Budgie birds have their say at Paradise meeting

By Mark Squibb/March 10, 2022

Of things seen and heard on Zoom during the pandemic, there have been no shortage of stories.

Paradise councilors are currently using the conference call app to participate in public meetings from their homes, and when Public Works committee chairman Patrick Martin began his committee report during the March 1 meeting, it soon became apparent that he was not alone in the room.

Other members of council found it hard to resist a smile as somewhere off camera a couple of budgie birds chirped and tweeted happily, possibly adding their own thoughts to the committee report.

“I do apologize, because I have budgie birds tweeting next to me,” said Martin with a smile, as councilors laughed at the predicament.  “The birds have decided to start talking now.”

Mayor Dan Bobbett jokingly informed Martin that as the birds were not elected officials, they could not participate.

As Covid-19 social distancing restrictions are set to lift mid-March, Bobbett said he was hopeful that council will soon be held in-person at the Town Hall once again.

As for the birds, it is possible they wished to comment on topics raised during the committee report such as the winter parking ban and sewer repair policies, but they were unavailable for tweets.