South Miami commission targets local feral cats
Amid budget workshops and property tax discussions, the South Miami city commission decided to curb its feral cat population. The commission met at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4.
The main item
The commission passed a resolution 4-1 in favor of enabling the vaccination and spaying or neutering of feral cats within the city limits.
Vice Mayor Walter Harris sponsored the resolution, which targets South Miami’s portion of the more than 400,000 stray cats living on the streets of Miami-Dade County. Female cats can give birth to up to 12 kittens per year. Feral cats endanger the bird population, spread disease and can carry rabies. The city set aside $1,000 for the cost of trapping, vaccinating and neutering or spaying feral cats. The city also encourages the formation of a private committee of citizens to trap and feed spayed or neutered feral cats.
“I’ve had a couple conversations with vice mayor on this,” City Manager Steven Alexander said. “I think the program he intends to design is that the city would buy … about 10 live traps for about $58 each. We would then buy traps, give them to the vice mayor, who will set up a committee of citizens, allocating them a trap whenever they need an animal trapped. Those people would check that trap out. They pick up the trap and use it to take the cat over. They keep the cage until the spaying is done. Then they put it back in the cage and take the cat to where it was, and return the cage or find another cat.”
Other business
▪ Traffic Calming: The commission consented on resolution authorizing Alexander to negotiate and approve a change purchase order with Coreland Construction Corp. for additional services to the Manor Lane neighborhood traffic calming improvement project. The project includes five speed tables along Manor Lane and Southwest 63rd Avenue.
▪ Flyers Out: The commission passed a resolution by a 4-1 vote to allow Mayor Philip Stoddard to distribute flyers advising the public of the city’s solar installation program.
▪ Parks Fund: The commission passed an ordinance on first reading by a 4-1 vote that amends the city code of ordinances and provides the creation of a Parks Trust Fund. The city’s independently audited general unassigned fund balance was $4,866,929 as of September 2014. The Parks Trust Fund includes park acquisition, development, operation and maintenance.
They said it
“I though what we would do in South Miami, is make South Miami, which is already a tree city and a bird sanctuary, … an animal encouraged city. We would be proactive. The city itself would handle all of the spaying, neutering and we would even handle supplying food. If we get a committee. So we are trying to put together a committee of animal lovers who will handle the transportation of the animals to the site (vets). We do not have to pay anything for neutering and spaying, we just have to supply the cages and encouragement. It’s a good thing for this city, it’s a thing that brings people together.” — Vice Mayor Walter Harris
The next meeting
▪ When: 7 p.m. Aug. 18
▪ Where: City Hall, 6130 Sunset Dr., South Miami
This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 2:30 PM with the headline "South Miami commission targets local feral cats."