Bunny contractor short of cash

by Wayne Moore - Castanet Story: 44731
Jan 30, 2009 / 1:00 pm

The company hired by the City of Kelowna to eliminate the city's feral rabbit population is quickly running out of cash.

EBB Environmental Consulting was awarded the contract, worth about $54,000, back in the spring of 2008.

City Urban Forestry Manager, Ian Wilson, explained to City Council two weeks ago, that the contract was a result of a Request For Proposal (RFP) and not a tender.

He says through the RFP process, once the money is gone, the contract is over. Through a tender, the contract ends when the job is finished.

At that meeting, Council asked Wilson to urge EBB to step up live trapping of the approximately 150 remaining rabbits, with the goal of re-location.

Council also wanted staff to look into involving local animal advocacy groups and determine an additional cost of live-trapping and re-locating the remaining rabbits.

In a new report, which will come to Council Monday, Wilson says EBB has stepped up the trapping program, capturing an additional 36 rabbits over an 11 day period.

"However, EBB also estimates the remaining budget in their contract will only allow them to continue trapping for about three more weeks," says Wilson in his report.

"Staff have asked EBB for an estimate of costs to extend the contract, if desired."

Wilson says he has received those costs, but prefers to wait until he has a chance to discuss the numbers with council before releasing them. In his report, Wilson also indicated a number of animal advocacy groups were contacted.

He says The Responsible Animal Care Society (TRACS), was the only group willing to help with live-trapping as well as housing. He says TRACS would accept 150 rabbits at a cost of $11,500.

Wilson adds a petting zoo in Keremeos also indicated it would welcome up to 150 rabbits.

Should council decide it wished to partner with one or more groups, Wilson says it could be addressed at final budget in regards to taxation.

(The rabbit issue will be addressed at the Council meeting Monday, Feb. 2nd at 1:30 p.m.)