10-22-2003 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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COMMUNITY PRIDE 1953 - 2003 515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117 -1600 (651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 www.ci.little-canada.mn.us MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Fahey & Members of the City Council FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator DATE: October 17, 2003 RE: Purchase of Goose Noise Gun A14YOR Michael 1. Fahey COUNCIL Jim LaValle Matt Anderson Rick Montour Bill Blessener ADMINISTRATOR Joel R. Hanson Attached is some literature on the Screamer Siren. This is a 15 mm pistol that launches cartridges that emit loud noises to scare off geese. To operate it, you put a blank in the receiver and a shell (resembles a 410 shotgun shell) in the end of the gun. The blank discharges the other shell. That shell can make two sounds. One sounds like a shotgun and the other is a screeching /whizzing sound. Keller Golf course has used this device to control geese for the past six years. You shoot off one shell when geese are present and they take flight and leave. This will be need to done once or twice a day initially, and then sporadically thereafter. It is most effective when used before geese start to nest. The areas we may use this would be some new storm water ponds in our redevelopment area (Rice and Little Canada Road area) and possibly our parks. My initial thoughts are to find a responsible volunteer to patrol the designated areas and discharge a shell if geese are present. The shells types would be rotated so the geese don't become use to them. There are some apartments and other residences close by as well as a motorists and pedestrians. I would propose notifying the residential complexes in the area of our plans with some type of schedule to establish a consistent time of day. I would provide the volunteer with some type of ID Badge in case they are questioned by anyone. The pistol will be orange in color to make it look Tess like a handgun. The frequency of discharges could be up to twice daily in spring and fall, and as needed in summer (when geese are present is the only time the shells would be discharged in any event.) The cost is about $200 including supplies that should last us for over a year versus the $3,000 we spent this year. It also helps us to minimize the destruction of geese associated with round -ups. The Sheriff's Department has not indicated any concern with this approach. I am recommending we try this approach as an alternative to the round -ups. I am presenting this to the Council for approval given the concerns that may arise by discharge the gun in populated areas. We would also need to amend our ordinance involving "Discharge and Concealment" to make this a lawful practice. (A copy of this ordinance is attached.) -t -