The contract between Avalon and On the Wing falconry service has expired. City Manager Ben Harvey said negotiations are on-going. Master falconer Rocky Post said all of his birds and equipment are now on the mainland.
Post said in a recent email that the contract between his business and the city expired on April 27.
The contract between Avalon and On the Wing falconry service has expired. City Manager Ben Harvey said negotiations are on-going. Master falconer Rocky Post said all of his birds and equipment are now on the mainland.
Post said in a recent email that the contract between his business and the city expired on April 27.
“Avalon is without protection from pest birds with summer right around the corner,” Post said. “Anyway, the falcons and all the support gear are off the island. Working out a new contract is not even on the city’s radar. After (seven) weeks of trying to get them to pay some attention to this contract issue we are nowhere.”
City Manager Harvey said that negotiations were on-going.
“I’m trying to work out a solution,” he said.
Post said he doesn’t really know the status of negotiations. He said that the formula for keeping the birds healthy is different when they are inactive than when they are flying. He said it is more difficult stopping and starting.
According to Post, it would take a month to get the birds back in the proper condition to work in the environment of the city.
“That’s a month I didn’t want to lose,” he said.
Harvey said the city is committed to pest bird abatement and improving water quality.
The program has since its inception used the presence of trained predator birds to discourage pest birds. This has also reduced bird waste contamination of the water in Avalon Bay.
In 2012, then-City Manager Steve Hoefs said he expected the program to help improve Avalon Bay’s water quality. Harvey said that the bird program helps with water quality. However, he said the main reason that water quality has improved has been the improvements Avalon has made to its sewer infrastructure.
Harvey said people love the falcons. He said the falcon program could be an attraction on its own.
Harvey said he would like to see if Avalon can create a coalition of groups to pay for the service.
Harvey said the program costs $10,000 to $20,000 a year.
The falconry program was launched in late 2012. But the cost threatened to ground the program.
The program was saved when the city acquired partners in funding the program, including the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce.
Wayne Griffin, Chamber president and CEO, said the Chamber was certainly willing to continue supporting the service.
Harvey said he is looking for “additional stakeholders,” such as individual restaurants.
He said the city does not have the resources to pay for the program alone. He said the city has to find an approach that allows Avalon to live within its means.
Until the contract expired, Post’s six birds had been on the Island three days a week.
Harvey said Post wanted to work with the birds more than three days a week.
Post said five days would be more effective. According to the master falconer, three days a week won’t work in Avalon.
He said he tried three days and it didn’t work.
Post said Harvey wants him to find other parties to pay for the extra days.
Harvey said that would require additional money.
According to Harvey, there are businesses that are positively interested in supporting the program.
