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Restaurant Owner Faces $2,000 a Day City Fine…for Washing Bird Poop Off the Sidewalk

Sep. 19, 2012 12:26pm Madeleine Morgenstern

Corpus Christie Texas Restaurant Owner John Webb Faces $2,000 a Day City Fine for Washing Bird Poop Off the Sidewalk

KRIS-TV

A Texas restaurant owner is up in arms after Corpus Christi city officials informed him he can no longer wash the bird poop off the sidewalk in front of his business — not unless he wants a $2,000 fine, KRIS-TV reported.

John Webb, general manager of Crawdaddy’s in downtown Corpus Christi, told the station he’s been hosing the sidewalk down for 18 years. That is, until city officials told him earlier this month he was breaking the law. The reason? A city storm water ordinance that bars anyone from washing pollutants, like bird poop, into the storm drain system that leads out to the bay — with a $2,000 a day fine for violations.

“If I can’t wash my sidewalk off what am I supposed to do? I’m at a loss at how to clean this up,” Webb told KRIS. “Now I’m stuck with having dirty sidewalks and this bird poop. It’s nasty.”

City officials told the station their ordinance is based on state standards and is similar to what other cities have. But here’s the catch: officials say it’s fine if rainwater washes the poop out into the storm drain system.

“It just seems kinda foolish that rain washing it off is a natural occurrence, but a water hose washing it off is a pollutant. It just really doesn’t make much since to me,” Webb said.

Corpus Christie officials told KRIS that business owners are free to vacuum the sidewalks or even get a professional to clean it for them — but if they break out the water hose, they’re breaking the law.

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Comments (209)

Al J Zira
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:52pm
Guess it would have been OK if they were sea gulls.

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- KenInIL
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:21pm
  The people in city hall don’t realize fish poop in the bay all the time.
  
  Maybe they will allow skeet shooting with live birds?? Ya, think? Maybe with quieter air guns.
  
  Report this comment
- ltb
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:32pm
  Scoop it up, put it in a bag and drop it off at City Hall.
  
  Report this comment
- Gladius_Doctorae
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:41pm
  Hire a kid to hose it off.
  
  Report this comment
- rochrealtor
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:42pm
  Sounds like the city needs to change like the city in Rhode Island! Let me know when you need us to come down and stand with you.
  
  Report this comment
- maynardb61
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:43pm
  Corpus Christi has been infiltrated by hard core democrats, much the same as Austin Texas and this is what you get when that happens. The crime rate is soaring, but bird dropping clean-up is a major crime.
  
  Report this comment
- SocialistSlayer
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:49pm
  Welcome to obama’s Amerika Comrades!
  
  Report this comment
- shakedowncrews
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:50pm
  No, you see the Environmentalists have trained the modern Sea Gull to poop into proper recepticles and no longer poop in the sea.
  
  Report this comment
- Go Glenn
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:58pm
  Vote the dumb @sses out of office.
  
  Or better yet, move your store to a nearby community that will welcome a new business. Let your customers vote with their feet.
  
  Also, sue the city for causing contaminated bird $hit to be tracked into your restaurant.
  
  The country is really fvcked up when something that happens naturally (like rain washing the turds into the sewer) is ok but when a person imitates nature (by using a water hose to accomplish the same thing) they are fined.
  
  Vote out the dumb ba$tards.
  
  Report this comment
- LIBSALWAYSLIE
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:06pm
  Government regulations are wonderful, arn’t they?
  
  Report this comment
- 13th Imam
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:16pm
  Place a water barrel with rain water on the sidewalk and wash the sidewalk with the rain water in the barrel.
  
  Report this comment
- Chuck7884
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:26pm
  Read this.if you think collecting rain water as an answer to this mans problem.
  
  http://rt.com/usa/news/rain-water-harrington-oregon-439/
  
  Report this comment
- wazupwidat
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:27pm
  No it wouldn’t. All liberals know that Seagulls don’t poop in the ocean. They use the McDonald’s restaurant down the street.
  
  Report this comment
- KURT1010
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 3:06pm
  What a bunlch of Crap ! Who would want to eat in his place if bird crap is all over , I would Not !
  
  Report this comment
- JACKTHETOAD
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 4:36pm
  Obviously, a case of habeus corpus non-delecti.
  
