Editor’s note: This post is background for the special council meeting set to start at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21. Council will first go “in camera,” which is a type of meeting closed to the public. Once council leaves their in camera portion they will open chambers to the public and media. The live blog will start once I’m in the council chambers.

The agenda can be downloaded by clicking this link.

HIGHLIGHTS: One of the last decisions this council will make will be on whether to proceed with a study into allowing backyard chickens in city limits. The request to have a few chickens for eggs from some members of the public has been a controversial one at the council table.

Also on the agenda is a request to approve a provisional operating budget for the Nelson Police Department and a request to amend the financial plan to proceed with plans to make $1.5 million in repairs to some major equipment for Nelson Hydro.

This is the last council meeting for the former council. The new council elected this Saturday, will be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 5.

5:51 p.m.

Council has begun their special meeting. It’s a full house around the table and  the two councillor-elects, Paula Kiss and Candace Batycki, are in the audience. Actually they are the audience.

6a) Backyard chickens

City staff recommend council start public consultation on whether the city should allow residents to keep backyard chickens.

In their report, staff write there are a number of regulatory changes required to accompany any decision to allow chickens. Those changes include land-use regulations, fees and charges, waste management (for manure and dead chickens), and animal control.

The city would also have to have processes in place to handle enforcement around noise, smells, animal conflict and disposal of the bodies, to name a few.

Finally, staff write there should be public consultation to gauge how many residents would keep backyard chickens.

In light of the zoning/land use and animal control issues, it would be prudent for the City to solicit feedback from all citizens prior to spending the time and resources to implement an initiative funded by the taxpayer’s [sic] which may only benefit a certain portion of the population.

LIVE BLOG BEGINS BELOW:

Kevin Cormack, city manager, says staff looked at the successful communities that allowed backyard chickens and said they had a comprehensive approach to backyard chickens.

Do we put the proper processes in place or the proper guidelines and fine those who don’t comply? says Cormack. Those are the two models.

Staff feel there won’t be a huge uptake if people have to build a proper coop and get the necessary requirements.

If proper rules aren’t in place the city will experience problems, says Cormack.

Kozak asks why they’re looking at land-use planning instead of animal control. Cormack says they have to have proper zoning to allow people to build chicken coops. There could be standards around lot size, approval process (should a neighbour have a say), location in a backyard, proximity to schools.

Cormack says staff view backyard chickens as a symbolic gesture towards sustainability. He cites a science article he read that says the earth’s population is getting larger and to sustain them we’ll have to move to a vegetable diet.

Cherbo asked if the other communities looked at real estate values. Yes, says Cormack.

Charlesworth moves the motion, Macdonald seconds it.

Charlesworth says she appreciates the desire to have public consultation and the research to find best practices. But she feels city staff are creating a mountain out of a molehill. She acknowledges she won’t be around the table in April 2012 when the staff report would be expected.

She says coops need to be kept under 100 square feet so building permits aren’t needed. Chickens make less noise and poop than dogs and we don’t require land-use amendments for them.

Macdonald says she feels the staff report is negative towards the idea of backyard chickens and asked for more balance in staff’s approach. She also says the assessment tool that came from the Path to 2040 wasn’t filled out fairly.

Cherbo says the public needs to be aware of what they, council, are proposing. They’ve only heard from 30 or 40 people who want chickens. What about everyone else? he asks. When he built a garage he had to get input from people within 100 metres of his home. He thinks it’s fair to get the same input with chickens.

Dooley wants to know if this would include bees and ducks. He’s had people asking about that. He even had someone come and ask him about goats. Seriously, he says. Could we have to

All members of council vote in favour of the motion. The study is on.

6c) Changes to the 2011-2015 financial plan

Staff have asked council to approve changes to the 2011-2015 financial plan that will let Nelson Hydro move ahead with repairs to some expensive equipment.

Their “G4″ unit (there’s no explanation of what the G4 unit is) broke in July 2011 and will cost $1.5 million to repair. Nelson Hydro knew the unit was aging and had included the repair in the 2011-15 budget, but not just yet. With the item broken, they would like to start repairs sooner and need council to update the financial plan to do so.

According to the staff report, insurance will cover $900,000 of the bill and borrowing will cover the rest. The city has already started the process to get the public’s approval to borrow money to make capital improvements at Nelson Hydro.

Staff recommend council amend the 2011-2015 financial plan.

LIVE BLOG BEGINS 6:07 p.m.

Macdonald asks why they’re adjusting the rates now but are planning to adjust the rates in the future as well. Why do it now? she asks.

Colin McClure, chief financial officer, says the rates from FortisBC are changing constantly. Nelson Hydro adjusts its own rates in response to FortisBC because they purchase some extra power from them at times.

The amendments are approved.

Council now recesses to eat dinner.

6b) Approve the provisional operating police budget

Council are asked to approve the provisional operating budget for the Nelson Police Department. According to the staff report, the province’s Police Act states the budget must be approved by November 30 each year.

The provisional budget does not include capital purchases, which are handled in the regular budget planning in the new year.

Staff recommend council approve the provisional budget.

Note: This item will be dealt with after the committee of the whole meeting.

8:57 p.m.

Council now reconvenes after hearing the presentation from Police Chief Wayne Holland in the committee of the whole meeting.

Charlesworth says it would be useful to get a long-term vision from the police department so council can make better decisions during the budget process.

The provisional budget is approved.

Coun. Donna Macdonald now serves a notice of motion regarding the closure of the Fish and Wildlife office in Nelson. That will come up at the next meeting.

Macdonald now expresses her appreciation to Charlesworth and Stacey. This is their last meeting. The new council will be sworn on December 5. Council agrees.

Dooley asks for a motion to adjourn and it’s given.

Good night.

9:04 p.m.