Mountlake Terrace pulls USDA geese-control agreement from consent after council concerns

City staff recommended reactivating a four-year interlocal agreement (ILA) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would enable annual contracts for population monitoring and control of non-migratory Canada geese at Lake Ballinger and other city locations.

Carolyn Hope told the council the city had held an agreement with the USDA since 2002, did not renew it in 2024 when goose counts were low and USDA activity receded during the COVID period, and now seeks to reactivate the ILA as goose numbers at Lake Ballinger have increased. "This would be for 4 years, and we would have an annual contract that the city manager could sign for $2,500 or thereabouts," Hope said. She added the contract covers technical assistance, population monitoring and control of the Canada goose population and that the expense can be covered in the parks services budget.

The proposal prompted immediate council debate over methods and alternatives. Councilmember Sanmore said she opposed the measure: "I never vote for this or never want to vote for this because last year, 2024, we didn't do it... I'd rather use that money elsewhere." Councilmember Murray acknowledged mixed feelings but described an observable increase in geese at Ballinger Park that affects park usability: "There are definitely a lot more geese than there have been in quite a few years, and it does have real impact in terms of the cleanliness of the park." Councilmember Woodard asked about alternatives and whether USDA practices remain lethal; staff said "addling" (oiling eggs) is the first choice and that more lethal options are available only if requested.

Staff said the USDA work in prior decades addressed large populations — in the 1980s the city had reports of over 200 geese at the lake — and that heavy goose populations can cause water-quality and recreation impacts. Hope said the annual contract would typically be active during March through August to address nesting and early-season needs.

Because at least one councilmember announced opposition, Mayor Pro Tem Wall recommended removing the item from the consent agenda and placing it on the regular agenda for separate discussion and vote. "It sounds like we have at least 1 no vote, so we should probably pull it from the consent agenda now and just place it in regular action," Wall said. Council agreed to pull the item; staff said the item will be brought back for separate consideration and that staff will gather more details about current USDA practices and nesting timing.