04-11-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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3- 29 -88 I enjoy wildlife and the out of doors very such, and have spent a large part of my adult life fishing, hunting and camping. The beauty of nature and the excitement of seeing the animals, birds and plants in their natural habitat has been and is still a real thrill for me. The excessive feeding of waterfowl on a regular basis attracts a large number of birds in a very concentrated area. This is not a normal or a healthy situation. Constant feeding, compounded by the maintenance of open water in the winter months, encourages these birds to stay all winter, instead of migrating South. Many neighbors on Crystal Bay have been subjected to the inconvenience caused by the large amount of droppings which are left on their docks and in their yards, and have complained to the City of Orono. They are looking to the City of Orono for help. Our residents have a right to expect the City of Orono to do away with this nuisance so that they can enjoy their property on the lake without the filth created by the abnormal concentration of ducks and geese. Aside from the unsightly appearance and foul smell, there is a very real health hazard which is associated with this problem. As you probably know, a malady called "swimmer's itch" is caused by sites which incubate in the excrement from these waterfowl. This is a very irritating disease. It is also expensive to property owners adjacent to this area as we must pay to have state licensed and approved operators treat the water so that we can use the lake. While this type of problem is not usually fatal, one other aspect of this situation can in fact be life threatening! In February of 1987, my wife had part of her lung removed surgically at the Mayo Clinic. The growth removed from her lung was a residual fungal infection, or, if you will, histoplasmosia. The doctors informed me that this problem could have been caused by spores from the concentrated droppings in our area. Since we live ao close to this large concentration of waterfowl, there is no doubt in my mind the pain and suffering ■y wife went through is directly related to the actions which have attracted these birds. My wife has suffered permanent loss of part of her lung rapacity. She has difficulty breathing, and even after over a year of recuperation is not fully recovered. This council and the city staff are charged with the responsibility )f protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of this community. In 3rder to apace other residents of our community the agony, disfigu;esent, pain and suffering ■y wife has endured, we must use every means at our disposal to eliminate this deadly health hazard.