Peafowl In Rolling Hills Neighborhood

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Peafowl Background

In May 1998, the City acquired Dunnell property, through a family trust deed that stipulated the property be developed as a park. The property had long been a refuge for a pride of approximately 50 peafowl, which had free roam of the property and the surrounding Rolling Hills neighborhood. The peafowl population has increased since the City acquired the property. Due to the increasing number of peafowl, some in the neighborhood consider the birds a nuisance, while others enjoy the presence of the birds throughout the neighborhood. This webpage provides a history of public documents related to peafowl management and prior decisions by the City Council.

Please see recently adopted Peafowl Management Plan here.

History

2024

At the February 20 City Council meeting, proposed peafowl mitigation efforts were presented. City Council adopted the updated Peafowl Management Plan (2024), directed staff to not supply feed for peafowl feeding efforts at the Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center (based on expense), created and posted information signage at the Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center, and authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Raptor Events, LLC, to humanely reduce the peafowl pride. Raptor Events, LLC conducted a point in time peafowl census in mid-February and the count came back at approximately 115 birds (within the Rolling Hills area and the Flower Streets). The trapper will attempt to capture and rehome all birds in the Flower Streets and reduce the pride size in the Rolling Hills area to 50 (1/3 peacock to 2/3 peahen ratio). The trapper is expected to begin the week of March 11.

2023

December 9, 2023: the City held a second community meeting at Rolling Hill Elementary School. Through conversation and research, residents determined their preferences as follows:

Create a new Peafowl Management Plan to address peafowl openly roaming the Rolling Hills neighborhood
Reduce the size of the peafowl pride to approximately 50 birds in Rolling Hills, taking into account expert recommendations on the ratio of males to females
Create a webpage with all historical information of City actions related to peafowl (www.fairfield.ca.gov/peafowl)
Install signage at the Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center to guide guests to information on peafowl
Consult UC Davis or other experts to ensure that information contained in the peafowl management plan meets best practice for care of the birds
Create an updated peafowl education flyer for residents to share in the neighborhood
Create a process for contracting residents who feed the peafowl against recommended best practices to reduce instances of improper feeding
Contract with a private company to conduct a point-in-time census count of birds to guide how many birds required rehoming

October 7, 2023: the City held a community meeting at the Rolling Hills Elementary School to identify issues and discuss potential solutions (see meeting notes here). City staff expects to facilitate a follow up meeting to assist the neighborhood in deciding how to best manage the situation in their neighborhood.

July 18, 2023: City staff provided City Council with background information on past and current peafowl management practices.

2018

In 2018 a group of residents of the Rolling Hills neighborhood and City staff teamed together to form a new Peafowl Committee. Over the course of a year, the team performed extensive research to educate themselves on all aspects of peafowl – with emphasis not to feed them. A subcommittee was also created to regularly feed the peafowl at the Dunnell site, with the hope that feeding the peafowl on a regular schedule at the same location would help lure the peafowl out of the neighborhoods and back onto the Dunnell site.

2009

December 1, 2009: City Council adopted Resolution 2009-273 authorizing the mayor to execute amendment No. 2 to the consultant services agreement between the City of Fairfield and Noll & Tam Architects for the Dunnell Property Master Plan Implementation Project. The amended project scope eliminated the peafowl aviary and a recommendation to Council was made by the Peafowl Research Committee to reduce the pride to between 5-10 birds, as noted in the December 2009 staff report corresponding to Resolution-273.

November 23, 2009: Letter to Rolling Hills Neighborhood Network Board of Directors re: Dunnell Master Plan Project Implementation Status

2007

June 5, 2007: City Council adopted Resolution 2006-148 authorizing the mayor to execute amendment No. 1 to the consultant services agreement between the City of Fairfield and Noll & Tam Architects for the Dunnell Property Master Plan Implementation Project (Rolling Hill Phase 2).

2005

January 4, 2005: City Council adopted Resolution 2005-03 authorizing the mayor to execute a consultant services agreement between the City of Fairfield and Noll & Tam Architects for the Dunnell Property Master Plan Implementation Project.

2004

April 6, 2004: City Council adopted Resolution 2004-87 adopting the Dunnell Conceptual Development Master Plan (which includes the Peafowl Management Plan). The development of the plan was the culmination of nearly four years of work, with two independent citizen committees guiding the process.

1999

March 2, 1999: City Council adopted Resolution 99-59 approving the recommendations from the Community Services Commission that the peafowl remain at Rolling Hills Neighborhood Park II and directing the Community Services Department to develop a peafowl management plan.

1998

May 28, 1998: City Council and (former) Redevelopment Agency held a special meeting study session to discuss parks and recreation facilities including the Dunnell-Burton property.

May 19, 1998: City Council adopted Resolution 98-101 accepting a grant deed signed by Braewood Development Corporation transferring 6.2 acres of land to be used for a city park.