Hummingbird feeders, such as the one shown here, and other bird feeders would still be permitted in Chandler, as long as pigeons can’t get into them, under a prospective ordinance. The Chandler City Council and staff discussed details and council direction for such an ordinance in an April work session.
The Chandler City Council is ready to take action on birds.
Or rather, against people who feed or invite birds — especially the kind that seem to do the most property damage with feces.
Riann Balch, the city’s neighborhood resources director, presented to Council at a work session on ordinance options to help cut down on the large numbers of wild birds drawn to parts of the city that are the most densely developed.
Mayor Kevin Hartke polled Council members on which options they each liked best on three questions. Balch and the city’s legal department will go over the options, with at least one ordinance to be presented to Council for action at an upcoming regular meeting.
A few residents have spoken at Council meetings within the past year about property damage they said is due to neighbors inviting wild birds onto the block.
An ordinance would be geared toward new regulations, as well as education and possible penalties, for residents who feed and otherwise encourage wild birds to be on-site.
Balch mentioned pigeons when reading off regulations from other Valley jurisdiction, noting that the species of bird is one of the few regularly mentioned by name in U.S. local regulations.
At one point, getting into the details of the potential ordinance at the April 9 work session, asked Balch if the large feeder machine or device that some residents fill up would be addressed by ordinance language.
Balch said yes. If there is language in the final ordinance barring use of such equipment in the city, that would be covered in banning anything that “attracts a nuisance.”
Council member O.D. Harris requested more information on how evidence would be obtained in a case related to this topic and the city’s legal standing.
But only Council member Jane Poston was opposed to moving forward.
Balch said language will include feeding of all ground birds. Bird feeders such as hummingbird feeders will still be allowed as long as such devices prevent pigeons from eating from them.
Regarding enforcement of the restriction, staff agreed that reporting and follow-up would be handled like many other code enforcement violation allegations.
Investigations will be complaint-driven, staff said, often with photos or evidence of bird damage, and will require code enforcement staff to either observe evidence of a violation from a public street or sidewalk, with education preceding any consequence.
Here are the questions Balch put to Council in the work session:
-Should Chandler add a specific bird-feeding ordinance? This answer was simply a “yes” from most of Council.
-Should the city restrict pigeon feeding specifically? The answer was “no,” though the Council was nearly evenly divided. The ordinance will apply to non-domesticated birds equally with no pigeon-specific restriction.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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