In Our Opinion: Enough of the reports, make a decision

In the first council meeting since the goats took residence outside the Moby Dick Inn, the livestock bylaw reared its antiquated head.

But instead of making actual change, council asked for a report and recommendations.

We all know what that means — time and money. The federal government loves its reports too. Look at the oil tanker moratorium bill. Even after a contingent of senators were sent up to Prince Rupert, and then Alberta, the resulting committee report to scrap the bill was ultimately outvoted in the end.

Back and forth, endlessly.

READ MORE: Council Briefs, June 10 — “Goat bylaw” in review

It’ll be a miracle if that bill becomes law before the next election in the fall.

Back to the goats, and livestock in general. Do we have to wait until 2030 to have our own food-producing animals or a small urban farm within city limits?

Mayor Lee Brain referred to the city’s 2030 Sustainability Policy report at Monday night’s council meeting. There is an entire section on food and reducing regulatory obstacles. Ah hem.

“A municipality’s prime lever for influencing a sustainable food system lies in its development of suitable bylaws that govern land use practices […] Updating these regulations to describe how land can be used for agricultural purposes will ensure social cohesion in neighbourhoods, while supporting sustainable local food production and community health,” the report reads.

Why doesn’t this report suit the purpose of moving forward with change to the livestock bylaw. It’s all right here.

Maybe we’re missing something, but for goats sake, let’s do something other than another bloody report.

READ MORE: Goats forced to leave Prince Rupert