On Monday, the Gambier Village Council met to discuss potential deer culling, updates on construction projects and new speed bumps in the Village. 

Both the Council and the public in attendance were enthusiastic about having students back on campus. Among those in attendance was President Julie Kornfeld, who received a warm welcome from the Council. Addressing the members, Kornfeld said, “I appreciate all that you’re doing, and I’m excited to work with you all.”

The Council announced the appointment of a Deer Committee to look into the overabundance of deer in the area. Members brainstormed a few ideas to address the issue, such as giving permits to approved archery hunters, along with a potential bounty for each deer killed. Gambier Mayor Leeman Kessler ’04 pushed back on this, noting the concern that people will pick up dead deer from the side of the road and trade them for cash. “There are very different cultures at Kenyon — hunting may not go over well,” Ian Smith P’24 ’27, Vice President for Facilities, Planning and Sustainability, said. He suggested possibly restricting the hunting to Kenyon’s winter break, when students leave campus. 

Smith also gave updates on a few of the College’s construction projects: Of the two new dorm projects on South Campus, the easternmost building is essentially finished and should be ready by the start of the second semester. The westernmost building is on track to be ready for students in the fall of 2025. Both Smith and the Council expressed their satisfaction with the two new businesses on Gaskin Avenue — Marlow Salon Spa and Birds of a Feather Bake Shop and Boutique  — which are fully up and running for students and villagers. 

Traffic concerns, a frequent topic of discussion, resurfaced this month. One resident told the Council he was grateful for all of the new speed bumps that have been placed throughout the Village. The resident, who has expressed concern for speeding and traffic violations in the past, was evidently relieved to see the progress that had been made. However, he still was not fully content with the changes, expressing lingering concerns over issues such as heavy trucks wearing down local streets and illegal parking across from Wiggin Street Elementary School. 

The next Village Council meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 7.