Mount Clemens commission introduces ordinance to ban feeding geese and ducks

The Mount Clemens City Commission on Aug. 17 introduced an ordinance amendment that would prohibit feeding geese and ducks across the city and set Sept. 8, 2020 for a second reading and adoption. Commissioner Hammond moved to introduce the amendment and set the second-reading date; the motion passed on a roll call vote.

City Manager Johnson described the issue as a public-health problem, presenting observations from riverfront areas and recent research. "I don't think I have to convince anybody that we have a major problem with geese and ducks," Johnson said, noting concentrated droppings near the docks and that "an adult goose can leave 2 pounds or more of droppings per day." Johnson said bacteria, viruses and parasites are present in droppings and that large congregations of birds create more than a cosmetic nuisance.

Johnson recommended amending Mount Clemens City Code sections 35201 through 35203 to add waterfowl to the list of prohibited fed fowl and to remove the current central-business‑district limitation so the prohibition would apply citywide. He also described nonlegislative mitigation options the city could explore, including leaving a strip of unmowed grass near the water, planting shrubs or low fencing, applying non‑toxic repellents that make grass unpalatable to birds, and using trained dogs to disperse geese.

Commissioners expressed support for both the ordinance and complementary efforts to improve the docks and riverwalks so people will use them. One commissioner said the measures fit the city's strategic plan for downtown revitalization and could help draw boaters back to the docks.

The commission set Sept. 8, 2020 as the date for a second reading and adoption vote. The ordinance was introduced for first reading; the commission did not adopt a final ordinance on Aug. 17.