A Village of Plandome resident concerned about feral cats in the village approached the Board of Trustees at its meeting Tuesday suggesting that it notify residents about refraining from feeding the cats.
The resident, who did not want to be named, said she has seen at least five feral cats in the village, and though she does not want anyone to harm them, she is concerned that the cat population could expand if left unaddressed. Village Clerk and Treasurer Barbara Peebles agreed.
“It could be 100 cats by the end of the season,” Peebles said.
The board said it would include a notice to residents in the village’s next newsletter saying they should not feed the cats.
A second step that Trustee Andrew Bartels said he would explore is a catch and release program that the Town of North Hempstead offers free.
“I called 311,” the resident said. “If you see a cat has a triangle on its ear it means it’s been neutered and released.”
Mayor M. Lloyd Williams said that the Village of Plandome Heights also had feral cats and that he would reach out to the village’s board to see how officials addressed it.
“Before we had a dog [cats] used to hide under by the big window, they’d be in my shed, they’d be all over,” said Trustee Katie Saville.
At its next meeting on Nov. 13, the board will vote on zoning code changes. There will be a final public hearing about the changes immediately preceding the vote.
The changes regulate the maximum potential size of structures. It includes two tiers for structure sizing, with one for average-sized lots and the second for large lots.
The village sent a letter to residents this week explaining the changes and their origins.
“Please understand that Zoning Code changes do not impact current or future residents unless they make substantial renovations or total rebuilding of their homes,” the letter says. “Even then, in most cases, the new proposed Zoning Code would be no different from, slightly less restrictive than, or slightly more restrictive than the current code.”
