BRISTOL, Conn — The issue of an estimated 12,000 Canada geese that have made Bristol their home was the subject of a Bristol park commission meeting Wednesday, as they create a headache for residents by the droppings they leave behind.
The meeting followed an initial proposal to euthanize many of the geese, which was met with public outrage.
Mayor Jeff Caggiano and town commissioners decided to wait before making a final decision.
“We will send this back to our policy committee, we have limited funds to deal with this. This is not a typical line item in the city budget. So, what we will likely do now is look at those limited funds and see what non-lethal measures are going to make an appreciable difference,” said Caggiano.
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Among the proposed solutions are things like deterrent spray, fences, lasers and dogs.
However, both animal advocates and city leaders agree on one long-term solution.
“Riparian buffers, which basically create little hills and grassy areas around the water. It's better for filtration larger to be it's good in the geese are very picky. If they can't see outside of the body of water that they're swimming in to look for predators, even though there aren't that many predators on the Boulevard. They won't nest there they won't hang out in that area,” said Caggiano.
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The buffers are pricy, but there is a way to install them while being financially responsible, according to city officials.
“There are environmental grants that will allow us to get some money to do that because it's got a dual effect. It kind of keeps the geese out, but it also helps with water filtration. So we're going to go after some of those grants and see if we can do that to Boulevard and a couple of other parks around the city,” said Caggiano.
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In the short term, officials agreed to use small street cleaner and vacuum trucks that are able to fit on sidewalks, with little cost to the city. A long-term solution will likely be made later this year.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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