Goats to the rescue, saving Pendleton's tax dollars
PENDLETON, Ore. -- Tight budgets and the extremes one city is taking to save money. Pendleton got creative to tackle a massive cleanup of the Umatilla river walk. It's an area known for crime that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire professionals.
"If the word gets out, more people stop by to see them,” said Pendleton local John Saatzer. “Yesterday, the bridge was packed with people looking at the goats saying what the heck is going on?"
It's not being done for looks. These goats are doing a job by cleaning up the banks of the Umatilla River and saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Pendleton Public Works Director Bob Patterson explains, "we could not pay people to come in and do this level of work that the goats have done for us, well into the six figures compared to $23,000.”
It's called "target grazing." The goats belong to a guy from Hermiston who's been in this business for close to 20 years. They do leave behind their own personal mess, but the ground can take it.
"Goats are really the ideal grazing animal for this site,” added Patterson. “The good stuff is the last thing they'll eat. They like the bad stuff."
Police tell Action News they expect to benefit from the goats as much as anyone. Most of the drug sales and drug use in Pendleton is done along the river, and with the goats cleaning up those brushy areas, that's going to make it a lot harder to get away with.
"Oh yeah, you can see people back in there at night and that, seeing needles and syringes laying around that's another reason for mainly why did it,” said Saatzer.
It's not your ordinary public works project, but it's a win-win for Pendleton to save money and clean up the city.
"We've always believed this is our hidden asset and we're now opening that up for better public use,” said Patterson
The city says the goats have already been so successful there are plans to sign a three-year contract to keep the goats coming back to Pendleton.
"If the word gets out, more people stop by to see them,” said Pendleton local John Saatzer. “Yesterday, the bridge was packed with people looking at the goats saying what the heck is going on?"
It's not being done for looks. These goats are doing a job by cleaning up the banks of the Umatilla River and saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Pendleton Public Works Director Bob Patterson explains, "we could not pay people to come in and do this level of work that the goats have done for us, well into the six figures compared to $23,000.”
It's called "target grazing." The goats belong to a guy from Hermiston who's been in this business for close to 20 years. They do leave behind their own personal mess, but the ground can take it.
"Goats are really the ideal grazing animal for this site,” added Patterson. “The good stuff is the last thing they'll eat. They like the bad stuff."
Police tell Action News they expect to benefit from the goats as much as anyone. Most of the drug sales and drug use in Pendleton is done along the river, and with the goats cleaning up those brushy areas, that's going to make it a lot harder to get away with.
"Oh yeah, you can see people back in there at night and that, seeing needles and syringes laying around that's another reason for mainly why did it,” said Saatzer.
It's not your ordinary public works project, but it's a win-win for Pendleton to save money and clean up the city.
"We've always believed this is our hidden asset and we're now opening that up for better public use,” said Patterson
The city says the goats have already been so successful there are plans to sign a three-year contract to keep the goats coming back to Pendleton.
