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Board approves downtown crow-deterrent pilot using automated laser, $18,456 plug-in system
Summary
The board approved funding for a pilot automated laser crow-deterrent system to be sited on the Sycamore Building; chamber and downtown stakeholders will work through ownership, insurance and operational details.
The Butte County Capital Improvement Board voted Sept. 24 to approve purchase and installation of an automated laser system intended to deter roosting crows in the downtown corridor, with an initial plug-in option priced at $18,456.
A representative of nuisance-wildlife company Wild Goose Chase presented the plan and a winter pilot strategy aimed at rooftop roosts. The company estimated that an appropriately sited laser on the Sycamore Building would project across much of downtown and that the light would "harass" but not injure birds. "It does not harm them in any way. It is simply a light," the Wild Goose Chase representative said.
The consultant said the unit is line-of-sight based and should be programmed to run in intervals rather than continuously. He described the laser as a Class 3B device with a safety rating for incidental eye exposure and said installers avoid reflective surfaces and never point the beam upward.
The nut graf: board members emphasized due diligence about ownership and insurance before installation. A board member asked for clarity on who would own and insure the device and whether there would be an off-ramp if the pilot merely displaced crows to other neighborhoods. Downtown stakeholders and the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce said they would confer with their insurance carriers and consider housing ownership of the unit under the chamber’s umbrella.
Mayor Sackler moved to approve the plug-in system at the lower price point and Brian Koistra seconded the motion; the board approved the proposal by voice vote. The chamber and downtown business representatives committed to follow up on ownership, insurance coverage and a program for business feedback during the winter pilot.
Supporting details: the vendor said the laser can operate on standard 110-volt power and that the installed units have multi-year lifespans; warranty coverage was described as two years or 2,000 hours. The vendor offered post-installation training and on-call support from its Indianapolis branch.
Less critical: the consultant offered alternative or complementary deterrents and proposed a follow-up evaluation after the pilot to close gaps in coverage and to determine whether additional units or different siting would be required.
