4.c) Staff Report-Gopher Bounty � �
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SCANDIA
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: June 11, 2013
To: City Council
From: Colleen Firkus, Treasurer
Re: Gopher Bounty
Agenda Item #: 4.c)
Background:
Prior to 2008, the City paid a gopher bounty of$2 per pair of gopher feet. In 2005 the City paid
out $1,100 in gopher bounties, $2,423 in 2006 and $3,914 in 2007. I believe the City received a
subsidy from the County to offset the cost, but that was discontinued. In September 2007 the
City Council voted to discontinue the payment of gopher bounties effective January 1, 2008. It
was difficult to verify that the animals were actually caught in Scandia as half of payments were
going to non-Scandia residents.
Issue:
Should the City of Scandia reinstate a gopher bounty?
Proposal Details:
Consider drafting and publishing an ordinance to provide for payment of a gopher bounty.
Train staff on receipt and disposal of gopher feet.
Fiscal Impact:
Based on the data, the city paid an increasing expense for gopher bounties. The city would need
to budget for this additional expense as well as the expense of drafting and publishing a new
ordinance.
Options:
1) Direct staff to write an ordinance establishing a gopher bounty.
2) Make no changes.
Recommendation:
Option 2.
Gopher bounties were typically offered as a pest reduction method in farming communities. Are
gophers a known pest now to the residents of Scandia that justifies the expenditure of tax money
to reduce the gopher population? Maybe we should have a mole bounty instead.