Some common sense rules for hunting on the Village of Waterville’s property at the Upper White Street reservoir would improve safety for everyone.
That’s what resident Joe Misiaszek proposed at last week’s Waterville Village Board meeting. Misiaszek runs the Waterville Mountain Bike Club and coordinates the trail network being built on the reservoir land owned by the village.
Misiaszek said a couple of hunters placed portable tree stands on the trails and became upset with the bikers using the trails. “We’ve had people yelling at us for using the trails we built,’’ he said.
He gave Board members four possible options:
1) Restrict any hunting on the 274 acres
2) Allow bow and gun hunting with conditions. Conditions could include obtaining a permit to be displayed, no tree stands 25 feet near a trail and no hunting or tree stands 500 feet near the water tower.
Two of the tree stands, among about half a dozen left on the property after hunting season ended, are within 100 feet of the water tower.
3) Bow hunting only with conditions.
4) Gun hunting only with conditions.
The village property borders state land where hunting is allowed. Prior to construction of the trails, about five people hunted on the village property after getting permission.
DPW Superintendent Jamie Bechy said the Department of Health doesn’t want anyone near the water tank, or shooting toward it.
Board members listened to the suggestions but took no action, saying the village has until September to decide.
The 90-minute meeting followed a workshop on the 2022-23 budget, which will be adopted at the Board’s April 4 meeting.
Misiaszek also proposed rules for those using the mountain bike trails for cycling, snowmobiling or hiking. These include:
1) Do not alter the trails
2) Only snowmobiles allowed as motorized vehicles on the designated snowmobile paths
3) No swimming at the reservoir
4) Only e-bikes with pedal assistance allowed. Throttle e-bikes not allowed
5) Carry in, carry out and pick up after pets. No horses on the trails.
Last year about 4 miles of trails were constructed….
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