That’s the message city council members received Friday from City Manager Jordan Stanchina, who also reported six deer were culled Wednesday under pressure from a USDA veterinary medical officer.

Stanchina provided the information as the city council prepares to have a regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. today at City Hall.

In her inspection report, Brianna Waldrop of the USDA said the city by June 13 must have an attending veterinarian and a program of regularly scheduled visits to oversee the adequacy of care. Timely and accurate information on problems with the animals should be communicated to the veterinarian so they can be evaluated, she said.

Brian Scott, an Iron Mountain veterinarian who assisted with a herd assessment, concluded that deficiencies at the pen “create an inhumane environment for the deer, compromising their welfare.” The problems, he said, include insufficient shade, grazing and shelter, along with poor water quality. He confirmed Waldrop’s assessment that at least six deer exhibited abnormal conditions requiring care.

A DOE WITH twins in the deer pen Sunday at Iron Mountain’s City Park. The bucks have been left intact, which means a new round of fawns in the pen each spring. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

However, Scott said, the lack of a reliable identification system and proper separation and handling capabilities “render it impossible to implement an effective veterinary program for examinations or treatments.”

Stanchina, in his update to the council, said efforts to find an attending veterinarian are complicated by the pen’s deficiencies. It appears “expensive upgrades” would be needed to meet compliance standards, he said.

“If there is no intent to upgrade the deer pen, then, according to Dr. Scott’s letter, all the deer must be removed,” Stanchina told the council. “We understand that the deer can only be removed if they are dead. We will confirm whether this is still the only option available.”

The city council earlier this year sought input from the community on whether to keep the attraction, which dates back more than 75 years. During a Feb. 17 meeting, nine people spoke on the issue, with seven favoring a move toward eliminating the pen.

The herd, at that time, numbered 24 animals. Waldrop during a May 13 inspection counted 21deer and noted one new fawn as of May 19.

At the Feb. 17 session, Mayor Dale Alessandrini raised the possibility of castrating all of the bucks in the herd to allow it to die off naturally. That move, he noted, would also require improvements at the 6-acre pen to address deficiencies.