Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
After public outcry, Bayonne council rebukes administration and bans future city‑authorized lethal culls of geese
Summary
Following emotional public testimony about a recent USDA-led cull, the Bayonne City Council adopted a resolution rebuking the administration for allowing lethal geese removals and directed that any future culling require council approval; the resolution exempts small private pest-control actions.
Bayonne residents confronted the council on July 16 over the recent lethal removal of geese in city parks and the council responded by adopting a resolution that rebukes the administration and restricts future agency-authorized culls.
Darlene DeNaga, who identified herself as a local resident and animal-advocacy speaker, told the council she had heard recorded sounds and described the animals’ deaths as "morally wrong." Several other residents pressed for answers about who authorized the USDA to carry out culling operations and whether nonlethal alternatives had been adequately considered. "Who signed the paper to say to do that to wildlife?" a speaker demanded. The council president acknowledged public outrage and said the administration had told him the city had paid for the service; the transcript records the council initiating a resolution to address the issue.
The adopted resolution (CR18) states that the municipal council "rejects the idea that the culling of geese is a necessity," rebukes the administration for the recent choice to cull geese, and demands that the administration refrain from any future culls "without first having the approval and consent of the municipal council." The resolution includes a narrow exemption in Section 4 allowing exterminators or animal-control officers to address individual or small groups of wild animals when necessary; the measure takes effect immediately unless a future council rescinds it.
Council members and staff clarified in debate that the resolution is directed at administration-authorized culling and is not intended to deprive private property owners of their ability to hire licensed animal-control services to address pest problems on private property. Several councilors said they would seek further briefings from administration staff to explain exactly how and when the USDA or other contractors were engaged and whether refunds or contract cancellations were available.
What happens next: The resolution takes effect immediately. Councilors promised further information at follow-up meetings about the procurement and authorization process that led to the cull and whether contract or policy changes are needed to prevent recurrence.
