Perhaps it was a harbinger of what may be coming for the Wayland City Council. members Monday evening heard a special presentation on keeping chickens within the city limits before their regular meeting.
Sophia DiPietro, representing A.S.K. of Battle Creek, which does farm animal and dog rescues, recommended city officials not adopt a city ordinance permitting raising of chickens. If it is approved nonetheless, she suggested the city impose strict regulations.
DiPietro essentially maintained there are problems with disease, improper housing, poorly equipped urban farmers, insanitary conditions, lack of proper health care, increased need for enforcement of rules and vaccinations.
City Manager Josh Eggleston said somewhere in Wisconsin, a community adopted an ordinance to permit chickens but insisted their owners pay a licensing fee of $100 per chicken.
“The higher it (the fee) is, the better,” responded DiPietro.
Councilwoman Lisa Banas asked, “Who is going to determine whether or not these animals are healthy?”
The presenter, acknowledging that urban farming and keeping of chickens is trendy, there have been too many cases of owners’ neglect of the birds, resulting in community health problems and attraction of unwanted predators and high mortality rates.
No decision was made, but Eggleston noted there will be a public hearing on the issue at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Wayland Middle School cafeteria. He added that a group of people who support urban farming and keeping chickens will be invited to speak to the council before the Monday, Oct. 1, meeting.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, the council:
• Agreed to spend up to $67,350 for engineering services from Wightman & Associates for street projects planned for next year on Galaxy Estates and on Marlo Lane and Geneva Drive.
The Galaxy Estates project is to upgrade all the ramps for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Marlo Lane and Genva Drive project will include replacing driveway approaches, installing sidewalks on the west and southwest side of teh streets, and restore ditches alongside the street so water has somewhere to go.
• Approved the appointment of Ben Adams to a seat on the Planning Commission vacated by soon to be City Councilman Abe Garcia, and of Sam Dykstra to a seat on the Compensation Commission, succeeding Sheryl Hamilton.