Coyotes on Council’s Tuesday Agenda

As it did last month, the city’s coyote problem will dominate the City Council meeting Tuesday.

Council members requested more information for this month’s session after an overflow crowd Sept. 24 heatedly described coyotes prowling the city.

Mayor Joseph S. Barsa said he expects some action to be taken: “There will be a vote on something to resolve the issue. I’m not opposed to trapping as a last resort, but there are questions about its cost and effectiveness. I hope to be able to offer another offer that does not involve trapping.”

Councilmen Bob Patchin and John Frackelton have said they would like to see a solution to the problem before they retire shortly after the Nov. 5 election.

“The coyote issue came up on our watch and I’d like to get the issue off the table,” Patchin said.

Frackelton said: “I’d like to see it resolved if there is enough community consensus.”

City Manager Fred Maley said he will brief the council on options Tuesday. He said he has spoken extensively with officials in other cities with coyote problems.

“I will give the council information, but I’m not prepared to make a recommendation,” Maley said. “The council could vote to do nothing, or it could vote to enter into an agreement with a company that does trapping.”

At the council’s September meeting, a commercial trapper said that he has had success in in urban areas by trapping coyotes and having them exterminated.

“We will probably have many people speaking on the issue Tuesday,” Maley said. “We’ll probably have an emotional response from representatives on both sides.”

The council meets at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 17855 Santiago Blvd. Information: (714) 998-1500.