Penticton council to talk urban farm animals, new energy loan program

Chickens will be on Penticton city council's menu tonight.

Twenty-five property owners applied for the urban hen project which allows a handful of egg-laying hens. Applicants who have signed up will follow such rules as having only five hens, and no roosters, making sure the hen coop will not be visible from the street and any equipment will be no closer than 1.5 metres from any property line. City councillors will be updated on how to proceed with the project.

An energy retrofit loan program will need $135,000 in the bank. Electric operations manager Eric Livolsi said the program will mean more green energy jobs and smaller electric bills for customers who take part. If council approves the idea it will go into the 2014-2016 electrical budget.

Penticton city council is expected to cover:

– A surplus of $708,630 in the general operating fund.
– Adding one day to curbside yard waste collection service in December.
– An update on getting the owner of 597 Ellis St. to solve his destroyed house situation.

Penticton city council coverage starts at 6 p.m. tonight. Follow along on Twitter at @shannonquesnel1

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065 or tweet @shannonquesnel1