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DATE: June 15, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Derek Schweigart, Parks and Recreation Director
Frank Fanara, Park Manager
DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
SUBJECT: FIRST AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH WILDLIFE INNOVATIONS, INC. FOR
CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTEGRATED
ADAPTIVE CANADA GOOSE MANAGEMENT PLAN
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the first amendment to the professional services agreement with Wildlife Innovations, Inc. for continued implementation of the Integrated Adaptive Canada Goose Management Plan, exercising the first of two optional one-year extension periods from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $381,598, subject to the appropriation of funds in the Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute the first amendment to the professional services agreement with Wildlife Innovations, Inc. for continued implementation of the City’s Integrated Adaptive Canada Goose Management Plan.
The original agreement was executed on August 4, 2025, with a term through June 30, 2026. The agreement includes two optional one-year extension periods, exercisable at the discretion of the City Council. The proposed first amendment would authorize the
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first extension, continuing services from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, for an amount not to exceed $381,598.
Approval of the amendment will allow the City to maintain continuity of services and continue implementation of adaptive Canada goose management strategies, including hazing and deterrence, trained dog deployment, remote-controlled deterrence devices, monitoring, reporting, regulatory compliance, and ongoing program refinements based on field observations and data.
Funding for this work is included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget, which is scheduled for City Council consideration in June. Approval of this item would authorize execution of the First Amendment, subject to the appropriation of funds through the adopted Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget.
BACKGROUND
The City has experienced ongoing impacts from Canada goose activity in parks and open space areas, including turf damage, accumulation of fecal matter, impacts to public use areas, and concerns regarding the long-term usability and maintenance of waterfront park spaces. In response, the City developed and adopted the Integrated Adaptive Canada Goose Management Plan, which provides a comprehensive, phased framework for addressing goose-related impacts through humane, science-based, and adaptive management practices.
On August 4, 2025, the City entered into a Professional Services Agreement with Wildlife Innovations, Inc. to implement the Canada Goose Management Plan. The agreement established an initial term through June 30, 2026, and included two optional one-year extensions: the First Optional Extended Term from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, and the Second Optional Extended Term from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028.
Under the agreement, Wildlife Innovations provides professional wildlife management services within seven priority Foster City parks, including Leo J. Ryan Park, Marlin Park, Gull Park, Erckenbrack Park, Sea Cloud Park, Edgewater Park, and Catamaran Park. The agreement also allows program implementation to expand beyond the seven (7) priority parks if goose presence is effectively reduced in those areas or if mitigation efforts become more efficient.
The proposed First Amendment would extend the agreement for one additional year, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. All other provisions of the original agreement would remain in full force and effect during the extended term.
ANALYSIS
The Canada Goose Management Plan was designed as an adaptive program, meaning strategies are evaluated and refined over time based on observed goose behavior, 1 2
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seasonal patterns, monitoring data, site conditions, and program results. Because goose activity changes throughout the year, including during nesting, molting, and migration-related movement periods, continued implementation is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and adjust as conditions change.
Exercising the First Optional Extended Term allows the City to maintain continuity in the implementation of the Canada Goose Management Plan and continue building on work completed during the first year of the agreement. It is important to maintain an uninterrupted field presence because Canada geese can quickly reestablish site use patterns when deterrence and monitoring efforts are reduced or inconsistent.
The scope of work includes several key program components. Wildlife Innovations conducts site-specific evaluations, applies hazing and deterrence techniques, utilizes trained dog teams, deploys remote-controlled deterrence devices, assists with monitoring and metrics, provides detailed reporting, supports regulatory compliance, and refines strategies based on ongoing observations. The agreement also includes use of cameras and GPS or cellular transmitter tools to help evaluate goose activity, timing, location, movement patterns, and behavioral response to management techniques.
