One Bergen County town is back at square one when it comes to controlling its deer population as it awaits to hear from state officials.

The Saddle River City Council decided Tuesday night against a resolution that would allow the mayor to issue weapon discharge permits. The council decided it would pose too much of a risk, creating liability issues for the mayor and the town.

The resolution was proposed by residents who felt that a lethal solution would better address the deer overpopulation problem.

The town has been waiting for the state to approve a non-lethal way, such as sterilization, to control the deer.

Nearly everyone in town agrees that something has to be done.

"Whenever you allow a lethal solution, there's always a potential risk of something going wrong, and we take that very seriously. We also take the consequence of allowing the animals to expand over a short period of time as far as danger to the public,” Saddle River Mayor Albert Kurpis said.

The overabundance of deer is causing safety concerns, including an increased risk of Lyme disease and deer-car collisions.

The town expects to hear back from the state in 30 to 60 days.  

If a non-lethal plan is rejected, the city council will once again go back to talking about a deer hunt to solve the problem.