  Report this comment
- Bluefish49
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 4:36pm
  So I guess birds don’t poop on streets, yards, roofs and it rains it all goes to the drains. This is EPA Blackmail….god I wish Obama would get 3rd stage colon cancer soon…
  
  Report this comment
- AmericanLass
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 5:29pm
  Or OWS or Union Protestors $hitting in the streets and sidewalks..
  
  Report this comment
- mattmo79
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 6:08pm
  So it’s okay for the birds to poop directly into the bay, but can’t poop indirectly into the bay. Yep, makes perfect moronic bureaucratic sense!! Take back our government at all levels!!
  
  Report this comment
- lobster
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 6:27pm
  When we lived in Thousand Oaks, CA the city had similar stupid rules. My wife called the health department on it and then they allowed it to be cleaned up. Bird poop contains all sorts of E. coli, Staph and other noxious bacteria, so I guess he would have to spray first with bleach to kill the bugs, but then you can’t wash that into the NPDES drains. How much more of this leftie poop are we going to have to put up with. Maybe make the pigeons fly over the ocean to poop.
  
  Report this comment
- loriann12
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 6:27pm
  That’s because the water coming out of the hose has flouride and chemicals added to it, it’s not the bird poop that’s the problem, it’s the city water.
  
  Report this comment
- ViewPointtt
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 6:46pm
  Until the birds can be permanently deterred, maybe the restaurant owner should cover the bird droppings with rubber mats… then, roll up the soiled mats, put down fresh mats and then take the soiled ones to a nearby back yard and hose them off in a rotation system. It’s better then vacuuming, or hiring professional cleaners suggested by the knucklehead city officials. Ideally, these senseless city officials will be shamed, pressured into taking back this absurd abuse of authority.
  
  Report this comment
- Fla Del
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 6:51pm
  What the news casters are not reporting is that the rules regarding Storm Water Run Off is an EPA Mandate. We have fought this off in Florida but they will not go away. The city is following EPA rules and mandates. The city needs to tell the EPA to go to hell. We did.
  
  Report this comment
- justasmartgirl
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 8:54pm
  This is beyond stupid. Just this week I’ve heard Rhode Island removed the father/daughter dance from the schools because ONE single mother was offended that her daughter couldn’t go because dad isn’t in the picture, then a mother in Texas gets arrested because she let her kids play in HER cul-de-sac on their scooters while she watched them, now a business owner can’t wash bird **** off the sidewalk in front of his business. When did this country start caving in to over sensitive people and become an over-regulated, “PC” oriented bunch of wusses!! Really? If you don’t see a pattern by now, you should and you can look forward to more of this stupidity if we re-elect this “President” in November. And I’m not “picking” on him, Congress needs to be flushed and replaced too!!
  
  Report this comment
- WarMunger_Al
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 10:40pm
  More proof this country is doomed. These are the idiots running the government.
  
  Report this comment
- WATER-THE-TREE
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 11:55pm
  Sue the city.
  
  Report this comment
- WATER-THE-TREE
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 11:57pm
  Save the bird poop, if bammy gets reelected you will be making soup out of it.
  
  Report this comment
- Gumbercules
  Posted on September 20, 2012 at 1:43am
  Doesn’t everybody in Texas have guns? That would be my first solution to the pigeon problem . . .
  
  Report this comment
- Maji
  Posted on September 20, 2012 at 12:16pm
  Organize other shop keepers.
  Contact city manager…if that doesn’t work.
  Sue(last resort) the city for “Not” maintaining safe health enviroment for the public.
  
  Report this comment
Optimist4now
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:51pm
It’s quite simple, Corpus Christi realizes that the chemicals they put into their drinking / hose water are pollutants and they don’t want their city water polluting the bay. Drink up!

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- manandwolf
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 4:40pm
  corpus christi is a dump, it was seedy and dangerous.i would never go back, now i know why.
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:51pm
Solution –
1. Install pigeon deterrents, so they roost on properties other than your own, and let Nature take it’s course with what remains on your canopies and eave’s.

2. If the birds are roosting on power lines hanging over the sidewalk, sue the power company for contributing to a safety/health hazard which runs contrary to city ordinances.

3. Sue the city for selective prosecution.

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:57pm
  Invest in a flock of falcons to patrol the airspace above your store. Not only would it fix the problem people would come just to see the falcons kick @$$.
  
