The Coalition to Save the Geese of Burns Park has split the sheets with the city of North Little Rock over Mayor Pat Hays‘ proposed ordinance to give the mayor power to allow hunting of nuisance animals on three days’ notice, without City Council review. The goose coalition, which had committed to raise $12,000 toward the city cost of non-lethal means to control Canada geese in Burns Park, thinks this breaks faith with their earlier agreement. And, though the ordinance in its current form would apply to all animals, is viewed as really aimed at the geese.
The emergency hunt ordinance is on the agenda for tonight’s Council meeting.
UPDATE: Mayor Hays pulled the proposed ordinance from the agenda tonight, according to someone who watched the Council meeting. I’ve been unable to reach anyone to see if he made any announcement tonight about his re-election plans. He’d said he’d announce sometime in January whether he’d seek re-election. Most of the scuttlebutt points toward his retirement.
Read on for both a statement and a letter from an unhappy goose supporter, distributed before the Council meeting:
