Perry City Council member Curt Hite announced his resignation from the city’s governing body at Tuesday night’s meeting.
“My wife and I had looked at moving out of state and decided that we weren’t going to be able to swing that,” Hite said, “but next thing I know, we’re actually moving out of town. So this will be my last meeting as a council member.”
Hite was elected to the second-ward seat in November on a write-in vote, replacing retiring council member Dr. Randy McCaulley. Hite said he enjoyed his short stint in municipal government.
“I have appreciated getting to know each and every one of you and getting to know some of the background of things that happen, and I’m going to miss this very much,” he said.
Hite’s most momentous vote during his brief tenure came at the Jan. 3 meeting, when he joined council member Chuck Schott in opposing the ban on fireworks usage in town. The ban was approved on a three-to-two vote, with council members Dean Berkland, Vicki Klein and Barb Wolling supporting the action.
His Feb. 7 vote made the council unanimous in authorizing the renewal of the Federal Migratory Bird Depredation Permit, which permits the city to annually kill a fixed number of turkey vultures to be used to ward off the flocks of roosting raptors. He alluded to the issue at his final meeting Tuesday.
“I know the tremendous checks that council members get,” Hite said. “I’ve asked that any amount that would or would not be due me be donated to the police department. I know it’s not going to make a major difference, but maybe they can buy some more bullets that we can harvest more turkey vultures.”
Hite is a 1989 graduate of of Perry High School. He teaches special education to sixth and seventh graders in the Johnston Community School District.
The Perry City Council will take action at its next meetings to seek interested applicants for the vacant council seat and to appoint a replacement member. Perry residents may also petition for a special election to the office, a process that would cost the city $3,000 to $4,000, according to Perry City Clerk Liz Hix.
“maybe they can buy some more bullets that we can harvest more turkey vultures”
Harvest? That’s heartbreaking and I’ll never understand the mindset of some people. Our turkey vultures are beautiful, majestic, soaring creatures. Another of God’s great gifts, sailing effortlessly silent in His sky.
They should remain protected. That they can locate Perry every spring to come raise their young and roost in the same spots, high above it all, is just amazing. All the more so because they are silent and incapable of making any sound,
communicating with each other in ways we humans cannot fathom.
Do we kill them because they lack the beauty, song, and tidiness of the Goldfinch? Perhaps some just wanted an excuse to shoot something, for “sport.”
These are very special birds that don’t kill or attack anything or anyone to survive. They live off of carrion, born into doing their part in the cycle of nature.
Instead of killing them, Perry should embrace and promote their arrival. Put their image on the city emblem. Maybe name a school team after them. And every year, host The Perry Spring Vulture Ride.