Mamaroneck Opposes Geesebuster Demonstration in Harbor Island

Update 6:45 p.m. -  Village Manager Richard Slingerland forwarded Patch a copy of Guadagna's proposal to the village, which was submitted on March 31, 2013. He added: "The efforts by persons and organizations to promote the scaring away of geese on a for-profit basis with any company is the promotion of a commercial enterprise." While he said the kite and whistle that was demonstrated to village officials were "very effective," he reiterated that the village was not currently seeking additional proposals for goose scaring tactics. 

Further, he added, "The village is not killing the geese. The board has authorized us to proceed with the USDA only utilizing non-lethal methods."

But the village will not be amending the contract, said Slingerland.

"We have given the USDA the village's directive and they agreed—the present board majority of the village will not allow any geese to be killed as part of this management plan.  I will regularly reinforce that with them."

The village manager said that costs earmarked for the original program—approximately $8,700—would be reallocated to expand the egg oiling program.

"Based on the board’s discussions and my written communications of that policy directive to the USDA they agreed they would not kill the geese. The contract I signed in December outlines the costs separately for goose processing, and we have already agreed with them to reallocate that for egg-oiling only," said Slingerland, continuing, "If an amendment to the contract is required to ensure the geese will not be killed then I will obtain that."

Geesebusters' founder Robert Guadagna gave Larchmont Patch a demo of his patented goose scaring tactic at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle on Monday, a home for Canada Geese, seagulls and other birds.

The demo was initially scheduled to take place in Harbor Island Park, but village officials deemed it an unauthorized use of public space.

Kiley Blackman, of Westchester4Geese, notified both village trustees and others of the demonstration that was requested by Patch on Monday, several hours in advance. Upon receipt of the notification, Village Manager Richard Slingerland determined the demo to be "unauthorized" and a potential violation of Code 260-3 which states that commercial enterprises cannot be conducted in village parks without the written approval of the manager. 

Following a series of contentious emails back and forth between Blackman and Slingerland, the village manager wrote: "If you seek to proceed further, you are undermining a set, step-by-step course of action at this time which the village is coordinating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is to identify nesting areas and beginning an egg oiling program to prevent any goslings from being hatched by resident geese."  If the demonstration took place, he wrote, village police would be notified.

According to the email from the village manager, several officials had already seen a Geesebusters demo and "were not soliciting proposals at this time." Despite Blackman's argument that the demonstration was for the purpose of being filmed by the media, Slingerland was unmoved.

"Further interference is simply obstruction," he wrote, adding that the village was proceeding with a step-by-step course of action with the USDA as per their contract.

At Monday's Board of Trustees' meeting, Mayor Norm Rosenblum said an amended copy of the contract was not yet available.