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Letter: Chicken project bungled from the start

I think this backyard chicken project has been bungled from the beginning.
8452628_web1_letter-ed

I think this backyard chicken project has been bungled from the beginning.

If the project has been in the works for two years, why did council wait until the middle of summer to start it? Summer is a very busy time for families, who don’t always have time to attend meetings (we tried to appear by phone but were out of cell-phone range).

At the beginning of the project we were told over and over not to purchase any supplies until after we had gotten approval; once we got said approval (in an e-mail after the mid-July meeting that we couldn’t attend) we started looking for supplies. I’m not sure what Bruno Tassone of Florio Vassilikakis’s financial situations are, but we can’t afford to just go out and purchase a new coop, electric fence controller, electric fence posts, insulators, electric fence wire, and normal fence from the store. We have to wait until it goes on sale or is sold used. And again, summer is a busy time, filled with camping trips, festivals and get-togethers.

Then, just as we started gathering everything we needed (including the electric fence and wood for the coop), exactly one month later in mid-August we were told there was a chance the project would be cancelled or postponed (which we let the city know we took as a warning to hold-off so that we wouldn’t be spending money or doing work for no reason). At this point we were (and still are) waiting for another update from the city as to whether we should go ahead with the project or not.

And now we come to find out that even if we do purchase everything and get it set up, it might be a complete waste of time and money (if the other participant doesn’t finish). That’s a great way to get us motivated.

Blaming this on your residents who are trying to participate while you send conflicting messages is not constructive or helpful.

Brent Dunn

Castlegar