of the detour signs on Lower Bank Road had been pushed about 200 feet from its original position, which appeared to have been done with a vehicle.
Barbara Cavileer, chief of the Green Bank Ambulance Company, explained that she had moved a sign on Green Bank Road to allow an ambulance through but emphasized that this was done due to a specific need to get emergency vehicles past the closure. Gadd acknowledged this exception but highlighted the larger issue with the damaged signage.
On the matter of the bridge closure, Gadd noted that the township had been assured by Atlantic County that the closure would last no more than three months. However, with little progress being made on the project, Gadd expressed concern. “I haven’t seen anyone working with the crane in over a week,” he said, noting that residents were also raising complaints on social media about the lack of activity.
“It’s hard to believe the project will be done early when they’re not working,” Gadd added. “It will all be addressed when we get in contact with someone from the county.”
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