  Report this comment
- The Jewish Avenger
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:00pm
  Store are using those plastic cactuses so birds wont roost on Store signs that are imbedded in the walls, should start with that…
  but if it rains I’m out there with a rough broom sweeping
  
  Vacuuming!??? Send them some of the dust from that bird poop and see if vacuuming is a good idea!
  
  The hose/rain is the safest.
  
  Report this comment
- grayling646
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:29pm
  Install Pigeon Radar on F-16′s.
  
  Report this comment
- fixer
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 5:24pm
  Have a weekly bikini girl carwash out front…end of problem.
  
  Report this comment
gbfreak
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:51pm
What about the diseases that could be transmitted? If someone became ill because the owner DIDN’T clean the walk, it then becomes a liability! These city officials are dummmasses!!!!

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- baron94
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:00pm
  Actually, there is a disease that you can get from pigeon droppings, Histoplasmosis. It is caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, found in the dried guano of bats and droppings of poultry and other roosting wild birds. It can cause respiratory symptoms, often cough or flu-like. I had it once and it knocked me on my backside.
  
  Report this comment
In the O.C.
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:49pm
Idiots running the country, from sea to shining sea.

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Female
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:46pm
Shoot the birds and cook’em, oh there is probably an ordinance against this…..

how about stringing a bunch of cds from somewhere or flashing musical lights to scare the birds…

there are also boom noise makers which freak the buggars out?

What about rooftop cat patrol?

Stupid city…..

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- BigDaddyTex
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 5:26pm
  That’s what I was thinking… Get some hungry cats!
  
  Report this comment
Verceofreason
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:46pm
Put a mat over it during the day for the customers.
Then take the mat out back for a hosing.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:55pm
  So the drain out back is fine, but the drain in front is off limits. You liberals know how to solve any problem, don’t you?
  
  Report this comment
- frust@ted
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:10pm
  Sure so than you have a poop filled mat, you have solved nothing try again.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:18pm
  Frust, he said to hose the mat off out back…and we all know that the storm drains out back discharge to a completely different body of water than the drains in front. It’s perfectly resonable… if you’re a liberal.
  
  Report this comment
- EMUSICMANN
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:40pm
  Hosing a matt out back hides everything from the City Officials. They won’t go out back. Too much of a walk.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 3:11pm
  So then, liberals really don’t care about polluting the bay?
  
  Report this comment
- LIBSALWAYSLIE
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 4:15pm
  VERC, once again you prove to the world that you are an imbecile
  
  Report this comment
saneromeo
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:44pm
Environmental whackos strike again!
http://saneromeo.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/explosion-at-kosher-store-in-france/

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- Marine 1
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:54pm
  Solution is easy. Get rid of the birds.
  
  A police department and stores in our area were having the same problem so they put up special nets and plastic owls an such. Birds have moved on.
  
  Semper Fi
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:59pm
  Better yet, get rid of the bureaucrats.
  
  Report this comment
- Capt_Gregg
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 2:06pm
  Environmental wackos? Yes, if you’re referring to the story from Corpus Christi. If you’re referring to the one you posted a faulty link to, no.
  
  FYI, here’s a valid link to that story.
  http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-19/report-4-injured-after-explosion-at-kosher-store
  
  Report this comment
Indiana Patriot
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:43pm
Sigh. I would have expected better out of Texas. Guess this just goes to show, there are stupid people in government no matter where you are…

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- The Jewish Avenger
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:51pm
  Someone whined about it, find the whiner, keep on spraying.
  
  Report this comment
- QuincySmith
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:02pm
  I’m told that Texas has a few insane areas, Corpus Christi and Austin being two.
  
  Report this comment
valleyfever
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:42pm
It seems like the bird crap would be tracked into the restaurant. Or ir gets ground up into dust and blows in. When I was growing up people avoided bird dropppings like the plague. They remembered the flu epidemic of 1918 thought by many to have been spread by birds. Nanny state in Texas. Hmmmm

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:42pm
So much for nature being natural.

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Tigress1
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:41pm
So birds don’t poop when flying over the bay? Isn’t bird poop “natural” and biodegradable? I guess they would prefer if people catch diseases from the poop.

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- gryffn
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:49pm
  Not in Obama World. Unicorns come along a zap the poop into rainbows.
  
  Report this comment
- right-wing-waco
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:49pm
  Don’t argue with the government, they are the smartest people on the planet and they know just about everything. Whatever they don’t know they will make up as they go.
  
