Before a new sweep of seagull eggs and nests in downtown Dunkirk could happen, the Common Council had to hatch a resolution approving it. The effort took flight last week with the resolution unanimously approved.

Councilmember Natalie Luczkowiak helped facilitate a sweep last year that removed a huge amount of eggs and nests from the Save-A-Lot Plaza area on Fourth Street.

She said there was a “revolting and hazardous seagull problem. They were too close to people, and the food they purchase.” Luczkowiak added, “Apart from the business district, there are plenty of seagulls still to eat our dead fishes and proceed with the flow of nature that I know is so important.”

Republicans on council turned down a Luczkowiak walk-on resolution for the program at the last meeting. Councilmember Nancy Nichols offered an explanation for that.

“We’re getting beat up about that issue. It’s not the issue of us not wanting the resolution,” she said. “We want the resolution to be done in the proper legal way that it should be done. There were errors in it when it happened last year. It did not go before council, we did not hear about it until long after, we did not know there were monies from the city involved in it, which council is supposed to be approving monies spent, so to correct the issue we asked for a resolution. The resolution was long overdue — it was in the works for many, many months, not just a week and half or two weeks.”

Nichols responded directly to an OBSERVER editorial criticizing council Republicans for turning down the walk-on. “This is not a political thing,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what political party that we belong to, we’re supposed to be working as a team and getting things done for the progress of this city.”

City Housing, Building and Zoning Officer Glenn Christner, also key in getting together last year’s program, stated the resolution is “not to front the money for the wildlife program. We will collect the money from the individual property owners, and then be billed by the USDA on a monthly basis on what services were performed.”

Christner said upon the resolution’s approval, he will sign an agreement to sweep for more seagull nests, then solicit money from plaza businesses. “If I don’t get (money from property owners), then I will tell the USDA not to come,” he said.