Following adoption of the Integrated Adaptive Canada Goose Management Plan and execution of the professional services agreement with Wildlife Innovations, implementation efforts initially focused on program setup, operational coordination, and baseline monitoring. Consistent with the adopted framework, the CAGO Plan has been implemented in phases. Current activities include:
Confirming baseline conditions and validated priority park selection Establishing operational structure needed to support on-the-ground geese management actions across multiple park types and shoreline conditions Acquiring all necessary permits and regulatory approvals associated with the current phase of implementation including those related to goose banding and GPS tracking
Transitioning from planning and preparation to active field implementation including ground-based hazing at priority parks
During the current implementation year, early performance indicators show progress toward the City’s desired outcomes of reducing Canada goose activity, improving targeted response, and supporting cleaner, more usable park and lagoon-adjacent areas. Wildlife Innovations’ second quarterly reporting period documented expanded monitoring and field response efforts, including drone surveillance, camera monitoring, GPS collar data review, trained dog hazing, and use of the remote-controlled amphibious deterrent device. These efforts have helped identify goose movement patterns, congregation areas, nesting activity, and seasonal return behavior, allowing staff and Wildlife Innovations to adjust strategies and focus resources in high-activity locations. Several nests have also been located and addressed through permitted egg addling efforts, reducing reproductive success and helping limit long-term site fidelity. In particular, the combination of the trained hazing dog and remote-controlled amphibious 1 2
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device has shown to be effective in moving geese from turf, shoreline, and lagoon-edge areas where traditional land-based hazing methods are more limited.
Additionally, priority beach locations were removed from the County’s elevated bacteria notification list during recent reporting periods, reflecting improved conditions in areas historically impacted by goose activity.
Next Steps
As implementation continues, management activities will be sequenced to align with seasonal Canada goose behavior and life-cycle patterns. Upcoming phases of work are expected to include locating and monitoring nesting activity within City limits, followed by nesting season management activities such as egg addling, where appropriate.
These efforts will be coordinated with continued deterrence and monitoring during the post-nesting return period and molting season. Together, these phases represent critical windows for influencing site fidelity and long-term use of City parks by resident geese.
Continuation of the agreement will also support the City’s ability to respond to seasonal conditions and focus efforts in high-impact areas. The agreement anticipates that contractor staffing will generally be onsite five days per week for eight hours per day, with flexibility to adjust scheduling based on program needs. This allows the program to remain responsive as goose activity shifts between parks, lagoon areas, nesting sites, and other locations.
The proposed First Amendment does not create a new scope of work. Rather, it exercises the first optional extension period already contemplated in the original agreement. The amendment extends the agreement through June 30, 2027, establishes compensation for the extended term in an amount not to exceed $381,598, and confirms that all other provisions of the original agreement remain in effect.
Staff recommends approval of the First Amendment to ensure continued implementation of the City’s adopted Canada Goose Management Plan and to avoid a gap in service at the start of Fiscal Year 2026–27.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
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On December 2, 2024, the City Council via City Resolution No. 2024-127 adopted an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND), including all findings, standard conditions of approval, and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15074, for the Integrated Adaptive Canada Goose Management Plan. The approval of the professional services agreement with Wildlife Innovations authorizes implementation of the Management Plan.
Implementation activities, including the use of various management techniques, were contemplated and analyzed as part of the approved IS/MND and thus no supplemental review or action is necessary. The project is being implemented in a manner consistent with the adopted IS/MND, and no additional environmental review or action is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
The First Amendment would extend the agreement with Wildlife Innovations, Inc. for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $381,598.
The total compensation paid to Wildlife Innovations for the original term and the First Optional Extended Term would not exceed $771,438.
The original agreement also identifies optional services for the same performance period in the amount of $90,847.73. These optional services are separate from the requested services and would only be used if authorized and needed.
Funding for the extended term is included in the proposed Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget, which is scheduled for City Council consideration on June 15. Approval of this item would authorize execution of the First Amendment, subject to the appropriation of funds through the adopted Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget. No expenditure under the extended term would occur unless sufficient funding is approved and available.
The proposed FY 2027-28 budget also includes sufficient funds for a possible second extension of services from Wildlife Innovations. While the budget includes these funds, any further contract extension beyond the First Amendment would be subject to Council approval.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Facilities and Infrastructure
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Amendment No. 1
Attachment 3 – Agreement