  Report this comment
- Zorba53
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:51pm
  No, what’s going to happen next is that city “officials” will force him to close because customers are tracking the poop into his restaurant causing a health hazard!!!
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:00pm
  @Gryffn,
  
  Sweet. That works out perfectly since leprechaun farts fuel all the new hybrid cars too.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:10pm
  “leprechaun farts” Really? Wow that Obama “all of the above” energy strategy is something!
  
  Report this comment
frust@ted
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:41pm
Typical govmt over reaching and rules for rules sake.

There are 3 things that I wish everyone would do in life that would forever change their political views
1)Work as a Waiter/Waitress
2)Serve in the Military
3)Start or try to run their own business.

1) Will teach you how hard work and being great at something can be rewarding.

2)Will teach you respect for those that have served and how to be able to depend on others but also teach you how important it is for you to be self-sufficient so those people can depend on you as well

3)Will show you how difficult it is to run a business and how much govmt gets in the way(like this story), how small profits can really be compared to what the govmt takes. Most business the govmt makes more money off the business than the owner.

I guess i could add a fourth, work in the govmt for 2 years so you can see how inefficent they are compared to private sector.

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- woodyee
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:52pm
  FOUR – READ your daggum PAY STUBS!!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- The Jewish Avenger
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:56pm
  What ends up happening:
  
  1.) Cries for money and everything from their parents… parents try to TALK to them about the value of money, kids could care less as they wait impatiently with their hands out.
  2.) Parents cant kick them out without board so …. Goes to college
  3.) Works at McDonalds spends rest of time blogging or twitting with his/her I hate America and my parents groups.
  
  Report this comment
- frust@ted
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:13pm
  woodyee the only problem with that is you have to have a paystub to read it.
  
  Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:40pm
This might explain why ows/blackbloc members and their ilk don’t bathe nor clean up after themselves…

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capitalismrocks
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:40pm
and this is Texas ?!?!?!? This is NUTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! More stupid laws by stupid politicians… I bet those same politicians make sure THEIR homes and sidewalks are clean…

Rainwater or hosewater — its water, the effect is the same – bird poop down the drain, thats stupid beyond stupid

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Dismayed Veteran
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:40pm
This reminds me of a Plant Manager I worked with who allowed his machinists to have water at their mills and lathes but no coffee, milk or pop. How people come up with these silly contradictions is beyond me.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:45pm
  Did Bloomberg own the plant?
  
  Report this comment
Wayner
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:39pm
What else do you expect in our modern progressive society?

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iblvingd
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:38pm
This is an Obama shovel ready job! The fix shovel the poop and use steam cleaner after!

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- pap pap
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 1:20pm
  I don’t think you can shovel up bird poop.
  
  There a lot of good ideas to get rid of the birds posted today but the bottom line is that this law is totally assinine. If he can’t clean up the poop then his entire business and the health of his patrons and employees are at risk.
  
  If he can’t lean up the bird poop because of the city officials then the city officials should just eat it.
  
  Report this comment
- iblvingd
  Posted on September 19, 2012 at 5:16pm
  Actually this storm water malarky is part of the ICLEI community rules, in stopping the pollution of the oceans and earth. Agenda 21 in action. Get the ICLEI out of ALL of our communitees.
  
  Report this comment
floridareader
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:38pm
City officials’ poop is larger, clogs city drainage and pollutes the whole city. So, they better stop eating, farting and pooping.

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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:38pm
What a jobs program. You can HIRE someone, but don’t do it yourself. Soon, we will have to hire someone to wipe our butts for us, Only a licensed professional can handle toxic waste.

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FightingBear
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:38pm
We have definitely lost our way….and sadly, I don’t think we are capable of finding our way again. We are hopelessly lost here in this once great nation. When our government won’t let us get rid of bird poop in front of our businesses…we are finished.

Shut down your business, let it rot and decay and suckle at the government teat for the rest of your days….it’s the new American Dream.

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Mike Benton
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:38pm
Hose down the poop cops when they show up.

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SREGN
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:38pm
22 shorts and put squab on the menu.

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AJAYW
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:36pm
The the stupid city should clean the side walk- someone should slip and fall and sue the city for their bird **** being on the sidewalk

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 12:35pm
Another fine example of government insanity.

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