Coyote report from the city manager has a number of Staff Directions that Council will be asked to approve

By Staff

September 7th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The coyote report is out.

It is a 16 page document with a number of appendices.

The Directions council is being asked to approve on the 14th are as follows:

Receive city manager’s office report CM-26-22 – City of Burlington Coyote Response Strategy update and, with regard to the City’s immediate response to the recent serious coyote attacks on Burlington residents, endorse the actions taken by staff under established authority as outlined in the report at an estimated 2022 one-time cost of
$22,850; and

Approve the single source of a Certified Wildlife Professional (CWP) and authorize the Manager of Procurement Services to sign a multi-year agreement with the CWP for the remainder of 2022 and the duration of 2023, with the option to renew for three (3) additional one (1) year terms; and

Direct the Director of Building and By-law to proceed immediately with the design and implementation of a new two-year Coyote Action and Awareness Program specifically directed at delivering enhanced coyote response services based on the program scope outlined in city manager’s office report CM-26-22; and

Direct the Chief Financial Officer to report back to City Council directly on September 20, 2022 with options and recommendations for funding the new Coyote Action and Awareness Program; and

Direct the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility to report back in Q1 2023 in conjunction with City Council’s 2023 budget consideration on the

establishment of the proposed new By-Law Compliance Department (as recommended in companion report CM-24-22 in this agenda) inclusive of an enhanced coyote response model as part of the Animal Services function; and

Direct the Executive Director of Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility, following the hiring of a new Director of By-law Compliance, to undertake a full review and update of the current City of Burlington Animal Services By-law (By-law 60-2005) and Coyote Response Strategy by Q4 2023; and

Direct the City Manager, with respect to the February 2022 report, specifically the recommendations of the community association – Burlington & Oakville Coyote Management (BOCM) as outlined in Appendix B of city manager’s office report CM-26- 22, to proceed with the implementation of the staff recommendations and next steps and report back on the status in Q1 2023; and

Direct the City Manager to initiate meetings, as required, with the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Oakville and senior staff of both Burlington and Oakville to develop and implement a coordinated workplan related to both the BOCM recommendations as well as other City/Town coyote response initiatives including, but not limited to, joint procurement of external professional wildlife management services, joint coyote related data collection, research and analysis and public educational and awareness programs and possible mutual coyote response service agreements; and

Direct the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to include for consideration in the 2023 proposed budget the recommended resources to fully address all of the above noted service delivery requirements for an enhanced coyote action and awareness program.

For reasons that are not yet clear, and probably never will be, there hasn’t been a report sent to the community at large.  The material above is a report the City Manager presents to Council.

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8 comments to Coyote report from the city manager has a number of Staff Directions that Council will be asked to approve

  • Crystal Stewart

    There’s a certain CWP who is following Sharman’s posts and sticking up for him ad nauseam. A week ago Sharman said “The city only has 4 animal control staff. We badly need more. I plan to pursue funds for next years budget.” This is entirely different and would be the exact kind of contract this person would be searching for, as he already has contracts with many other municipalities but lives here. Can’t wait to read the campaign finance papers in 9 months to see if there was a donation to go with the resounding praise.

    If council approves this, I hope it goes to bid, with full transparency.

  • Joe Gaetan

    That is a ton of “directing”,boiler plate, wrapped in red tape. Do we know the cause or destination or end point? I have to wonder if the enhanced distribution of “Coyote 2022” whistles would get this much attention in a non-election year? Did the wily Coyotes decide to all of a sudden come out of the woods to force COB into undertaking “enhanced Coyote action”?

  • Mitch

    Coyotes in Ward 4 are a recent problem. They need to be removed before there is a tragedy.

    • Phil Waggett

      I’ve lived in Ward 4 for the past 40 years. The coyotes have always been here and I’ve never had a problem with them. Learn to live with them–with the many ravines, wooded areas and abundant prey, you will not remove them on any permanent basis.

      • Mary Hill

        Well said. We humans teach our kids esrly on to share. We need to learn to share our crowded world with other creatures.

  • Penny Hersh

    Coyotes have been an issue in Burlington for years.

    It is indeed unfortunate that it took 5 coyote attacks, one involving a 2 1/2 year old child for the city to take action.

    Coyote Whistles are definitely not the answer.

  • Stephen Paquette

    Here is another good practice aside from a whistle. It won’t cost a lot and doesn’t require an in-depth report. Chilli peppers, chilli peppers and garlic or white vinegar in a spray bottle, spray your back fence or where ever you have seen them. A small spray bottle if you are on a walk would work as they have a very sensitive sense of smell.