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| Salt and Pepper the Moby Dick Goats may yet get to graze on the range adjacent to the downtown city hotel |
One hopes that the productive playwrights of the Lester Centre, Harbour Theatre or Charles Hays Secondary are keeping notes, for the saga of the Second Avenue Goats has all the energy for a very successful community theatre presentation.
Though prospective playwrights likely will want to wait to see if the Two Goats for Second concept, somehow does't expand to take on elements of a full on Animal Farm scattered across the city.
The latest run for the storyline came Tuesday at Prince Rupert City Hall.
As part of a Request for a Temporary Use Permit in front of City Council to allow for Two Goats to be stationed in the lot adjacent the Moby Dick Inn, there placement as pets their purpose as landscapers.
We previewed the night's work for Tuesday, with a look at the Report for Council.
The Two Act play on Tuesday began in the Public Comment period, when Property owner Teresa Lee made a passionate call for the city to allow her pets, to take up their range on the cliffs of Second Avenue West.
Ms. Lee observing how the proposed use would serve the property until she believes the time is right towards development of a downtown condo project she has plans towards.
"The lot is empty so I try to keep it nice, I plant some flowers and trees, apple trees, whatever but still they weeds grow like crazy. So Ive been cutting and filling and somebody said bring a couple of goats and they'll do the job"
From her review of her landscaping work she recounted the past experience of the goats of a previous year and then expressed frustration at after taking advice of some council members and having taken out a special permit at 645 dollars and has yet to hear back from the City.
"I brought. the goats again, I came to the city and applied for the special permit I paid 645 dollars on June 18 and right now it's the middle of November, still I haven't hear anything yes or no.
So I just don't understand how come it takes five months to get a Yes or No for the special permits for the two goats'
Ms. Lee noted that she was really just trying to take care of her property, while other parts of the community have buildings that have burned down, or are in disrepair along with property that has not been attended to.
She expressed her frustration that her pets which have hooves, had been banned and offered up a hope for the special permit that would offer some educational and stress relief for the public.
She also observed over how some in the community have offered her support in her wishes to bring the goats to the community.
A member of her delegation to council on the night also spoke to the topic continued to highlight the state of disrepair that many buildings in the community are in, as well as the loss of access to waterfront activities that residents once had and now can't access owing to industrial ownership.
Noting how heartbreaking the current situation in the community is to her and how she would like to see more done.
Act Two of the Goat Chronicles, came later in the evening as Council explored the merits of the request, with some Council members making note of their recent studies on animal husbandry and how it may impact the situation.
Councillor Wade Niesh spoke to the topic, noting how it was a can of worms, observing to some of the details involved towards care and maintenance of the goats.
"It's such a can of worms this one. I see at least this time there is a more thorough plan of how these goats will be looked after, as far as buildings and fencing and that stuff.
So that makes me feel a little bit better .
And I did see in there that there was a response from a veterinary place in Terrace that would look after the goats"
While he observed as to the improved nature of the request and then returned to the original reasoning behind keeping hoofed animals out of the community and why they were removed from the bylaws in the past. The Councillor noting how Prince Rupert is not a farming community and if Council was not careful how it could in a way turn the downtown area into a farm.
Councillor Barry Cunningham, recounted a conversation he had towards hoof rot and the conditions that could create it, he noted he did not see the land in question as providing for any problems towards that issue.
As well, he had some thoughts on some of the other elements that the property owner has taken on towards the request as well as to how they had in the past been a popular attraction.
Toward the current request he advised sending the request to the public notification process observing how the goats may also be useful in weed management.
"I say we go to public notification with it and see what the public says.
I don't see a problem with it ... there's a lot of indications that people like the goats, they like seeing them and things like that.
And you know if they're useful for keeping the weeds down and that even better"
The mayor noting of the previous report on the night on parks, offered up a lighthearted thought, that perhaps the city might consider goats for the rewilding of civic areas if they follow that guidance from the Parks proposals.
Councillor Adey agreed that the process in motion this time around was more helpful and comprehensive to the request, adding however that it does open that can of worms that could lead to other requests, observing how this could be considered an experimental process for the city to consider.
Councillor Forester, joining council from a flight awaiting takeoff, shared her thoughts on the goat issue highlighting some of the elements of the proponents plans that address many of the city's issues, opting of the difference between pets and livestock issues.
The motion then moved forward to the public notification process.
Those who may have an interest in the topic and could be impacted by the goats should watch the City's Public Notice's page, towards when they will be offered opprortunity to comment.
The Temporary Use Permit will come back to Council for further consideration once that process has concluded.
You can review the full scope of the discussion from the City's Video archive stream, with the first element from Ms. Lee at the 36 minute mark, while Council weighs in to the topic at the 50 minute mark.
More notes from the Tuesday Council Session can be reviewed here.
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