Council briefs

ELECTRIC CITY — Council voted June 12 to make their chicken ordinance permanent, rather than having to renew it periodically. The ordinance allows citizens to raise hens but not roosters.

“I’ve never seen a rooster lay an egg,” said Councilmember Rich McGuire.

“Some hens crow,” Councilmember Carol Nordine said, referring to the ban on roosters being due to the classic “cockle-doodle-doo” noise they make at the crack of dawn.

• Electric City accepted a $146,000 bid from Central Paving for general street repair to be paid for with a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

• A pitbull on Grand Street in Electric City has been labeled potentially dangerous. The pitbull was involved in an incident in which it, as well as a blue heeler, attacked a cat that later died from its injuries. Labelling the blue heeler as potentially dangerous is on the agenda for next month’s city council meeting.

• Sunrise Disposal, which provides garbage service in the area, encouraged the Electric City Council to put the garbage collection contract out to bid during the last council meeting. Dick Howe, of Sunrise Disposal, feels confident in their rates and doesn’t want the decision whether to go to bid to drag on over the course of meetings with the four towns’ individual councils and the Regional Board of Mayors. Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam had already approved going to bid, with Electric City approving it at that meeting, and Elmer City later the same week. Recycling is to be explored in the bids as well. The contract expires at the end of 2019.

COULEE DAM — Council on June 13 approved Daniel Esmond as a new member of the volunteer fire department.

• The rough pavement at the end of a city street that accesses Harvest Foods and the Coulee Dam Casino will finally be fixed. Council voted to spring for the money by spending down the town’s streets reserve fund to accept a bid that is likely half price what it would be if a paving contractor wasn’t already in town on other work.

Instead of just cold patching it, the hole and a 130-foot by 140-foot strip of street can be ground down, then overlaid with asphalt for a little over $19,000.

Mayor Larry Price said the town should apply for more grants next year to get more such fixes done on local streets.

• Council is considering adopting an ordinance that would spell out requirements to run all-terrain vehicles on city streets.

Councilmember Keith St. Jeor said that’s already legal on the state highway running through town because the state adopted such specifications in 2015.

St. Jeor said the town needs to start the discussion and hold public meetings for input on the question.

Clerk Stefani Bowden said such discussions can get heated. She was part of a similar process in Wilbur.