Helen officials tighten up regulations on street performers | AccessNorthGa

HELEN – It took a month, but on Tuesday Helen officials passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of animals and animal acts, including birds, within the city’s Market Platz area downtown.

On June 18, the city commission approved the first reading of the ordinance they said would make the city safer for visitors, residents and merchants.

That now-approved ordinance targets health and safety concerns, including repeated complaints about “the bird man,” a street performer whose animals and birds leave droppings in the Market Platz area.

At both of their June meetings, members of the city commission discussed not only the animals’ excrement, but also numerous complaints that the birds bite visitors to Helen.

“The city intends to ensure that animal acts do not endanger the viewing public through biting or scratching by the animals,” the ordinance states.

via Helen officials tighten up regulations on street performers | AccessNorthGa.