TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Ramzi Awwad, Public Works Director
Sean Roberts, Field Operations Manager
Christopher O’Brien, Maintenance Supervisor
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Management Strategies Associated with Canada Geese at Polliwog Park and Adjacent Sports Fields (Unbudgeted) (Public Works Director Awwad).
(Estimated Time: 30 Min.)
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council provide direction to staff on pursuing one or more of the following options:
Option 1: Continue Current Practices to curb goose litter, which consist of bilingual educational signage to prevent feeding and twice-weekly pressure washing of the affected areas in Polliwog Park.
Option 2: Enhance Current Practices to curb goose litter by increasing educational outreach and implementing additional pressure washing of the affected areas in Polliwog Park.
Option 3: Develop a Comprehensive Multi-Year Management Plan for further consideration and potential eventual implementation, if desired by the City Council. Such a plan is likely to consist of surveillance, aversive conditioning, hazing, deterrence, habitat modification, and public outreach.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Option 1: There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
Option 2: An additional General Fund appropriation in the range of approximately $25,000 is needed to fund additional pressure washing in Polliwog Park. Should the City Council direct staff to proceed with this option, staff will return with a definitive cost estimate and budget request as part of the first-quarter budget update in November 2026.
Option 3: An additional General Fund appropriation in the range of approximately $50,000 is needed to fund development of a comprehensive management plan. Should the City Council direct staff to proceed with this option, staff will return with a definitive cost and budget request as part of the first quarter budget update in November 2026.
BACKGROUND:
Polliwog Park is an 18-acre public open space located in central Manhattan Beach, adjacent to Manhattan Middle School and several athletic and recreational facilities. The park features a 1.2-acre concrete-lined lake (Polliwog Lake), two playgrounds, a dog park, an amphitheater, the Manhattan Beach Historical Society museum, and several other amenities.
In recent years, Polliwog Park and nearby fields have seen a dramatic increase in the population of the resident Canada Goose.
A high count for the park, 95 Canada Geese, was recorded by local birder Layton Pace on January 8, 2025 (<https://ebird.org/checklist/S208561197>). Typical counts reported by birders in 2025 have ranged from 25 to 50 geese. These large birds forage extensively on turfgrass and produce significant volumes of fecal matter, degrading the condition of sports fields and creating negative recreational experiences for park users.
In response to community concerns regarding Canada Goose activity at Polliwog Park and adjacent athletic fields, the Public Works Department began evaluating management strategies in May 2024 and retained a wildlife biologist to assist with the assessment. In the interim, from 2024 through early 2025, pathways surrounding Polliwog Lake were pressure-washed once per week.
Accordingly, in November 2024, the City commissioned wildlife biologist Robert Hamilton, President of Hamilton Biological, Inc., to assess and develop recommendations for sustainable management of the resident Canada Goose population. The report consolidated the results from field visits, stakeholder interviews, site comparisons, and regulatory guidance into targeted recommendations.
On April 21, 2025, staff conducted a Community meeting regarding this topic, where residents requested increasing the frequency of pressure washing. In response, pressure washing frequency was increased to twice per week, starting in mid-July 2025.
On September 2, 2025, the City Council reviewed the Canada Goose assessment prepared by wildlife biologist Robert Hamilton and directed staff to evaluate several management strategies intended to reduce goose activity and associated impacts at Polliwog Park and adjacent sports fields. Staff was directed to return to the City Council with implementation options and associated cost estimates. This report fulfills that request.
DISCUSSION:
As staff prepared implementation options and associated costs, staff learned that managing Canada geese is a more complex issue than originally contemplated. Staff finds that selecting from a menu of implementation options will not result in the desired outcome; rather, a comprehensive multi-layered management plan carried out over many years is necessary. Additionally, a successful outcome will likely require options that the City Council previously considered undesirable. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council consider three options for how to move forward on this issue.
Option 1: Continue Current Practices
Option 1 is to continue current practices to curb goose litter, which consist of bilingual educational signage to prevent feeding and twice-weekly pressure washing of the affected areas in Polliwog Park, as further detailed below.
• Wildlife Feeding Prohibition and Educational Signage: Staff reviewed the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code and confirmed that feeding wildlife is already prohibited and enforceable. Based on that review, staff determined that an additional ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife is not necessary at this time. However, to reinforce public awareness of the existing prohibition, six educational signs (three in English and three in Spanish) referencing the applicable Municipal Code provisions were installed at Polliwog Park. The total cost for the signage was approximately $270.
• Pressure Washing: The City currently pressure washes areas affected by Canada geese litter twice per week. The estimated current cost of this service is approximately $35,000 annually using a combination of staff and contracted services.
Option 1 is likely to result in a continued increase in the resident Canada goose population in Polliwog Park, as it does not address the root cause. Option 1 is also the least costly option.
