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A Resolution of the City Commission approving a peafowl mitigation policy and directing City staff to transmit said policy to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners for approval pursuant to the Code of Miami-Dade County, Chapter 5 “Animals and Fowl”, Section 5-16 “Taking of peafowl prohibited; municipal opt out.” (Sponsored by Mayor Lago)
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Peafowl are a non-native and invasive species and compete with indigenous bird species throughout South Florida. They can cause property damage, transmit parasites, create substantial noise pollution, and block traffic in the City. The City has consistently received complaints from residents regarding nuisance peafowl but has not had the ability to address such complaints due to a Miami-Dade County ordinance that made it unlawful to take, attempt to take, hunt, molest, capture, or kill any peafowl, their nests or eggs, by any means. However, the County Code was recently amended to provide a municipal opt-out that allows a municipality to opt out of the general prohibition by adopting a peafowl mitigation plan that provides for humane removal of peafowl, if approved by the Board of County Commissioners.
The City Code of Coral Gables Chapter 10 “Animals”, Article I “In General”, Section 10-7 “Peafowl” grants the City the authority to take any remedial action deemed appropriate to address the proliferation of peafowl within the City. The City Commission finds that the proliferation of peafowl within the City is harmful to the public welfare and wishes to provide residents with additional options to humanely remove peafowl from their private property and to authorize City staff to engage one or more qualified private companies to humanely remove peafowl from the public rights-of-way or City-owned property.
Therefore, the City Commission approves the attached Peafowl Mitigation Policy, which shall be made a part of this Resolution, in furtherance of the health, safety and welfare of the community, and fo...
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