The Wayland City Council will have a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, to talk about permitting or banning the raising of chickens within the city limits.
City Manager Joshua Eggleston said he hopes to have the meeting at the Wayland Middle School cafeteria in case there is a larger than usual audience, but he has not received official word yet.
The city more than a year ago began deliberations on the possibility of crafting a chicken ordinance, but the issue was dropped after former City Manager Tim McLean left. Eggleston last month told City Council members they should soon revisit the matter to decide yes or no one and for all.
Surrounding communities such as Dorr Township have adopted ordinances permitting chickens, but opponents say they are more rural in character and urban farming presents different challenges.
Eggleston said he hopes to have information providers on both sides of the issue available at the special meeting.
In other business at Tuesday night’s meeting, the council:
• Approved the purchase of a new police cruiser, a 2019 Chevy Tahoe for $32,757, to replace the 2013 Tahoe, which will be sold. Eggleston said the purchase price came in more than $2,000 under budget.
• Heard an explanation of the sounding twice last week (Aug. 28 and 29) of the warning siren. He was told may residents thought it was a tornado siren, but he responded that it was a outdoor warning system that is activated when winds reach 60 miles per hour or conditions are suspected of being favorable to creation of tornadoes.
• Was told by Eggleston that the cost of salt for use on streets during the coming winter has increased by as much as 70 percent.
“We may have to look at alternatives before we commit to moving forward.” the city manager said.
People who want to raise farm animals, whether it is poultry, pork or beef, should move to the rural township areas like Leighton, Dorr or Wayland Township. If I wanted to hear chickens clucking I’d move out into a township.
What happens when someone in town gets chickens but their neighbor(s) have dogs and the dogs bark at the chickens continuously? Then other neighbors call and are complaining about a dog barking. You know whats worse that listening to chickens clucking when you’re sitting on your deck or patio? A dog barking non stop.
I hope our elected officials have the courage or fortitude to understand that this is the City of Wayland not the Township of Wayland. Just because a handful of people want something doesn’t mean we all do. Just because Grand Rapids did something doesn’t mean we should. Just because the TOWNSHIP of Dorr allows something doesn’t mean we should.
Call the lazy police on the barking dogs. That is why they are here. They don’t even patrol my street with parked cars on it all night. You go Johhny!
Telling people to move to a different area because you disagree with them is a childish response. I live in the city of Wayland and would much rather hear a group of chickens clucking than the current dogs barking, trains going by, and obnoxiously loud music from cars, that I currently deal with on a daily basis. Guess what though: I won’t. Chickens clucking can barely be heard over your average box fan or air conditioning unit. So Mr. Cash a couple suggestions would be: properly insulate your house, have a conversation with that noisy dog and ask that it kindly stops barking at another animal, or by your own suggestion, move out of the city. You know what’s worse than a clucking chicken when you’re sitting on your deck or patio? Neighbors in a friendly city who try to prevent others from doing what makes them happy, simply because they don’t like it.