County awards deer carcass removal contract

With the state bowing out of the business to remove deer carcasses from area roadways, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders today awarded a two-year contract for the work that can also be used by county municipalities.

"Up until July 3, the state Department of Transportation handled the pickup and disposal of deer carcasses from local roads," noted Freeholder Director Gerry P. Little. "Because of state budget cutbacks, the state is making counties and municipalities responsible."

The Board of Freeholders recently entered into a contract with Kelly Winthrop of West Palm Beach, Fla., for deer carcass removal at a cost of $40 per carcass.

"If they choose, municipalities in the county can tap into this contract through the purchasing system we have set up," Little said. "They will not have to go through the process of seeking and awarding bids for this service.

"The county has already done that," he said.

Little noted that a letter is being sent to each mayor advising them of the awarding of the contract and providing information on how to access it online. Under the Ocean County Cooperative Contract Purchasing System, local governments within the county also can purchase the services of this contract.

"For years, it was the state's responsibility to remove dead animals from roadways," Little said. "In the interest of public health and safety, the county is now going to assume this burden for county roads and municipalities will have to do the same for their roadways.

"This is an additional financial burden that the state has placed on local governments," Little said.

Freeholder James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Road Department, noted that in 2005, more than 650 deer carcasses were removed from roadways - county and municipal - in Ocean County, according to the state Department of Transportation.

"With more than 620 miles of county roads under the county's jurisdiction, it's important to have these carcasses removed in a timely manner," Lacey said. "Because the state has decided to no longer take care of this, certainly we cannot ignore the matter."

Under the contract, a deer carcass must be removed from a roadway by 5 p.m. the day after it is reported.