Ducks who hang out in Children’s Park won’t be fed any special food that comes out of a coin-operated dispenser.
Lake Orion’s Village Council on Oct. 12 declined to take any action to establish a duck feeding zone in Children’s Park on South Broadway. The feeding zone would have been located between the municipal parking lot and Paint Creek.
The feeding zone would have had a duck food dispenser and benches where people could sit.
Members of the village’s parks and recreation advisory committee had recommended the feeding zone in an attempt to keep ducks to an area away from where children play.
The committee also thought the food coming out of the dispenser would provide the ducks with a better diet and maybe wean them away from human food and the park’s picnic tables.
Although there is sign posted that says not to feed the ducks, LO Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel admits people are ignoring the sign.
She suggested to the council members they visit the park between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. ‘Parents bring their young children, 2 to 5, to feed the ducks. You see bread and things like saltine crackers. You see them day after day,? she added.
‘These are wild birds. This isn’t a petting zoo,? councilman Douglas Dendel said. ‘When you start feeding them, you’ll bring more ducks. ‘I’ve seen it happen on the lake. And the ducks won’t stay on ‘this side of the line.??
According to Dendel, there’s problems with geese at Green’s Park on M-24 and pigeons in the downtown area. He wants people to be encouraged to not feed any of these birds.
‘We should have signs that say you’ll be fined,? he added. ‘We’re not enforcing this.?
‘I don’t know if we have an ordinance (about not feeding the ducks). All we have is a sign,? Van Tassel said.
Councilman Tom Albert questioned how effective the feeding zone would be. ‘I wonder whether people are going to buy the food. We need to educate people not to feed the ducks,? he added.
Council members felt it would be difficult to maintain the food dispenser and very hard to get rid of the ducks in the main part of the park.