Durham City Council swore in its new city manager, denied a motion to revise deer bow hunting regulations and approved several appointments and amendments during its Monday meeting.
City manager sworn in
W. Bowman Ferguson was sworn in as Durham’s new city manager, following the departure of his predecessor Wanda Page who announced her resignation in July after 36 years of service to the city. Preceding his appointment, Ferguson served for 11 years as deputy city manager.
“It is a joy to live in this city. It is a joy to be associated with this city,” Ferguson said. “… There is such satisfaction in knowing that we’re working with so many people who are trying to make things better and do things right.”
The motion for his appointment passed with no opposing votes and three abstentions at the last meeting.
Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton applauded Ferguson’s appreciation of Durham’s values.
“He understands who we are. He understands what’s important to the city,” Middleton said. “He not only knows the nuts and bolts of how to run a government — he knows the heart of the city.”
Revisions to deer hunting regulations
In a 1-6 decision, the council voted against the proposed revisions to Ordinance Sec. 6-3. The current ordinance imposes regulations on shooting or poisoning wild game within city limits but allows deer archery under a set of conditions. To address deer overpopulation, the proposed revisions would loosen the conditions on deer archery to support culling initiatives in Treyburn and other neighborhoods.
Several Durham residents delivered remarks about the ordinance.
Treyburn resident Katherine Jackson shared concerns about large numbers of deer congregating in her front yard — posing a potential safety issue for her children — and deer darting in front of her car while driving her children to school. She also shared concerns about an increased spread of disease and ticks.
In contrast, Treyburn resident Cathy Colbs emphasized that the neighborhood is situated within tens of thousands of acres of rural land and parks, meaning that the deer in their subdivision may pass through from outer wooded areas. Positing that deer would “backfill” in Treyburn following a cull within the subdivision, she suggested undertaking an intensive cull in the surrounding forests.
Other residents emphasized the threats bow hunting could pose to life and safety, particularly with young children in the neighborhood and joggers on sidewalks and trails.
Treyburn resident Peter Tocci described hunting within the neighborhood as “unsafe, unwanted and not needed,” drawing concerns about the presence and disposal of dead animals in the neighborhood and the potential for accidental harm to residents.
Advocates for the revisions posited that the number of deer in Treyburn is approximately four times the amount that is “healthy and compatible with humans,” leading to an increase in vehicle crashes related to deer. One resident suggested that bow hunting would only be allowed during a specified hunting season, with homeowners given the option to opt-in or opt-out of hunting on their property.
Councilmember Chelsea Cook noted that the City of Durham is unable to “further restrict the rules around bow hunting” — such as imposing time frames or selecting a specific area as some residents suggested — because of preexisting state legislation. She added that since the council is unable to add those restrictions and the ordinance would apply to all of Durham, she did not support the motion.
Councilmember Dedreana Freeman suggested that the ordinance be referred to Durham’s Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) for further discussion, while Middleton shared concerns about lack of evidence that the proposed measures would solve the issue at hand.
“I’m not interested in window dressing or posturing,” he said. “If it’s still going to be the enormity of the problem, that’s not a real fix for me.”
In other business
Williams proclaimed January “Veganuary” in Durham in an attempt to “urge all residents to explore the benefits of a wholesome, plant-based diet and participate in the ‘Bull City Mayor’s Vegan January Challenge.’”
The council also recognized the winners of the Junior Vegan Chef Challenge at Northern High School and the Durham Public Schools Art Challenge, where students created art “focus[ed] on the why of a vegan diet.”
The council unanimously passed several appointments and amendments, including those to appoint Tammie Hall to the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority and Shannon Jones to the Racial Equity Commission representing At-Large.
The council also agreed to adopt the City of Durham Fair Housing Cooperative Agreement Grant Project for the 2025 fiscal year, an initiative which will receive $123,600 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Kate Haver is a Trinity sophomore and a university news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.