Option 2: Enhance Current Practices
Option 2 is to enhance current practices to curb goose litter by increasing educational outreach and implementing additional pressure washing of the affected areas in the park, as further detailed below.
• Additional Educational Outreach: Staff identified additional educational outreach measures that could increase public awareness regarding the impacts of feeding wildlife and the importance of compliance with City regulations. One such measure is to distribute materials through Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD). Another measure is to broadcast educational information using the City's digital communication channels; including the City's website, email newsletters, and social media. Furthermore, staff can conduct educational presentations through existing City programs, including Parks and Recreation youth camps and Older Adult Program events. These additional educational outreach activities can be implemented using existing resources.
• Additional Pressure Washing: Pressure washing can be increased to a rate of three times per week to increase the cleanliness of Polliwog Park and provide a better user experience. The estimated annual cost of providing one additional weekly pressure-washing service is in the range of approximately $25,000 annually. This would be done through contracted services as staff capacity would be exceeded; therefore, the cost is not proportional to the existing pressure washing cost using a combination of staff and contracted services.
Option 2 may result in a very limited decrease of the resident Canada goose population with less feeding due to increased education, and may improve the user experience with increased pressure washing; however, it does not directly address the root cause, and the overall effect will be nominal. The cost of this option is in the range of approximately $25,000, which would require a General Fund budget increase.
Option 3: Develop a Comprehensive Multi-Year Management Plan
Option 3 is to develop a comprehensive multi-year management plan for further consideration and potential eventual implementation, if desired by the City Council. Based on research conducted by staff, such a plan is likely to consist of the elements listed below. Rather than beginning implementation of any of these elements at this time, staff recommends first developing a comprehensive plan so that the City Council has a full picture of what will be needed to address the root cause, and an anticipated annual cost and duration. Likely elements of the comprehensive management plan are detailed below.
• Surveillance: Digital and physical surveillance may be needed to monitor the Canada goose population, including goose presence, activity, and site-use patterns in affected areas of Polliwog Park. Long-term monitoring would provide measurable data to evaluate the effectiveness of management measures implemented and allow methods to be adjusted as needed to improve outcomes.
• Aversive Conditioning, Hazing, and Deterrence: A comprehensive plan may include various aversive conditioning, hazing, and deterrence techniques. The plan would evaluate a range of these methods; with the specifics of type, timing, location, and frequency optimized to maximize effectiveness. Potential methods may include hand-held lasers, acoustic systems, predator decoys, scare devices, motion-activated deterrents, and remote-controlled land, air, and water devices.
Methods previously discussed by the City Council and considered undesirable; including K-9 hazing, reproductive control (egg addling), and banding to track movement may be necessary for a successful outcome.
• Habitat Modification: A comprehensive plan may recommend installing a temporary and perhaps permanent physical barrier around the pond edge to reduce the desirability of the park as a habitat. The barrier design would consider compatibility with existing human use of the park, aesthetics, safety, maintenance, and the use of natural and manufactured materials.
• Public Outreach: The plan would also include public education and outreach, which would be developed collaboratively by City staff and the selected consultant. Outreach would explain the purpose and methods of the comprehensive management plan; including the humaneness and intended outcomes of proposed measures, public safety considerations, and the legal basis for conducting deterrence activities. The outreach components would also provide opportunities to inform the public about the City’s objectives and anticipated programming.
Option 3 begins the process of directly addressing the root cause. A comprehensive management plan provides a data-driven roadmap to significantly decrease the resident Canada goose population at Polliwog Park. The plan would detail the cost, legal considerations, and other relevant factors. The plan would be presented to the City Council for further consideration before implementation. The cost to develop a comprehensive plan is estimated to be within $50,000, which would require a General Fund budget increase. The cost to implement the plan would become known after development of the plan; however, staff anticipates that the implementation cost would be in the range of $250,000 to $300,000 per year, which is not currently budgeted. To date, no grant funding has been identified that would reduce reliance on General Fund dollars for this purpose.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
On April 21, 2025, the Public Works Department hosted a community meeting at Heights Park to discuss the Canada Goose Sanitation Strategy. The meeting was attended by 15 community members, as well as representatives from the Public Works Department, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Manhattan Beach Police Department, and wildlife biologist Robert Hamilton. For additional information, refer to Attachment No. 3, "April 21, 2025, Community Meeting Notes."
This item was previously presented to the City Council on September 2, 2025, and was noticed in accordance with applicable law, as was the October 20th, 2026 City Council meeting.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the options for City Council action for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the options qualify for categorical exemptions under Section 15306 (Information Collection) and Section 15323 (Normal Operations of Facilities for Public Gatherings).
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. PowerPoint Presentation