Your NameJune 29, 2022
July 26, 2022- Revised RFP
Thank you for providing the opportunity to bid on RFP#2122-026, PEST BIRD ABATEMENT AND FALCONRY SERVICES.
Please find the attached, revived RFP terms as negotiated with the Waterfront & Economic Development Department.
This proposal shall be valid for 90 days after the RFP submittal deadline (10/8/2022). The signature below represents the person with authority to negotiate on belalf of On the Wing Falconry Inc.
On the Wing Falconry Inc. (OTW) has been in business since 2013, incorporating in 2015. We are a local, Redondo Beach, company specializing in falconry based pest bird control along beaches and harbors. We train our falcons and owls to only haze target birds (generally gulls and pigeons). All other birds (pelicans, herons, terns, etc.) are ignored by our raptors. The target birds are never harmed. We chase them but never touch them.
Our approach to bird abatement is quite simple. We take advantage of the predator/ prey concept that governs the natural world. In short, the gulls, pigeons and other pest birds are born afraid of raptors. That is the first thing they are aware of and they never forget it. They will leave any area that is frequented by hawks and falcons.
Our company is small and we work locally. At the most we employ 5 falconers. Any falconer working for OTW will be a Master Falconer with at least 10 years of experience in the art of falconry. In addition, any falconer working for OTW will be comfortable flying around and sharing these wonderful raptors with the public.
Public relations are of utmost importance to both our clients and ourselves. We realize that being in the presence of these birds is special and worthwhile. We spend as much time as possible bringing the raptors to the public.
Although the raptors do the bulk of the work we will use highly trained dogs, lasers, and pyrotechnics (where allowed). Our goal is to make pest bird problems a thing of the past.
ON THE WING FALCONRY INC.
JOHN (rocky) POST M.A. CEO
2615 Redondo Beach Blvd. #16
Redondo Beach, CA. 90278
310 569-7678
[email protected]
The above signature represents the person who represents OTW in negotiations and contractual issues.
This proposal is valid for 90 days from the RFP proposal deadline (July 8, 2022).
IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 1735/1777.6 (CA labor code)
SECTION 1410-1433 ( Employment Practice Act)
OTW and The City of Redondo Beach- A brief history.
OTW has been, and continues to be, the only bird abatement company Redondo Beach has had working the harbor and pier areas. We worked hand in hand with Jim Allen (Waterfront and Economic Development Director) in order to bring falconry based bird abatement to the harbor in 2015. At that time there were hundreds of pigeons and gulls everywhere. We were the first to try falconry in a very “birdy” pier area. Needless to say, the raptors went to work and today we have a dramatically cleaner harbor. There will always be some gulls around. They migrate through and will continue to do so. They won’t stay and they won’t be pests. As for the pigeons, we haven’t even seen a pigeon in the harbor or around the pier in over a year.
Bird abatement during Covid
When Covid was ramping up all work stopped. The City of Redondo Beach put a hold on bird abatement as did every city in Southern California. We were forced to give the harbor back to the pest birds. After about a year Redondo Beach wanted to start up the bird abatement program but on a very limited scale, about half the number of hours on the job. Covid was still in full force so the harbor was quiet. To keep the falconers safe all flying of raptors had to happen away from the public. Through trial and error we found that flying very early in the morning and late in the evening would work. We retrained falcons to fly in the dark and hawks to follow a laser to wherever it was pointed. We avoided people and any place the public congregates. We developed skills that were untried in our industry. There are no guarantees that we won’t be revisited by those dark days. We keep all the birds “cross trained” in the unlikely event we are, once again, forced to adhere to Covid’s rules.
With a new schedule of 4.5 days and some relief from Covid we would be able to rekindle a very progressive falconry program. Working with each restaurant regarding trash and educating their employees about coustomers feeding the birds is where we would start. Also, talking to the sport fishing captains about fish waste attracting birds is another area of concern.
We would be in the marina or pier most weekends. Also, we would be present at all pier or marina functions.
COST OF SERVICES
OTW can fulfill for the City of Redondo Beach proposal #2122-026 for:
4 Days per week
600.00 per day
52 weeks per year
124,800 per year
(CPI 3% @ beginning of year 2-5)
Educational Component
Although Covid put education and outreach on the back burner for over a year OTW has always been very aware of the importance of ongoing education regarding the raptors and the environment. Just recently we have been able to make ourselves availiable to the community again.
We are in the schools and make visits as requested by the teachers. We’ve done many “meet the falconer” days on the pier. Interest groups will meet us in the harbor to watch the birds fly. Photographers, both professional and amateur, regularly meet with us in order to sharpen their skills at photographing birds in flight.
We educate the restaurant workers as well as the city public works personnel as to the importance of not having trash availiable to the pest birds. The public we remind daily to not feed the birds.
We have had the opportunity to be apart of the Beachlife Festival over the last few years. The raptors are presented on behalf of the City of Redondo Beaches approach to a positive environmental solution to the historical problem shared by all waterfront marinas and public areas- pest birds. We generally take all our raptors so the beach life attendees can take pictures and ask questions. To date, the Beach Life Festival has been a wonderful way to show Redondo Beaches commitment to a healthier and cleaner harbor area.
Also, the film crews that frequent the harbor/ pier area are encouraged to notify us if they suspect pest birds being a problem during their time in the harbor. Most of the crew directors have our number and keep us informed when they are in the area.
We are very local and can be availiable within 10 minutes. We work (The Village Garden) and live in South Redondo.
REFERENCES
City of Redondo Beach
2015- Current
Contact: Laurie Koike
Waterfront and Economic Development Dept
[email protected]
City of Avalon, Catalina Island
2014-2020
Contact: Mayor Anne Marshall
310 339-2935
[email protected]
Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce
2014-2020
310 510-1520
Www.Catalinachamber.com
Jim Luttjohann
President/ CEO
310 510-7643
2