06-09-2004 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117 -1600 (651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 www.ci.tittle- canada.mn.us MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Fahey & Members of the City Council FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator DATE: June 4,2004 RE: Goose Round -up MAYOR Michael 1. Fahey COUNCIL Jim LaValle Matt Anderson Rick Montour Bill Blesener ADMINISTRATOR Joel R. Flanson As you know, staff has attempted to avoid the need to conduct a goose round up as has been done in previous years. We purchased and utilized our "goose gun" to scare geese away from targeted areas. This has had moderate success. We have discovered that in Larger areas (Round Lake and Savage Lake), the geese are only scared to the point of relocating across the body of water. In the two storm water ponds by Lakeside Apartments and Market Place, the gun is more effective in getting the geese to relocate to other areas unless goslings are present. Our Code Enforcement Officer did a quick survey today of the number of geese present in certain areas of the City. The results are as follows: • East Savage Lake — 2 Adults and 5 goslings • West Savage Lake — 6 adults by grass island in middle of lake • Pond by Lakeside Apartments — 0 • Pond by Market Place — 0 Pioneer Park/Pitrina Pond — 0 • Rondea Park — 0 • Pond by Edgewater Town Offices — 10 adults and 25 -30 goslings Staff's primary concern is the protection of the plant materials at the Lakeside and Market Place ponds. Significant dollars and time has been expended in these areas. Geese can do serious damage to the plants, as we have experienced in previous years. My recommendation is that staff be given the authority to conduct a round -up in the vicinity of the Lakeside and Market Place ponds if necessary to protect the plants materials. (This will likely impact the population on Round Lake as well.) I am not recommending any other areas at this time. However, we have received calls involving both Savage Lake sections asking if we planned on any control measures. I do not have a price as to what the round up would cost, as it is dependent on the number of birds and sites involved. I believe the count we had today (listed above) is lighter than what I have witnessed on other occasions. If I were to guess, I believe protection of the ponds will likely be about $1000.